Pit Debrief

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Pit Debrief

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How a Turn 1 pile-up set the tone for 2026 GTWC Europe chaos at Monza

Chiara Martin07 mins
Turn 1 carnage set the tone for 2026 GTWC Europe chaos at Monza, with crashes, smoke and late drama shaping the race.
Photo Credit: SRO/JEP
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The 2026 GTWC Europe Endurance Cup race at Monza effectively changed before it had properly begun.

A major pile-up at the Rettifilo chicane wiped out several front-running contenders, caused extensive damage and set the tone for a three-hour race that rarely escaped disruption. The race eventually ended with the #66 Tresor Attempto Racing Audi of Rocco Mazzola, Ariel Levi and Sebastian Øgaard taking a shock overall victory from 29th on the grid, but the defining story of the afternoon came from the repeated incidents that shaped the result.

The opening accident forced eight cars into immediate retirement, while several others had to pit for repairs. Around three quarters of the field had to use the run-off area to avoid the wreckage as the crash unfolded at Turn 1.

Ford’s pole hopes disappear at Turn 1

The crash hit HRT Ford Performance particularly hard. The team had started from a landmark position after putting the #64 Ford Mustang GT3 on overall pole, while both Ford entries had qualified on class pole. However, the race’s first major incident ended the team’s chance to convert that qualifying breakthrough into a result.

The field arrived at the first chicane tightly packed, and the situation escalated when Maxime Martin in the #17 GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG moved off track before rejoining towards the racing line. Martin later denied responsibility, saying he had not touched another car, but officials still handed him a three-minute stop-and-go penalty for causing the start crash.

During the broadcast, Martin said, “I don’t know what they’re complaining about. I didn’t touch anyone. I don’t have a single scratch on the car, but they’re blaming me!”

“Yes, I had to drive a little to the right off the track because I had nowhere else to go. But then I safely cut back into the field before the grass, without touching anyone. I’m sorry for everyone, but ultimately I can’t say anything about it.”

Chain reaction causes heavy damage

The chain reaction that followed caused the real damage. Alessio Rovera in the #51 AF Corse Ferrari had to react to Martin’s rejoin, which pushed the #10 Boutsen VDS Porsche towards the barrier. Rovera’s Ferrari then came back across the track and turned Marvin Kirchhöfer’s #59 Garage 59 McLaren.

Kirchhöfer’s McLaren then became a “wrecking ball” through the chicane, collecting several cars around the front group. The crash involved at least a dozen cars and immediately removed several expected contenders from the race.

Both HRT Ford Mustangs suffered major damage, including the pole-sitting #64 car. The incident also caught the #99 Attempto Audi, a Boutsen VDS Porsche, an AF Corse Ferrari and the Paul Ricard-winning Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin. Ricardo Feller’s Lionspeed GP Porsche also took a heavy hit.

The accident did more than eliminate cars. It changed the rhythm of the race. A long safety car period followed, early strategies became irrelevant for many teams, and several cars that had started outside the spotlight suddenly moved closer to contention.

Early problems continue after restart

The opening pile-up did not stand alone. It became the first in a series of interruptions that prevented the race from building a stable rhythm.

Shortly after the restart sequence began, Valentino Rossi’s #46 Team WRT BMW stopped near the pit exit with a clutch problem. It remained unclear whether the failure had any connection to the opening crash or happened separately.

The #3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing entry also lost its chance after taking damage early in the race. The team repaired the car and sent it back out, but the Mercedes later stopped near Variante Ascari with smoke coming from the car, triggering another caution period.

The restart also brought further contact. The #24 Steller Motorsport Corvette and the #71 Selected Car Racing Ferrari both spun at the exit of the first chicane in separate incidents, adding more disruption to a race already reshaped by the first-lap crash.

Ascari and Lesmo incidents keep Race Control busy

The interruptions continued as the race moved deeper into its opening hour.

James Kell crashed the #111 CSA Racing McLaren at Variante Ascari on Lap 24, bringing out a Full Course Yellow. Kell managed to recover the car and return to the pits, but the neutralisation again affected race timing and pit stop planning.

Later, Stylianos Kolovos spun the #914 Razoon Porsche and became stuck at the exit of the first Lesmo. Race Control called another Full Course Yellow, again bunching the field and influencing the pit cycles.

Those repeated interruptions meant the race never truly reset after Turn 1. Each caution changed the shape of the strategy, and teams that avoided damage gained track position while faster cars lost time through repairs, penalties or retirements.

Smoke, fire and debris add late tension

The race’s final phase brought more trouble.

With just over 20 minutes remaining, Race Control called another Full Course Yellow after two separate incidents. Tomas Pintos crashed the #44 Greystone GT McLaren exiting the second Lesmo, leaving debris on track. The car briefly showed flames before Pintos managed to continue.

Almost immediately afterwards, the #222 2 Seas Motorsport Mercedes suffered a major engine failure on the main straight. Smoke and possible fluid on the circuit added another hazard and extended the race’s unsettled pattern.

The timing of that neutralisation mattered. Once the pit cycle played out, the #66 Tresor Attempto Audi moved into the overall lead. The Silver Cup entry had started only 29th, but it stayed clear of the biggest trouble while others lost time or dropped out.

Final Turn 1 crash ends race under safety car

The race then ended with another major incident at the same part of the circuit that had shaped the opening lap.

In the closing minutes, Kelvin van der Linde in the #32 Team WRT BMW lost braking on the approach to Turn 1 and hit the rear of a Porsche. The impact sent the Porsche into a barrel roll and collected other cars. Marvin Dienst’s #87 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG, which had been running second, was also taken out in the crash.

The accident brought out the safety car and the race did not return to green-flag conditions. Tresor Attempto Racing therefore crossed the line first with Mazzola at the wheel, ahead of the #48 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG and the #555 CSA Racing McLaren.

Monza’s incidents decide the story

The 2026 GTWC 3 Hours of Monza became a race defined by what the field failed to avoid.

The Turn 1 pile-up removed several leading contenders and destroyed HRT Ford’s chance to turn pole into victory. The later spins, crashes, smoke and engine failure kept the race under repeated neutralisations. The final Turn 1 accident then ensured the race ended under safety car.

Tresor Attempto Racing’s victory came from staying close enough to profit when the race unravelled around them. But Monza’s defining narrative was the chaos itself: a race that started with a multi-car crash, ended with another major Turn 1 incident and left several teams counting the cost.

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