Mugello, Sep 16
Indian racer Mahaveer Raghunathan made history at the Italian GT Endurance race in Mugello, clinching a hard-fought P3 overall and P2 in the PRO-AM class. This performance secured him the runner-up spot in the 2025 Italian GT PRO-AM Endurance Championship — making him the first and only Indian to achieve this milestone.
Raghunathan drove car number 51 for AF CORSE, teamed with Lorenzo Ferrari and Riccardo Ponzio, piloting a Ferrari 296 GT3 and the trio scored 12 points in the main race. The race began with the AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 team starting from P2 after a great qualifying lap by Raghunathan’s teammate, who held the position solidly through the first stint. During his own stint, Raghunathan faced intense challenges as several lapped GT Cup cars appeared just ahead after the pit window, costing crucial time as he carefully overtook without contact. Despite being compromised by traffic, he executed the manoeuvres cleanly and preserved position with disciplined race craft
Throughout his second stint, Raghunathan displayed mature defensive skills, including holding off a direct challenger for the entire stint while constantly navigating around slower GT Cup traffic—especially difficult on Mugello’s tight and technical layout.
Reflecting on his performance, Raghunathan noted significant improvements in handling traffic and race craft compared to earlier in the season, setting a positive tone for the final rounds. “My main takeaway is to use everything I’ve learned fighting with other cars, having a good race craft and challenge for the title in the last two rounds of the Sprint championship,†Mahaveer stated
The focus now shifts to the final stages of the Italian GT Sprint championship, with Raghunathan determined to fight for the top spot. “I’m looking forward to being back on the podium in two weeks at Imola—which will host the penultimate sprint round—and I’m committed to bringing all my experience to the title fight,†Mahaveer Raghunathan concluded.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally some positive motorsport news from India! We need more representation in international racing. Mahaveer's defensive driving against faster cars was impressive - that takes serious skill.
Driving for AF Corse in a Ferrari 296 GT3 - that's the dream! Hope this inspires more young Indian racers to pursue motorsport careers abroad. The traffic management he showed is what separates good drivers from great ones.
While this is a great achievement, I hope Indian motorsport focuses on developing talent from grassroots level rather than just celebrating individual successes. We need proper racing infrastructure in India too.
Mugello is one of the most technical tracks in the world. To finish P3 overall against professional teams shows his caliber. The Ferrari 296 GT3 is a beast to handle - respect! ðŸ
Great to see international recognition for Indian racing talent. The PRO-AM category is extremely competitive with seasoned drivers. Silver medal in the championship is no small feat!
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