Alfa Revival Cup Champion Crowned

The 2024 Alfa Revival Cup season concluded at Misano World Circuit under sunny November skies, offering a race filled with dramatic twists and turns. Davide Bertinelli of Team Gatti took the win, capturing his first Alfa Revival Cup championship title. Ronnie Kessel of OKP Alfa Delta Racing Team claimed second place, with Matteo Kamata, also from OKP, in third. Giacomo Barri, who set the fastest lap, was unfortunately forced to retire due to gearbox trouble.

On Friday afternoon, Giacomo Barri from OKP Alfa Delta Racing Team, driving the #50 GTAm, claimed pole position with a time of 1’54.016, placing himself eight-tenths ahead of Davide Bertinelli from Team Gatti in the #87 GTAm, who struggled with a fuel pickup issue. Bernhard Laber, driving alongside Lukas Stojetz for OKP Alfa Delta Racing Team in the #69 GTAm, started from third.

Green Flag Drops

The race began with a scorching start from Davide Bertinelli, who overtook Giacomo Barri on the inside at turn 1. Ronnie Kessel, starting fifth on the grid, quickly moved up to third, fighting with Ambrogio Perfetti of OKP Alfa Delta Racing Team, who held fourth. During the opening lap, Barri stayed close to Bertinelli but couldn’t find an opening to make a move.

On lap 2, Bernhard Laber, driving alongside Lukas Stojetz for OKP Alfa Delta Racing Team, dropped from third to seventh, defending against Peter Bachofen, who was co-driving with Dario Inhelder from OKP Alfa Delta Racing Team and putting in a solid performance. Ambrogio Perfetti passed Ronnie Kessel to take third, with Massimo Guerra, paired with Giovanni Serio from Carrera Team, close behind in fifth, leading an intense duel behind the wheel of his powerful Giulia Sprint GTA 1600.

On lap 3, a fierce battle developed between fifth and eighth places, involving Massimo Guerra, Matteo Kamata, Peter Bachofen, and Bernhard Laber.

By lap 4, Giacomo Barri had narrowed the gap to Davide Bertinelli to just six-tenths of a second. Massimo Guerra overtook both Ambrogio Perfetti and Ronnie Kessel to claim third place.

On lap 6, Matteo Kamata advanced from sixth to fourth, passing both Ronnie Kessel and Ambrogio Perfetti.

On lap 7, Umberto Bartolucci from Team Piloti Forlivesi, running in eighteenth position, continued to chase Giulio Sordi, who was co-driving with Mattia Sordi for OKP Alfa Delta Racing Team. In this early stage, Marco Milla from Scuderia Capannone Garage kept Carlo Fabbrini from Scuderia Clemente Biondetti in his mirrors.

By lap 8, Francesco Pantaleo, paired with Antonio Crescenti, was in tenth place with his Carrera Team Giulia Sprint GTA, while Emanuele Benedini of Carrera Team, co-driving with Marco Guerra, held twelfth, just ahead of Mathias Körber.

On lap 9, Matteo Kamata continued his determined pursuit, passing Massimo Guerra at turn 12 to move into third place, just behind Barri, who was still chasing Bertinelli for the lead.

After 20 minutes of racing, the pit-stop window opened, allowing drivers to swap and complete the mandatory stop. Bertinelli maintained his lead, with Barri still close behind. Stefano Barbieri, co-driving with Kevin Giovesi for AMG RS, was forced to retire due to a water pump failure. The issue had first appeared on lap 3, causing him to fall from ninth to the back of the field.

On lap 12, an unfortunate twist unfolded: Barri was forced to retire due to a gearbox issue, stuck in fourth gear. With the pressure lifted, Bertinelli managed his car and secured the victory.

On lap 14, Peter Bachofen overtook Ambrogio Perfetti to enter fifth place.

On lap 17, Bertinelli completed his pit stop, allowing Massimo Guerra, who hadn’t yet pitted, to take the lead. At the end of lap 19, the pit lane closed. Davide Bertinelli reclaimed the lead, with Ronnie Kessel in second and Massimo Guerra in third.

On lap 20, Marco Guerra of Carrera Team was running in thirteenth place, closely following his teammate Antonio Crescenti, who was in twelfth. Ambrogio Perfetti overtook Dario Inhelder to reclaim fifth place.

On lap 21, the GTAm, driven by Raffaele Raimondi, co-driving with Carlo Barbolini Cionini of Circolo della Biella and running in eighth, was forced to retire due to a gearbox failure.

On lap 23, Michael Erlich was in fourteenth and had his sights set on Fabian Körber.

On lap 24, Ambrogio Perfetti, running fifth, caught up to Giovanni Serio and overtook him at turn 6, moving into fourth place.

Lap 26 saw a flurry of position changes: Antonio Crescenti passed Mattia Sordi to move into tenth, Dario Inhelder overtook Giovanni Serio to claim fifth, with Ambrogio Perfetti just ahead in fourth. Matteo Kamata held third and Ronnie Kessel remained in second behind Davide Bertinelli.

On lap 28, Hans Luginbuehl of Formula GT team overtook his teammate Michael Erlich to take thirteenth place.

Another twist came on lap 29: the GTAm driven by Ambrogio Perfetti, running in fourth, came to a halt just a few corners from the finish line. Dario Inhelder moved up to take his position. In the race’s final moments, Mattia Sordi, running in tenth, picked up the pace and closed the gap to within five-tenths of Alberto Franceschetti from Formula GT team.

After 30 laps, the race ended: Ronnie Kessel, in second place, narrowed the gap to Davide Bertinelli to five seconds, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Arese driver from claiming the top spot on the podium. Ronnie Kessel took second, Matteo Kamata in third, and all three drivers delivered outstanding performances. Giacomo Barri clocked the fastest lap on lap 8 at 1’54.492.

First Alfa Cup for Bertinelli

With this victory, Davide Bertinelli overcame a four-point deficit from the leaders Emilio Petrone and Giacomo Barri to claim his first Alfa Revival Cup championship title for 2024. In the overall standings, after a season-long battle with Bertinelli, Emilio Petrone and Giacomo Barri finished second, while Francesco Pantaleo and Antonio Crescenti took third. See you in 2025!

Davide Bertinelli commented: “I started out in a tough battle with Giacomo Barri. Unfortunately, he had a mechanical issue, and from that point on, the race became more about managing the car. I’ve dreamed of winning this championship for years and finally made it. Congratulations to all the drivers and teams for this exciting and unforgettable season.”