The Italian-Canadian driver shows competitive pace in the opening round of the season, but takes away less than he demonstrated on track.
Imola, April 26th 2026 – Aldo Festante’s opening weekend of the 2026 Porsche Carrera Cup Italia season at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola ended with mixed feelings.
At the wheel of the #15 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup run by Target Competition, Festante showed competitive pace from the outset, confirming the level already seen in testing and during the recent Carrera Cup Deutschland round.
Qualifying, however, did not fully reflect that potential. Festante set the eighth-fastest time in both sessions: 1:42.884 in Q1 and 1:43.068 in the second-best times classification for Race 2. The sessions were disrupted by multiple interruptions and inconsistent conditions, combined with a brake issue that prevented him from maximising his lap.
In Race 1, starting from the fourth row, Festante’s race was compromised early after contact caused by another driver, forcing him into an early retirement and preventing him from showing the pace demonstrated throughout the weekend.
Race 2 saw the Italian-Canadian deliver a solid and consistent performance. In a tightly packed and highly competitive field, Festante maintained a steady rhythm to finish seventh, in a race where small gaps and overall balance offered limited opportunities to move forward.
Aldo Festante:
“I don’t like to talk about bad luck, but it’s hard to describe this first weekend of the Italian championship in any other way. The pace and speed were there from testing, and we confirmed that here in Imola. Unfortunately, qualifying was affected by a technical issue and several red flags at the worst possible moments, so I couldn’t complete the lap that could have made the difference. Starting from the fourth row in such a competitive championship means being in the middle of the pack, with all the risks that come with it, and in Race 1 we were caught up in an incident that forced us to retire. Race 2 was consistent, but with such similar pace across the field it’s difficult to gain positions, and seventh place doesn’t reflect what we could have achieved. That’s the hardest part to accept, because we know our potential is higher. Now it’s time to reset and focus on Misano.”