Bonduel Takes Lights-to-Flag Victory in Pro Race 1

Amaury Bonduel made a strong start to the Lamborghini World Finals by winning the opening Pro/Pro-Am race at Vallelunga from pole position.

The BDR Competition driver controlled Saturday’s headlining 50-minute contest in the No. 28 Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2, despite his lead never exceeding three seconds.

Bonduel crossed the line 1.1 seconds ahead of Super Trofeo Europe champion Brendon Leitch, who overtook Loris Cabirou through the Cimini double-right with three and a half minutes to go.

Cabirou was handed a 2.367s post-race penalty for undercutting the minimum pit stop time, but he finished far enough ahead of fourth-placed Riccardo Ianiello to take a spot on the podium alongside his CMR co-driver Stephane Tribaudini.

Bonduel’s performance put him in good stead for Lamborghini’s global title after he scored a perfect 17 points on Saturday consisting of two Pro pole positions and a win.

Leitch scored 12 points for second, with Cabirou and Tribaudini claiming 10 points.

Sebastian Balthasar and Marzio Moretti completed the top five for VSR, which had a dramatic race for its No. 6 car featuring 2021 World Finals champion Mattia Michelotto.

Michelotto was turned around by Nico Jamin at the Tornantino hairpin, dropping him to the back of the 44-car field early on. The Italian was helped out by a safety car after 15 minutes, caused by a collision that resulted in the No. 51 Lamborghini stopping at Cimini.

The safety car blended into the pit window and VSR instructed Michelotto to reduce his pace so that he could pit on his own at the first opportunity.

This strategic call enabled the No. 6 VSR Lamborghini to emerge in sixth, but Michelotto’s co-driver Gilles Stadsbader fell back down to 12th after serving a drive-through for running a red light at pit exit.

There was controversy under the safety car as several drivers became caught behind Bonaldi Motorsport’s Michael Fischbaum, who didn’t catch up with the safety car before the green flags and left those behind with a half-lap disadvantage.

Kyle Marcelli and Danny Formal finished sixth as the highest-placed Super Trofeo North America duo, after the former overtook Federico Scionti during the 19-minute run between the restart and the finish.

Rodrigo Testa and Ugo de Wilde finished eighth, ahead of Pro-Am winners Frederik Schandorff and Alex Au.

The Pro-Am pole-sitting TRT Racing Lamborghini retired after a tough opening stint for Jonathan Cecotto, who lost multiple positions when his car exceeded the Turn 9 braking zone and narrowly avoided a big collision on the opening lap.

Emanuele Zonzini and Emanuel Colombini took second in Pro-Am, ahead of Nigel Schoonderwoerd and Yelmer Buurman.

The World Finals will conclude with the second Am/LB Cup race at 11:55 a.m. (5:55 a.m. ET) followed by the Pro/Pro-Am decider at 2:50 p.m. (8:50 a.m. ET).

RESULTS: Pro/Pro-Am Race 1