Italian GT: Federica Levy and Laura Villars secure class top ten in chaotic Imola opener
- RACERS
- 36 minutes ago
- 4 min read
The all-female pairing of Laura Villars and Federica Levy made their debut together in the Italian GT Championship Sprint season opener at Imola, launching their 2026 campaign in a highly competitive and eventful weekend that resulted in a top ten in class in Race 2.
The all-female pairing of Laura Villars and Federica Levy made their debut together in the Italian GT Championship Sprint season opener at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, launching their 2026 campaign with MRNC12 in a highly competitive and eventful weekend that resulted in a top ten in class in Race 2.
The duo arrived to the Italian GT Championship with a blend of international experience and emerging talent. Villars, 28, from Switzerland, has built a diverse résumé across multiple categories, such as the Ultimate Cup Series, F4 UAE Championship, Ferrari Challenge Europe and the Ligier European Series.
After beginning her career in single-seaters, she transitioned to GT racing in 2024 with Ferrari Challenge Europe before most recently stepping into prototype machinery. Beyond the track, Villars also gained international recognition in 2025 as the first woman to stand as a candidate for the FIA presidency.
Alongside her, 21-year-old Turin native Federica Levy represents one of Italy’s promising female newcomers. Levy made her debut in the Italian GT Championship in 2025, securing a class podium in her rookie season, and is now switching to Ferrari 296 Challenge machinery in the GT Cup First Division.
Their weekend began with steady progress in free practice, as both drivers worked to build confidence and pace. A 1:46.758 in FP1 was followed by an improved 1:46.238 in the second session. Initially entered in the ProAm category, the crew was reclassified into the AM class ahead of qualifying, placing them in a different competitive context.
Qualifying however proved disrupted and difficult to fully optimize: in Q1, Levy set a 1:47.817, good for P14 in class and P37 overall, in a session repeatedly halted by five red flags and ultimately not resumed after a final stoppage. In Q2, Villars showed strong improvement, dipping into the 1:44s with a 1:44.4 lap that secured P9 in class.
Race 1 on Saturday presented immediate challenges in a chaotic start among the 46 entries.
Levy, lining up P34 overall and P13 in AM First Division, navigated a busy opening lap that saw incidents at Tosa, initially dropping to P36 overall but maintaining her class position. A spin for the #147 Ferrari at Tamburello triggered an early Safety Car on lap 3, which allowed Levy to regroup and gain positions, climbing to P33 overall.
At the restart on lap 6, she continued her progress, gaining two more places and moving into P11 in class. Running consistent 1:49.8 lap times while battling cars outside her class, Levy kept a clean race and reached P30 overall before pitting at the end of lap 10 as the window opened.
The timing of the stop however proved unfortunate: a Full Course Yellow triggered by a spinning McLaren coincided with the pit cycle, but the MRNC12 car had completed its stop largely under green conditions. Villars took over and rejoined P12 in class and P35 overall.
The subsequent Safety Car at the end of the pit window bunched the field; on the restart with 12 minutes remaining, Villars pushed forward, climbing positions and running in 1:49 pace. However, a 25-second penalty for pit speeding hampered their efforts. She ultimately crossed the line P33 overall and P12 in class, with the penalty not altering their class result.
Sunday’s Race 2 offered a fresh chance to capitalize. Villars started from P26 overall and again faced a chaotic opening phase, dropping positions but avoiding trouble to remain in contention. Early incidents brought out another Safety Car, with racing resuming at the end of lap 3.
As the field settled, Villars began to climb back through the order, reaching the top ten in class after benefitting from mistakes ahead, including a technical issue for Ghermandi. Further incidents, including a stranded McLaren and a crash for Romagnoli’s Porsche, triggered additional neutralizations, heavily disrupting the race rhythm and delaying the pit window.
When racing resumed with 29 minutes to go, Villars delivered a great stint. Holding her ground in the top ten of the AM class, she steadily gained positions overall and strategically stayed out longer than many rivals as the pit window opened. This approach paid off during the pit cycle, as she climbed as high as third in class, even briefly running as high as seventh overall. Pitting on lap 15 after a clean and well-executed stint, she handed over to Levy in a strong position.
Levy rejoined P11 in class and immediately found herself in a tightly packed battle group. Another Safety Car, caused by a Lamborghini beached at Rivazza, closed the gaps once more and promoted her to P10 in class, placing her right behind a train of five cars fighting for position.
On the final restart, Levy stayed within a few tenths of Rugolo’s Ferrari and Castellarin’s Lamborghini, showing good pace under pressure. Despite a 25-second penalty for a pit window infringement, she continued to push forward in a chaotic closing phase that saw further incidents, including a crash involving class leader David Gostner.
Taking advantage of the late-race drama, Levy climbed to P8 in class and P21 overall on track, battling closely with Castellarin while also managing traffic from faster ProAm cars. She ultimately crossed the line P8 in First Division AM, and even after the penalty was applied, dropping her to P23 overall, the result stood as a P8 in class and therefore their first top-10 finish of the season.
It was a promising debut weekend for the MRNC12 all-female crew, who demonstrated fighting spirit among the almost 50-car field, and improving pace across both races despite multiple interruptions and setbacks. With valuable experience gained, Laura Villars and Federica Levy will now look to build on this foundation at the next round at Vallelunga on 22–24 May.
