Italian GT: FAEMS all-female trio earn first podium in GT Cup AM at Monza
- RACERS
- Jun 26
- 4 min read
The second round of the 2025 Italian GT Endurance Championship delivered a breakthrough result for the newly-formed all-female crew of FAEMS Team, as Emma Segattini, Jenny Sonzogni and Federica Levy secured their first class podium with a second-place finish in the AM second division of the GT Cup class at the legendary Monza circuit.
The second round of the 2025 Italian GT Endurance Championship delivered a breakthrough result for the newly-formed all-female crew of FAEMS Team, as Emma Segattini, Jenny Sonzogni and Federica Levy secured their first class podium with a second-place finish in the AM second division of the GT Cup class at the legendary Monza circuit.
Following a promising debut at Misano—where they finished fourth in class—the trio returned to action at the Temple of Speed, determined to build on their early progress. The weekend in Monza was marked by scorching temperatures and a fiercely competitive 40+ car grid, but the #510 Porsche 992 Cup entry made significant gains in both pace and performance throughout the event.
The team, supported by a female-focused project initiated by FAEMS and Team Racevent, continued their development, with Segattini’s return to the championship. Having raced a Ferrari 488 in 2024, she now joins forces with Sonzogni and series newcomer Levy - now in Porsche machinery.
Progress was steady throughout the free practice sessions. From an initial best of 1:53.872 in FP1, they found seven tenths in FP2 and then made a major step forward with a two-second improvement in FP3, heading into qualifying with positive momentum.
In the three-part qualifying session, Federica Levy opened the run with a 1:54.227. Sonzogni then delivered a 1:51.490 in the second stint—fifth in class—before Segattini clocked a 1:52.010 to secure fourth-best in class. The trio would line up 38th overall and fifth in the GT Cup AM 2 division on combined times.
Race day saw Sonzogni take the start of the three-hour contest behind the wheel. She quickly found a consistent rhythm in the low 1:52s and posted the car’s best lap of 1:52.128 on lap 11. Sonzogni’s strong performance helped the team rise to second in class before pitting during the first window to hand over to Levy.
Levy initially dropped to fifth in class but steadily improved her pace into the 1:54s as she settled into the race, completing another solid driving shift and pitting on lap 26. A Full Course Yellow was deployed shortly after due to a Lamborghini stranded in the gravel at La Roggia.
Segattini took over at the second driver change and immediately showed strong form, breaking into the 1:51s and then the 1:48s as she carved through traffic. On lap 28, she set a new team benchmark of 1:48.632 and soon closed in on the #577 Ferrari of Zydlewski for fourth, who was also carrying a time penalty. Segattini continued to push, lowering her best time to 1:48.0 while dealing with pressure from other competitors.
With 93 minutes remaining, Segattini was caught out under braking at La Roggia and slipped over the dirty track, ending up in the gravel. Fortunately, marshals assisted her in rejoining under a Full Course Yellow. Though the off-track excursion dropped them back to fifth, Segattini was able to bring the car to the pits and hand over to Sonzogni, who resumed the race under safety car conditions.
Back on track, Sonzogni held fourth and gradually increased her confidence. She improved her personal best to a 1:50.0 and then a 1:48.8, running a strong, consistent stint through the final hour of racing.
She made a final stop on lap 52, remaining in the car and maintaining fourth position in class. When she handed back to Segattini with 25 minutes to go, the team was in position to fight for a podium.
Segattini quickly resumed her earlier pace, lapping under 1:50 and rejoining the battle for second place, now just behind Dimitris Deverikos in the #599 Porsche. With the pit cycle completed, the FAEMS car was back up to third in class.
In the final 15 minutes, drama struck at the front as the GT3-leading Audi R8 LMS of Cantù suffered a tire blowout and went off at Lesmo 1, triggering another safety car period. The neutralization bunched the field and eliminated the GT Cup AM class leader’s 20-second advantage.
Segattini now sat just behind Deverikos and class leader Mattia Simonini in the #552 Ferrari, with the race poised for a five-minute sprint to the flag. The battle was briefly complicated by Ronnie Valori in a faster Pro-Am entry, but the #599 Porsche of Deverikos was then handed a five-second time penalty—elevating Segattini and the FAEMS team to second in class once the checkered flag waved.
Segattini, Sonzogni, and Levy thus crossed the finish line in 25th overall and second in the GT Cup AM 2 category, just 4.4 seconds behind the winning crew of Simonini, Parisotto, and Daminato. It was an exceptional result for the all-female team in only their second race together, overcoming adversity—including a trip to the gravel—to reach the Monza podium.
"It was a very tough race, we and the car suffered a lot from the heat", Segattini commented after the race. "In my race stint, they tried to push me out, making me end up in the gravel - but I managed to keep control of the car."
"At a certain point, due to the dirt on the track, I ended up spinning, getting stuck in the gravel.
At that moment I thought the race was over, but the track marshals put me back on track and fortunately the car started again", she recalled. "Stint after stint we managed to recover everything, finishing the race in second place."
The FAEMS crew will head to Imola for round three of the Italian GT Endurance Championship on August 1–3, aiming to build on their momentum and challenge for a first class win.
