ACI CI HYGT – Di Buono and Ruggiero seal the third round at La Sarthe
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The third round of the season for the Italian GT3 and Hypercar Championship on LMU took place this time in the cathedral of endurance: the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans.
A legendary circuit, stretching over 13 kilometres, that put drivers’ concentration and race management to the test.
After more than an hour of battle, victory went to Marco di Buono in Hypercar and Edoardo Ruggiero in LMGT3, on a night that highlighted strategy, consistency and precision.
Hypercar – Di Buono breaks the ice, Iemmulo always right there
In Hypercar, Marco di Buono secured his first win of the season after two consecutive second-place finishes. Starting from pole position with a lap of 3:22.312, the driver perfectly managed the pace and the pressure from championship leader Dario Iemmulo, who finished just +3.9 seconds behind, constantly in his mirrors throughout the race.
Behind them, Simone Violo returned to the podium with a solid third place (+20.0 s), followed by Leonardo Passoni and Daniel Tudda, both delivering consistent, error-free performances.
Strong showings also came from Luca Lo Monaco and Manuel Lastella, finishing sixth and seventh respectively, while Michele D’Arezzo took eighth ahead of Alessandro Nevi.
Di Buono completed a perfect weekend by also collecting the 2 bonus points for pole position and the fastest lap of the race (3:25.096), significantly reducing the gap in the overall standings to Iemmulo, who remains the leader but now by a minimal margin.
LMGT3 – Ruggiero outsmarts Bonaccorsi in the closing stages
The GT3 race delivered a spectacle worthy of the Le Mans stage. Marcello Bonaccorsi, who started from second position, took the lead in the early stages and set an impressive pace, also recording the fastest lap in 3:58.484, more than a second quicker than anyone else.
The driver’s dominance seemed destined to turn into victory, but on the third-to-last lap, a mistake through the Porsche Curves changed everything: a slight rear-end slide caused the car to lose grip, allowing Edoardo Ruggiero to capitalize and take the lead.
Bonaccorsi managed to continue without damage, but had to settle for third place, also behind Guglielmo Filippi, who finished second just 520 thousandths behind the winner.
Completing the top five were Leonardo Porco (+5.6 s) and Gianluca Scalvini, followed by Mattia Panci and Giovanni Marasca. A hard-fought and impeccably clean race, confirming the extremely high level of the GT3 category.
For Ruggiero, the victory represents a crucial step in the title fight: the reigning champion extends his lead in the overall standings, while Bonaccorsi leaves Le Mans aware that he can fight on equal terms.
Race Direction – orderly management on an extreme circuit
Despite the complexity of the layout and the length of the circuit, the Race Direction only had to intervene in a few minor incidents.
Le Mans once again proved to be a severe test of concentration and traffic management, but the field showed maturity and mutual respect, delivering one of the most straightforward and spectacular races of the championship.
Towards Austin
With the French round completed, the championship prepares to fly overseas: the next appointment will be at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, scheduled for Tuesday, 11 November 2025 at 21:00.
With the standings tighter than ever and the competitive picture now clear, the fight for the title enters its decisive phase.