ACI CI HYGT Pre-Qualifying – Day 1: Di Buono and Ruggiero lead the way
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The opening day of pre-qualifying at the Sebring circuit delivered great spectacle and extremely tight lap times, with the protagonists of both classes battling to secure a place in the next phase of the Italian GT3 and Hypercar Championship on LMU.
Hypercar – Di Buono untouchable
In the top category it was Marco di Buono who stole the spotlight with a lap of 1:43.822, the only driver to break the 1:44 barrier. Behind him, Simone Violo (+0.476) and Daniel Tudda (+0.616) showed great consistency, completing a virtual podium of the highest level.
The fight for the top 14, which represents the cut for qualification, was extremely tight: rounding out the qualifying zone we find, among others, Leonardo Pagano, Luca Lo Monaco and Matteo Cinotti, all within less than two seconds of the leader. For now, some big names are outside the cut, but there are still two days left to recover ground and punch their ticket to the championship.
LMGT3 – Ruggiero sets the pace
In the LMGT3 class, the benchmark was set by Edoardo Ruggiero, whose 2:00.943 put him on top of the timesheets. Behind him the gaps were razor-thin: Marcello Bonaccorsi (+0.169) and Guglielmo Filippi (+0.239) applied pressure right up to the final minutes.
The fight for qualification was even tighter: just 1.3 seconds separated Ruggiero from Francesco Mastrangelo in 14th place, the last driver provisionally inside the cut. Great balance was also evident just behind, with several contenders packed within a few tenths and ready to re-enter the fight in the upcoming sessions.
Towards the second day
The first round at Sebring confirmed the extremely high level of this championship: minimal gaps, battles on every lap, and the awareness that nothing has been decided yet. The second day of pre-qualifying will be decisive in confirming or overturning the hierarchy that emerged today.