Italy has hosted more GT World Challenge powered by AWS events than any other nation. The upcoming trip to Misano will be the 26th staged on Italian soil, while the track itself shares the record for most Sprint Cup rounds (11) with Brands Hatch. Given this close connection with the series – and the presence of world-famous brands such as Lamborghini and Ferrari – it’s no surprise that there’s plenty of local talent on the grid for this year’s event.
The only Italian running the full Sprint Cup campaign in a Pro car is Alessio Rovera, who pilots the #51 AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors Ferrari. Rovera first made his name in GT World Challenge by setting the fastest lap at the 2022 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, helping AF Corse to score Pro-Am victory in the process. He quickly became one of the leading Ferrari factory drivers, winning last season's Endurance Cup title alongside Alessandro Pier Guidi.
This year he's contesting a full-season programme and was among the early favourites for the Sprint Cup crown. He backed that up by winning the opener at Brands Hatch, but he and teammate Vincent Abril have subsequently failed to register points in three successive races. As such, they must get back to winning ways at Misano if they are to contend for the title.
There's one Italian in the Gold Cup, too. Leonardo Moncini made his series debut in 2023, driving a Honda NSX for Italian squad Nova Race. Podiums at Brands Hatch and Valencia capped a solid debut season, followed by a move to the Endurance Cup in 2024 with Tresor Attempto Racing. He has stayed with the Audi team this year, stepping up to a full-season programme.
Sharing with Sebastian Øgaard and Riccardo Cazzaniga, Moncini scored his first Endurance Cup podium on home soil at Monza. He is joined by Øgaard at Sprint rounds and has made an excellent start to the campaign, bagging three podiums from four races to sit fourth in the standings.
Gabriele Piana is one of the most decorated GT4 drivers in the world. He’s also enjoyed success in GT3, earning a CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa Silver Cup win in 2020. Despite his vast experience, 2025 marks Piana's first full-season assault in GT World Challenge. He's part of the #81 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG line-up in the Bronze Cup, partnering Rinat Salikhov in Sprint and with Marvin Dienst completing their crew in Endurance.
The same class also features official Lamborghini Squadra Corse pilot Loris Spinelli, who drives the #85 Imperiale Racing entry. Contesting his first full GT World Challenge programme, Spinelli has experience in a variety of international series and previously made several one-off appearances in Endurance and in Sprint.
When it comes to Italian drivers, Eddie Cheever III often flies under the radar. But while his name does not suggest Italian heritage, he is very much a member of the local contingent. Born in Rome, he cut his teeth in domestic series such as Formula Arbarth and is now best known for his success at the wheel of Ferrari machinery.
Since 2019, Cheever has been a near-constant presence on the GT World Challenge grid with Tempesta Racing. The Ziggo Sport liveried car will compete in the Bronze Cup this weekend, with Cheever joined by Marco Pulcini. Born in Italy and competing with a Monegasque licence, Pulcini brings experience of both Ferrari Challenge and International GT Open, earning back-to-back Pro-Am titles in the latter in 2023/2024. On both occasions, he shared a Ferrari 296 GT3 with fellow countryman Cheever.
This completes the regular Italian contingent in Sprint, but at Misano they’ll be joined by two very special guests driving the #46 Team WRT BMW: Valentino Rossi and Raffaele Marciello.
Rossi needs no introduction. The seven-time MotoGP champion is among the most respected Italian sportsmen of the past half-century, a reputation that has been burnished by his successful switch to GT racing. Misano is his home circuit and he scored wins at the venue in 2023 and 2024. In short, this is a match made in heaven.
He's paired up with Marciello, who was born in the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland and competed with the Italian flag earlier in his career. "Lello" is also a master at Misano: he scored pole positions in 2019, 2020 and 2023, and was victorious on the latter two occasions. That success was with Mercedes-AMG; the Misano weekend marks his first-ever Sprint outing with BMW.
In addition to a host of Italian drivers, the upcoming event will feature a field packed with top international talent, including Jordan Pepper and Luca Engstler – who recently steered Lamborghini to its maiden CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa victory – as well as defending champion Maro Engel with Mercedes-AMG and series newcomer Arthur Leclerc in a Ferrari.
Tickets start at 10€ for Friday, when you can see GT World Challenge and its support series undertake their practice sessions. Single-day tickets for Saturday and Sunday are available at a cost of 25€ per day and will include plenty of race action, while a full three-day pass costs 45€. Those wishing to watch on Saturday evening only can purchase the new Sunset Paddock ticket, which is valid from 18:00 and costs just 10€. Kids born after 1 January 2013 can attend for 1€ when accompanied by a paying adult. For more info, please click here.