Patricija Stalidzane overcomes qualifying setback to deliver encouraging Italian GT Sprint debut at Mugello
- RACERS
- 3 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Despite technical issues in qualifying forcing her to start from the back of the grid, Patricija Stalidzane enjoyed a highly encouraging Italian GT Sprint debut by gaining positions in both races at Mugello and showcasing promising GT3 pace in the Oregon Team Lamborghini.
Patricija Stalidzane made an encouraging debut in the Italian GT Sprint Championship at Mugello, overcoming qualifying misfortune to deliver two composed recovery drives aboard the #34 Oregon Team Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo 2. Sharing the car with Italian GT race winner Leonardo Pulcini, the Latvian racer demonstrated promising pace throughout her first appearance in the competitive GT3 championship, gaining nine positions in the opening race before completing another solid charge in Race 2.
While some technical issues over the weekend and an interrupted qualifying prevented the duo from showing their true potential, Stalidzane left Mugello with valuable experience and further evidence of her growing credentials in GT3 machinery.
The third round of the Italian GT Sprint Championship represented marked an important milestone in Stalidzane's progression through GT racing; after establishing herself as a specialist of the Nürburgring Nordschleife with the all-female Girls Only by WS Racing GT4 programme, she had stepped into GT3 machinery at the end of 2025 before making an immediate impression in the NLS top class earlier this season. Mugello therefore marked her first experience in GT3 sprint racing, as well as her debut in the highly competitive Italian GT Championship.
Born in Riga in 2002 into a family involved in rallying, Stalidzane initially built her career in German karting championships, collecting titles before moving into GT4 competitions in the ADAC GT4 Championship in 2019 and 2020. Following a period away from racing, she returned to competition in the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie, where she became a regular with the Girls Only by WS Racing project and developed into an experienced Nordschleife competitor.
In 2024 she added another discipline to her résumé by joining the all-electric NXT Gen Cup, where she immediately proved highly competitive. Across two seasons she collected seven podium finishes, one victory, two pole positions and four fastest laps, establishing herself as one of the championship's front runners.
Her first test in GT3 came at the end of 2025 thanks to support from her boyfriend and Lamborghini DTM driver Maximilian Paul, allowing her to make the step into the top category of the Nürburgring endurance championship. In 2026 she quickly demonstrated she belonged among the leading GT3 competitors, immediately challenging for strong overall results around the Nordschleife.
For Mugello, Stalidzane joined Oregon Team alongside experienced Lamborghini-affiliated racer Leonardo Pulcini in the Pro class. The fast, technical and undulating Tuscan circuit represented a significant challenge for her GT sprint debut, although she had completed a valuable test at the venue during the previous week.
The early signs throughout practice were in fact very encouraging. the duo found confidence in the Lamborghini, setting a best lap of 1:50.1 in the opening session before improving to a 1:49.0 in FP2. The pace placed the #34 Lamborghini sixth overall and fourth among the Pro entries, highlighting the potential of the pairing heading into qualifying.
Unfortunately, qualifying did not reflect that promise. Stalidzane was scheduled to drive the opening session but immediately encountered brake issues before the session became heavily disrupted by several red flags. With little running available, she was unable to register a representative lap time, forcing the car to the back of the grid for the opening race.
Pulcini took over qualifying duties in Q2 and posted a 1:46.721 to qualify 17th overall and 11th in the Pro class for Sunday's contest.
Stalidzane lined up on the final row of the 30-car GT3 grid for Saturday afternoon's opening one-hour race. She immediately made an excellent getaway, avoiding trouble through the opening corners before passing Sarieddine's Audi. Denisov then became stranded in the gravel at Turn 2, allowing Stalidzane to gain further ground, while she also overtook Forgione to climb to 27th overall and 16th in the Pro class by the end of the opening lap.
Settling into a good rhythm, the Latvian consistently circulated in the 1:54s while maintaining a comfortable gap over the cars behind. As the race developed, further opportunities presented themselves to gain overall positions: Huilin Han suffered a puncture, Enzo Geraci was forced into the pits with technical issues, while Marcus Paverud dropped back following contact with Jasin Ferati.
Those incidents elevated Stalidzane to 24th overall and 14th in Pro by lap six. Although Paverud recovered to reclaim one position a few laps later, she continued to manage her race intelligently while preserving the tyres during the demanding opening stint.
With tyre degradation becoming an increasingly important factor, Stalidzane brought the Lamborghini into the pits on lap 12 from 25th overall, having already recovered five positions from the start, before handing over to Pulcini.
The Italian continued the recovery, rejoining 26th before moving ahead of Guido Luchetti for another Pro-class position once the pit cycle was completed. Running consistent low 1:52s and 1:53s, Pulcini gradually closed on the Audi of Cassarà while also overtaking Fischbaum's Lamborghini.
Despite increasing tyre wear during the closing stages, he maintained a steady pace and crossed the finish line 23rd overall and 15th in Pro after a clean, disciplined drive.
Post-race penalties further promoted the crew to 21st overall and 14th in the Pro class, meaning the pair had gained 9 positions across the race. Particularly encouraging was the fact that Stalidzane's fastest lap was only one tenth off Pulcini's.
Sunday brought cooler conditions after overnight rain had washed much of the rubber from the circuit, prompting the teams to make setup adjustments before the second race.
Starting from 20th overall, Pulcini immediately gained a position through the opening corners before settling into another tightly contested midfield battle. Running consistently in the 1:51s, he briefly climbed as high as 19th overall and 11th in Pro before traffic from cars in different classes complicated his progress.
Remaining consistent throughout his stint, Pulcini extended his opening run and eventually handed the Lamborghini over to Stalidzane on lap 13 after another well-executed first half of the race, having although fell back to P23.
Rejoining 24th overall and 14th in the Pro class, Stalidzane immediately focused on finding a consistent rhythm despite increasingly difficult tyre degradation. Her lap times remained consistent, circulating within only a few tenths of each other throughout the stint.
Enzo Geraci eventually found a way past on lap 21 to move ahead in class, but Stalidzane responded positively. Drive-through penalties for Sarieddine and Forgione elevated her overall position, before she dipped back under the 1:55 barrier with a 1:54.5 on lap 23.
She continued to improve as the race progressed, overtaking Randazzo to climb into 22nd overall before bringing the Lamborghini safely to the finish. Crossing the line 22nd overall and 14th in the Pro class, she matched, and slightly improved upon, her Race 1 class result while completing another mature, mistake-free stint.
Although the final results did not fully reflect the potential shown throughout practice, Stalidzane's first Italian GT Sprint weekend provided plenty of reasons for optimism. Technical issues slowed down the duo's progress in qualifying, yet both races demonstrated her ability to adapt quickly, manage tyres effectively and deliver consistent lap times against an exceptionally strong GT3 field.
For a driver only beginning her GT3 sprint career after building her reputation in endurance racing at the Nürburgring, the Mugello round represented a good first step in her development, suggesting there is considerably more potential to unlock should further opportunities arise.
