The fourth round of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup takes place this weekend in Monza. Valentin Hasse-Clot will be competing for Walkenhorst Motorsport in the international racing series for the first time.
Walkenhorst Motorsport is travelling to Italy: The fourth round of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup will take place near Milan in Monza. The racing team from Melle in Lower Saxony will be fielding three Aston Martin Vantage GT3s in the world’s largest GT racing series. The event in Monza is one of the great traditional races of the Fanatec GT World – the first race of the championship took place there in 2011.
‘Monza and the Fanatec GT World simply go together! Some legendary races in the series have already taken place there. After the challenging race at the Nürburgring, we want to build on our strong performance at the 24h Spa and fight for good results again,’ says Managing Director Jörg Breuer.
There will be a change of drivers in the top car with starting number #34. Due to an clash with the American IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, factory driver Ross Gunn will not be able to compete. Frenchman Valentin Hasse-Clot will replace him and join Walkenhorst regular drivers David Pittard and Henrique Chaves next weekend.
‘I’ve waited a long time for this opportunity and I’m really looking forward to driving with my AMR colleagues Henrique and David in Monza. I already worked with Walkenhorst Motorsport at the Nürburgring in 2018 and experienced my Nordschleife Permit with the team. I know the guys very well and really appreciate their wealth of experience in top GT racing. This is an additional motivation for me to show a good performance next weekend as well. Of course, I also wish Ross much success in the USA,’ says Aston Martin factory driver Valentin Hasse-Clot ahead of his Monza outing.
The two other cars in Monza will be driven by the usual driver trios: Maxime Robin, Romain Leroux and Lorcan Hanafin will drive the Vantage #35 in the Silver Cup, while Mex Jansen, Tim Creswick and Ben Green will compete in the Bronze Cup for WMS. After a complicated final Fanatec GT World race weekend at the Nürburgring, the two driver trios are now looking to strike back!
The Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2022, is considered one of the fastest racetracks in Europe. The northern Italian racetrack was modernised in the first half of the year, with the track being resurfaced and the kerbs redesigned. The pit building was also modernised and adapted to the latest requirements.
‘We will use the official test day on Thursday to familiarise ourselves with the changed conditions in Monza,’ explains Niclas Königbauer, Managing Director of Walkenhorst Motorsport. ‘But we are travelling to Italy with confidence, as we assume that the track should suit us with our Aston Martin.’
The three-hour race of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup starts on Sunday at 15:30. The teams and drivers are already challenged in the early morning of the race day when the starting positions are allocated in the three-part qualifying. Both qualifying and the race will be broadcast in the official livestream on YouTube – the SRO also offers a German-language broadcast of the race.