Alex Fontana is ready to take to the track for the fourth round of the 2025 International GT Open at the Hungaroring circuit. On the weekend of 5-6 July, the Swiss driver will be back behind the wheel of the #31 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) entered by the Car Collection Motorsport team, partnered as usual by a driver who developed in the AF Academy. The renovated facility on the outskirts of Budapest will mark a milestone for the series as it will be hosting the 300th GT Open race, but it will hardly be changing its “skin”: the 4.381 km layout remains the same and is a circuit on which Alex Fontana has gained important experience throughout his career.
The Lugano-based driver in fact competed on the Hungarian track, defending the colours of Car Collection Motorsport in the Pro-AM class in the 2024 GT Open season. The technical circuit on the outskirts of Budapest also brings back fond memories from the world of single-seaters, as it was on the Hungarian track that Fontana claimed his first victory in the 2012 FIA Formula 2 championship and was also where he just missed out on pole position in GP3 in 2014 when, with the lap record in his pocket, he saw the red flag come out at the last corner, thwarting what could have been a remarkable achievement.
The Lugano-based driver in fact competed on the Hungarian track, defending the colours of Car Collection Motorsport in the Pro-AM class in the 2024 GT Open season. The technical circuit on the outskirts of Budapest also brings back fond memories from the world of single-seaters, as it was on the Hungarian track that Fontana claimed his first victory in the 2012 FIA Formula 2 championship and was also where he just missed out on pole position in GP3 in 2014 when, with the lap record in his pocket, he saw the red flag come out at the last corner, thwarting what could have been a remarkable achievement.
Returning to the present, Alex Fontana and his teammate will be returning to the track in 3rd place in the Pro-AM standings with 31 points. The pair driving the Car Collection Porsche will be looking for their third podium finish of the season, while the Hungarian round will bring the curtain down on the first half of the championship.
The programme features three free practice sessions on the Friday, the last of which is reserved for gentleman drivers. The first qualifying session will be held on Saturday morning at 9:45 a.m., while Race 1 (70 minutes) will start at 2:40 p.m. The programme will be completed on the Sunday with the second qualifying session at 9:15 a.m. and the green flag for Race 2 scheduled for 1:45 p.m. In addition to traffic on the Hungarian toboggan run, the weather is another factor to consider, as temperatures are expected to exceed 30 degrees, which will put the physical endurance of the drivers and the mechanical performance of the cars to the test.
Alex Fontana
“We’re all set to get back on track with the aim of finishing on the podium. We have put the unfortunate outcome at Hockenheim behind us and are now determined to finish the first half of the season on a high note. The team is working hard and it would be fantastic to finish at the top of the standings in such an important race for the history of this championship. I love the Hungaroring, but it will be hell to manage the tyres in such high temperatures.”