May 11, 2026
IMOLA, ITALY
Rafael Duran opened his Campionato Italiano Gran Turismo Sprint campaign this weekend at the legendary Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, joining Spirit of Racing - managed by AF Corse - alongside teammate David Perel in the #50 Ferrari 296 GT3 for the first round of the 2026 season.
The weekend got off to a hugely promising start, with David Perel setting the fastest time in his qualifying session to claim a P1, while Duran banked a P6 in his own qualifying. The combined effort placed the #50 entry on the front row for Race 1, with the team eyeing a strong opening result on a record 80-car grid.
That promise was undone within seconds of lights out. Caught up in a multi-car incident at the start of Race 1, the #50 Ferrari sustained damage too significant to continue, ending the race in DNF. The crew worked hard to repair the car, but the damage proved too extensive to allow the team to take the start of Race 2, bringing a frustrating early end to the weekend.
"We came into the first weekend of Italian GT with a lot of promise," said Duran. "AF Corse gave us an awesome car, but I got caught up in a multi-car crash at the start. It's not the way I wanted the weekend to end. Huge thanks to the team, everyone was awesome, and I'll come back stronger in Misano."
Despite the disappointing outcome, the underlying pace shown in qualifying confirms the speed of both driver and machine, providing a strong base to build on as the championship moves forward. Duran will now turn his attention to Round 2 at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, determined to convert the speed shown at Imola into the result the weekend deserved.
Race Results - Spirit of Racing #50:
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 three 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.
