The Italian-Canadian driver completed a more complex weekend than expected, affected by a number of incidents at key moments, but confirmed solid pace and the potential to fight consistently at the front.
Aldo Festante leaves the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia weekend at Vallelunga with a result that did not fully reflect the potential shown, but with important technical and sporting indications ahead of the next rounds of the season.
On the Roman circuit, one of the most eagerly awaited venues on the calendar, the Campania-born driver at the wheel of the #15 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup faced a challenging weekend, in which a number of episodes affected the final outcome. After taking a podium at Vallelunga last season, Festante arrived at the event aiming to confirm himself among the leading contenders, relying on a competitive technical package and on a pace which, once again, proved to be worthy of the top positions.
Qualifying represented the first key moment of the weekend. Festante set a best lap of 1’33.818, which earned him sixth place on the grid for Race 1, while in the second-best lap classification he recorded the fifth-fastest time with a 1’34.044, securing fifth on the grid for Race 2. It was still a solid result, but not fully representative of the potential expressed, especially considering that on his second attempt the driver had the pace to aim for the front rows before an on-track incident compromised his decisive lap.
From that moment on, the weekend turned into a fightback. Race 1 was affected by several unfavourable circumstances, including close battles, a penalty and a race neutralised by the Safety Car in the final stages, which prevented Festante from recovering as he would have wanted. The final result did not reflect the real level of competitiveness shown, inevitably leaving some regret after a race in which his pace could have allowed a very different outcome.
Race 2, however, delivered a much more positive performance. Festante showed consistent and competitive pace, running for a long time in third position and confirming the quality of the work carried out together with the team. Despite another episode at the start costing him something in terms of the final result, the fourth place at the finish provided encouraging indications regarding the speed and solidity of the package, especially in difficult conditions and with very high asphalt temperatures.
Aldo Festante:
“It was a weekend that certainly leaves us with a bit of a bitter taste, because at Vallelunga we wanted to achieve more. We knew we had the pace to be competitive and, for that reason, the final result does not fully reflect the potential we showed.
There were episodes that affected our weekend, but I prefer to look at the positives. The car was fast, the package worked very well and, whenever we were able to express ourselves freely, we showed that we could be up there with the best. We are aware that we worked well together with the team and that we have a very solid base on which to keep building. It is not the result we wanted, but it is a weekend from which we take away important indications and plenty of motivation to bounce back already from the next race.”
After a one-week break, Festante will return to action for another highly anticipated event, the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup round at Spa-Francorchamps, supporting one of the most iconic Formula 1 Grands Prix on the calendar.