Sant'Agata Bolognese/Rome, November 18, 2018 – Lamborghini held a great celebration at Vallelunga. On the Roman circuit, the 2018 season came to an end with the sixth edition of the World Final. With an exciting final sprint, Giacomo Altoè and Daniel Zampieri became world champions in the PRO class, with the Antonelli Motorsport team. Altoé won his second title after the one taken in the European series last Friday; the third one with a Lamborghini in less than a month, since he was also crowned Italian Gran Turismo champion with Zampieri with a Huracán GT3 of Antonelli Motorsport. In the PRO-AM, Juan Perez and Loris Spinelli won three titles and became European and North American champions with P1 Motorsport. Ryan Hardwick (Dream Racing Motorsport) recorded a double triumph: he conquered the AM title after being crowned champion in the same class in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America. Lastly, in the Lamborghini Cup, the Frenchman of AGS Events, Joseph Collado, won his first title.
Thanks to a perfect race conduct, Daniel Zampieri and Giacomo Altoè won Race 2 and secured the PRO title. The former took the lead after starting alongside the poleman Dennis Lind and remained ahead of everyone until the pit-stops, after a safety car period in the first part of the race. On the other hand, Altoè never lost his concentration and kept the leading position until the end. After winning Race 1 on Saturday, Kei Cozzolino and Afiq Yazid (Clazzio Racing) were instead excluded from the "top 10". Also decisive was the penalty for an irregularity in the starting phase inflicted on the Leipert Motorsport crew formed by Niels Lagrange and Frederik Schandorff, who were deprived of a valuable third place. The last overall podium of the season was completed by James Pull and Kelvin Snoeks (Bonaldi Motorsport), who finished second, and the champions of the Asian series Andrea Amici and Artur Janosz (FFF Racing Team by ACM).
Only one point allowed JC Perez and Loris Spinelli to take the PRO-AM title. The P1 Motorsport duo, who won Race 1 on Saturday, only needed to finish third behind the winners Dennis Lind and Simon Larsson (Target Racing) and the Iron Lynx pair composed by Emanuele Zonzini and Lorenzo Bontempelli, who finished second.
It was a triumphant weekend for Ryan Hardwick at Vallelunga. The Dream Racing Motorsport driver, who gained his first experience in the Corso Pilota Lamborghini, won the title in the AM class, after being crowned champion in the North American series in the same class. With the same score as the Dörr Motorsport crew made up of Manuel Lauck and Florian Scholze (authors of two second places), his victory in Race 1 on Saturday was decisive. In Race 2, held this morning, Damon Ockey started from the pole position. The Canadian of US RaceTronics kept the first position until the pit-stops, returning to the track still in the lead and remaining there until the finish line, despite two safety car periods. Joining Lauck and Scholze on the podium was Hardwick, third ahead of Davide Roda (Antonelli Motorsport) and the PPM pair formed by Shea Holbrook and Martin Barkey.
Joseph Collado, already standing out in the European series, won the Lamborghini Cup race and title today. The Frenchman of AGS Events, after taking second place on Saturday, took advantage of the penalty imposed on the American Brett Meredith. The P1 Motorsport driver, who had taken the lead, had to pay a 30-second penalty for not respecting the minimum pit-stop time. The second place went to the pair formed by Daijiro Yoshihara, the fastest driver in his class in Q2, and Takamichi Matsuda (YH Racing Team). Gabriele Murroni, third in the GDL Racing car, also took the podium. After winning Race 1, Justin Price only finished fifth, as he was slowed down when his car spun in the early laps.
The seventh edition of the Lamborghini World Final will take place on the Spanish circuit of Jerez de La Frontera on October 24-27, 2019.
CHAMPIONS’ QUOTES
Giacomo Altoè/Antonelli Motorsport (PRO champion with Daniel Zampieri): "It has been a very special year. I really have no words to express my happiness. Today, I only focused on finishing the race ahead of everyone. I want to thank the Antonelli Motorsport team and Daniele [Zampieri], who have always given me valuable advice".
Loris Spinelli/P1 Motorsport (PRO-AM champion with Juan Perez): "During the second “stint”, I always tried to gain positions, pushing as hard as I could, even if my car had been damaged by a contact in the early laps. I’m very excited, because I really wanted to get this title".
Ryan Hardwick/Dream Racing Motorsport (AM champion): "It was a perfect weekend. Today’s race proved to be a very hard-fought one. Lauck and Scholze were extremely fast. But I know I had to focus on finishing third and that was what I did ".
Joseph Collado/AGS Events (Lamborghini Cup champion): "I was a little behind in qualifying. But both races had a different outcome. Today, I did an excellent start, I immediately gained several positions and always had a very fast pace that allowed me to take this victory.”