October 15, 2026
MONZA, ITALY
Rafael Duran brought the AF Corse #51 Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo home in sixth place at Round 7 of the International GT Open this weekend, completing the double-points GT Open 500 at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza alongside teammate Tommaso Mosca under circumstances few drivers ever face - with fractures in both feet.
The weekend took a difficult turn before it had properly begun. Duran sprained and fractured his ankle following Friday practice, leaving him managing significant discomfort heading into the 500-kilometre endurance race. Then, during the #51's first pit stop in the middle of the race, the car came down on his other foot - an unlucky piece of timing during a routine stop, with no fault attributed to anyone involved.
Duran elected to complete his second stint, driving through the closing phase of the race with heavy strapping and pain relief. Subsequent medical checks confirmed fractures in both feet. Reflecting afterwards, the driver was candid that continuing may not have been the right call, acknowledging that adrenaline had driven a decision he might question in hindsight.
Despite everything, the #51 crew delivered a solid points haul. Starting tenth on the grid, Duran and Mosca worked their way forward across the 500 kilometres to finish sixth in the Pro class, 58.284 seconds adrift of the winning Scuderia Villorba Corse Lamborghini of Leonardo Moncini and Rodrigo Testa - a valuable double-points result given the circumstances.
"Word of advice: don't race at Monza with two fractured feet," said Duran. "It was a tough weekend in GT Open. I sprained and fractured my ankle after practice on Friday, and then the car fell on my other foot during our first pit stop in the middle of the race. It was nobody's fault, just unlucky timing. I finished my second stint with both feet hurting, and it turns out there's a fracture on both. Maybe I shouldn't have driven again and should have sat the rest of the race out - adrenaline is a magical thing that makes you do things you may regret later."
"I'll be out of racing for a few weeks unfortunately, so I'll miss some race weekends. Apologies to my teammates, and I'll work to get back on the grid soon. Still, we brought home P6 with Tommaso, and thanks to the whole AF Corse team for the hard work."
Duran will now step away from competition to focus fully on recovery, with a return date to be confirmed once the healing process allows. The enforced break will see him miss several rounds across his 2026 programme, bringing an abrupt pause to a season that has already delivered Silver Cup victory at the 24 Hours of Spa, multiple podiums across the Italian GT Championship and a maiden overall pole position at Imola.
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.
