It was a memorable debut in the 2026 Italian GT Endurance Championship for Daniel and his teammates, who staged an extraordinary comeback that culminated in victory in the AM category.
The race, featuring a highly competitive grid of 39 cars and 13 crews in the AM class, began with a challenging but nevertheless positive qualifying session: the team finished fourth in their category and 26th overall on the grid.
At the start, Gorini, the team’s bronze-winning driver, took on the first stint. After a strong start, the driver was involved in a collision that caused a spin, forcing the team to restart from the back of the pack: P36 overall and P12 in their class.
From that moment on, a steady and determined comeback began. In the second stint, Massimo Perrina managed to make up several positions, bringing the car back into contention for the top ten in the category. Mancinelli, then competing in the third stint, continued his progression, gaining further positions until the team was firmly in the podium position.
In the final hour of the race, thanks to the alternating positions between Gorini, Perrina and Mancinelli, the team completed an exceptional comeback, taking the victory in the AM class and finishing in 12th place overall, a remarkable result considering the level of competition.
The team’s strategy and precision in pit stops were also crucial, performing flawlessly throughout the race. The changeable weather also played a significant role: rain, which began just minutes before the start, made the race particularly unpredictable, leading to numerous dramatic turns and several safety cars, which helped regroup the group after the delay accumulated in the first stint.
“I’m very happy to have made my debut with Massimo in the Italian GT Championship, alongside Gorini.” – Daniel Mancinelli said – “It was Perrina’s first experience in Italy and his debut in a GT3 car. It was a great success, and the goal will be to continue in the next races, trying to stay at the top of the standings.”
