October 26, 2026
BARCELONA, SPAIN
Rafael Duran brought his 2026 International GT Open campaign to a close this weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, fighting back from deep in the field across both races of the season finale alongside teammate Tommaso Mosca in the AF Corse #51 Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo.
The finale marked Duran's return to the cockpit following the injury sustained at the Monza round, where he was diagnosed with fractures in both feet after an incident during a pit stop. Having been forced to sit out several weeks of competition to recover, the Spanish-American driver was back on the grid in Barcelona to see out the campaign with the squad.
The weekend was defined early by circumstances outside the crew's control. Red flags and heavy traffic disrupted both qualifying sessions, leaving the #51 unable to show its true pace when it mattered and consigning Duran and Mosca to a start well down the order for Race 1 - P25 on the grid, with a mountain to climb across the 70-minute race.
What followed was one of the standout recovery drives of the weekend. The AF Corse pairing picked off position after position through the field, ultimately crossing the line in P9 - a gain of sixteen places and a result that salvaged points from a session that had given them nothing. Victory in Race 1 went to Christian Mansell and Maximilian Götz in the #71 Team Motopark Mercedes, sealed under a full-course yellow.
Sunday's Race 2 brought another climb through the order and, briefly, a far bigger prize. The #51 ran strongly throughout and was in contention for a top-three result before a five-second penalty for failing to meet the mandatory 70-second minimum pit stop time dropped the Ferrari back, with Duran and Mosca eventually classified P5. Greystone GT's Zac Meakin and Dean Macdonald took the win, while Elite Motorsport's Tom Lebbon and Tom Emson sealed the Pro championship by a single point.
"That's it for our GT Open season," said Duran. "Not the easiest final weekend, with red flags and traffic making for two difficult qualifying sessions, but we made the most of it during the races and climbed our way up as much as we could. Thanks to Tommaso and AF Corse for a great season together and all the effort put into these weekends. Next stop: the Italian GT finale at Mugello."
The Barcelona weekend rounds out a campaign that saw Duran and Mosca grow into genuine front-runners in the Pro class, taking a podium at the Hungaroring, a double top-four at Misano, a further podium at Hockenheim and leading races outright along the way - and one that Duran closed out having returned from injury in its final weeks. Attention now shifts to the final round of the Campionato Italiano Gran Turismo at Mugello, where Duran will look to end his 2026 season on a high.
Race Results - AF Corse #51:
About Rafael Duran
Born to a Spanish mother and an American father, Rafael Duran grew up surrounded by international motorsport culture. He is part of the Ferrari Corsa Clienti and progressed through the Ferrari Driver Academy, competing in the Ferrari Challenge before stepping up to endurance racing in 2024. Rafael is currently active across multiple international GT championships, marking a decisive step toward a professional career in top-tier GT racing.
About AF Corse
AF Corse is one of the most successful Ferrari customer teams in international GT racing. Based in Italy, the squad has built a reputation for technical excellence and a winning culture across endurance and sprint disciplines, fielding a fleet of Ferrari 296 GT3 Evos across the world's leading GT championships in 2026.
