Italy, May 27 (IANS) India’s Mahaveer Raghunathan delivered a spectacular performance in Race 2 of the Italian GT Sprint Championship, claiming a commanding P1 overall finish for AF Corse in the #51 Ferrari 296 GT3, shared with teammate Lorenzo Ferrari.

This follows their strong P2 finish in Race 1, making it a double podium weekend and a statement of intent for the 2025 season.

Starting from pole position, Lorenzo Ferrari led the field into Turn 1 but dropped to second early in his stint. He held the position with a consistent pace before handing the car over to Mahaveer at the pit window. A smooth and well-executed pit stop allowed Mahaveer to jump into the lead, capitalising on a delay from the leading car during their stop.

From there, Mahaveer put in a commanding drive, stretching out a gap over the chasing pack with relentless pace and focus. He brought the car home 5 seconds clear of the competition to claim a well-deserved overall race win.

Mahaveer Raghunathan shared, “Lorenzo started the race from P1 but lost the lead at the start and stayed in P2 through his stint. During the pit stop, we were able to gain time and jump into the lead. From there, I just focused on clean, consistent laps and was able to pull away. Really proud to bring it home with a P1 overall finish for the team.”

He added, “Big thanks to my whole team for a fantastic strategy and a great car throughout the weekend.”

Following the double podium at Vallelunga, Mahaveer Raghunathan now leads the GT3 Pro-Am Championship standings in P1 and holds P2 in the overall Italian GT Sprint Championship.

Born in Chennai, the 26-year-old Mahaveer Raghunathan has come through the ranks. He has tested the Formula 1 race car twice, for Alfa Romeo Racing C38 in August 2021, becoming the third Indian to drive a Formula One car. Two years later, he tested a McLaren MCL35 at Portimão, completing a distance of 750 km over two days of testing with the prestigious McLaren F1 team.

–IANS

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