A weekend on the up and confirmation of his class title were the rewards for Alex Fontana in the Barcelona round of the GT World Challenge Europe. Following what had been a difficult qualifying session that ended with the Centri Porsche Ticino team having to start from the back of the grid, Fontana, with his crewmates Niki Leutwiler and Ivan Jacoma, finished fourth in the Pro-Am class of the Endurance race in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS at the Circuit Catalunya.
On a track where overtaking is not easy and traffic is always a factor to be taken into consideration in the final result, the Swiss driver nonetheless managed to record the second fastest time in the Pro-Am class, evidence of the excellent potential performance guaranteed by Car Collection Motorsport, which once again provided the Lugano-based outfit with technical support.
On a track where overtaking is not easy and traffic is always a factor to be taken into consideration in the final result, the Swiss driver nonetheless managed to record the second fastest time in the Pro-Am class, evidence of the excellent potential performance guaranteed by Car Collection Motorsport, which once again provided the Lugano-based outfit with technical support.
For Alex and the Swiss team, this result 12 further points for the overall standings, consolidating the title-winning position that had been mathematically conquered in the previous round at the NĂĽrburgring, taking the total to 102 points. For Fontana, the Barcelona weekend drew to a close with 12 positions gained from the start, no mean feat on a circuit as tight as the one in Catalunya, a fourth place in class and the knowledge that the team could compete with the best, as had already been the case when he won titles in the Silver Cup in the 2018 season, at the wheel of the Jaguar, and in 2021 with the Lamborghini, when he won the Sprint, Endurance and Overall triple. The Pro-Am title claimed in 2023 with Porsche is therefore the fifth he has won in the SRO championships, with the third different marque, demonstrating the great versatility and rapid adaptability of the Swiss driver.
Along with his commitment to the GT3 car, for the second time following Spa-Francorchamps, Fontana also competed in the GT4 European Series, sharing the cockpit of the Porsche Cayman GT4 RS CS with Patrick Hofmann, a graduate of the AF Academy who after the disappointment of Belgium successfully completed his first laps on the international scene. The pairing was entered in the Pro-Am class and claimed a place in the overall top-10 thanks to 8th and 10th place finishes in the two races, confirming the validity of the “AF Academy” project, which in just its second year has already accompanied a driver to his international debut.
Alex Fontana
“The weekend hardly got off to the best of starts with a problematic qualifying session meaning we had to start from the back of the grid. In the race we were instead able to make up a few positions and came close to a class podium finish. In a way it was nice to have sewn up the title early, but it was a shame that we weren’t able to celebrate on the podium the finale of what for Centri Porsche Ticino has been an exceptional season. The GT 4 races saw Patrick complete his first laps in an international context, something of which I am very proud as it shows that the AF Academy programme is producing concrete results. We’re satisfied with how the season went, I’m very happy with the work we put in as a team and I have to thank Centri Porsche Ticino for having given me the opportunity to participate and once again above all have fun doing what we love best.”
Along with his commitment to the GT3 car, for the second time following Spa-Francorchamps, Fontana also competed in the GT4 European Series, sharing the cockpit of the Porsche Cayman GT4 RS CS with Patrick Hofmann, a graduate of the AF Academy who after the disappointment of Belgium successfully completed his first laps on the international scene. The pairing was entered in the Pro-Am class and claimed a place in the overall top-10 thanks to 8th and 10th place finishes in the two races, confirming the validity of the “AF Academy” project, which in just its second year has already accompanied a driver to his international debut.
Alex Fontana
“The weekend hardly got off to the best of starts with a problematic qualifying session meaning we had to start from the back of the grid. In the race we were instead able to make up a few positions and came close to a class podium finish. In a way it was nice to have sewn up the title early, but it was a shame that we weren’t able to celebrate on the podium the finale of what for Centri Porsche Ticino has been an exceptional season. The GT 4 races saw Patrick complete his first laps in an international context, something of which I am very proud as it shows that the AF Academy programme is producing concrete results. We’re satisfied with how the season went, I’m very happy with the work we put in as a team and I have to thank Centri Porsche Ticino for having given me the opportunity to participate and once again above all have fun doing what we love best.”