NEWS
NINTH OVERALL FOR VSR AT MONZA AFTER ANOTHER SILVER CUP NEAR MISS
Jun 01, 2025
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GT World Challenge by AWS Endurance Cup, Monza 3 Hours – Italy
Ninth overall for VSR at Monza after another Silver Cup near miss
The GT World Challenge by AWS Endurance Cup continued at Monza this weekend with a three-hour race around the fearsome Italian circuit. There were changes to the VSR line-ups for both cars. Mattia Michelotto joined the Pro 163 crew, pairing up with Sandy Mitchell and Franck Perera due to Mapelli’s previous commitment to a race in America. In the Silver Cup car Andrea Frassineti made his series debut alongside Michele Beretta and Alessio Deledda, making it an Italian line-up for the 60 car.
A strong showing in Free Practice saw the 163 finish eighth quickest in a session where the top forty cars were covered by just one second. Pre-Qualifying was similarly competitive and the 163 car ended up fifth quickest overall and the 60 third fastest in the Silver Cup. With fifty-nine cars on track finding a gap during qualifying proved a challenge but great performances from Mitchell, Michelotto and Perera put the 163 Lamborghini on the second row for the start of the three-hour race. The 60 car started from row ten, third in the Silver Cup.
After a pre-race BoP weight increase for the Lamborghinis Perera and Beretta took the race start, the latter getting the VSR Silver Cup car up to second in class before the Safety Car stopped racing for four laps. The restart was quickly followed by a Full Course Yellow which became a Safety Car. VSR took the opportunity to pit both cars for one of the three mandatory pit-stops. Perera and Beretta stayed onboard for stints which ran past the first hour. On lap thirty-five Perera pitted from seventh overall for Mitchell. A lap later another Full Course Yellow provided a lucky break for the 60 car, allowing Beretta to pit for Deledda and make up track position on the cars ahead. Racing resumed on lap forty with Deledda leading the Silver class and running amongst the leaders. The 163 car lost out badly due to stopping just before the Full Course Yellow and Mitchell found himself down in seventeenth place. By lap fifty-four he was up to fourteenth having passed Engstler. On lap fifty-seven Mitchell pitted for Michelotto who would take the 163 car to the flag. A lap later Deledda gave the Silver Cup car to Frassineti who found himself second in class, eighth overall and under pressure from the BMW’s of Jansen and Cheli. On lap sixty-five they forced their way past but a problem for class leader Ekelchik a lap later kept Frassineti third in class. With half an hour of racing left he ran thirteenth overall, just behind Michelotto in the sister car who on lap sixty-eight passed Hartog’s Porsche for eleventh. In the final ten minutes Frassineti, struggling with his brakes, came under pressure from Di Folco who closed to within a second as Michelotto backed up a train of cars from sixth place separated by less than two seconds. Frassineti held on until the final four minutes when a tap from behind sent him skating into the gravel. His recovery prompted a short Full Course Yellow and at the restart Michelotto passed Preining to bring the 163 car home ninth overall and take precious points for the team. The 60 car was classified ninth in class.
2025 GT World Challenge by AWS Endurance Cup Calendar
Round 1 Paul Ricard, France 6 hours 12-13 April
Round 2 Monza, Italy 3 hours 31 May – 1 June
Round 3 Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium 24 hours 27-28 June
Round 4 Nurburgring, Germany 3 hours 30-31 August
Round 5 Barcelona, Spain 3 hours 11-12 October
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