The 3 Hours of Monza, the fourth round of the GT World Challenge Europe championship and its second endurance race, did not disappoint the thousands of fans who packed the paddock and grandstands of the Monza circuit. After a fiercely contested battle filled with dramatic twists, off-track excursions, and multiple Full Course Yellow and Safety Car interventions, victory went to the Mann-Filter Team’s Mercedes-AMG, driven by Lucas Auer, Matteo Cairoli, and Maro Engel, thus netting Mercedes its first GT win at Monza.
Completing the podium were the Garage 59 McLaren 720S GT3, driven by Joseph Loake, Marvin Kirchhöfer, and Benjamin Goethe, and the Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3, with Mattia Drudi, Nicki Thiim, and Marco Sørensen sharing driving duties.
TIRE STRATEGY PROVES DECISIVE
The numerous early-race interruptions expanded strategic options for teams, leading to varied approaches. Some crews opted to come in early for one of the three mandatory pit stops, while others chose a more conservative strategy, saving tyres for the latter stages of the three-hour race which was held in challengingly high track and ambient temperatures.
“We expected an exciting and demanding weekend, and that’s exactly what we got, with plenty of valuable insights for the upcoming 24 Hours of Spa,” commented Matteo Braga, Pirelli Circuit Activity Manager. “As predicted, smart tyre management, made even more complex by the frequent interruptions, was crucial to the race outcome. We’ve gathered extensive data to analyse ahead of the next rounds.”
A TRIBUTE TO ANDREA BERTOLINI
One of the weekend’s highlights was the celebration of Ferrari and Maserati legend Andrea Bertolini, who contested his final race. Pirelli honoured the multiple closed-wheel champion with a special commemorative wind tunnel tyre, presented by Braga.
“I can look back on a rich career, and throughout this journey, Pirelli has always been by my side,” reflected Bertolini during the ceremony. “Together, we’ve grown and improved year after year. I’ve won many times in my career, and Pirelli played a significant role in those successes.”
