FAEMS Team by Nova Race will make its International GT Open debut at the Monza GT Open 500, with the Italian squad using the one-off appearance to evaluate a potential full-season programme in 2027.
The team will enter its distinctive black-and-yellow BMW M4 GT3 EVO for Giuseppe Forenzi and Ian Rodríguez, who already share the car in the Italian GT Championship this season. Their arrival adds another new entry to a growing Monza field as the International GT Open prepares for its penultimate round and second 500km contest of 2026.
Although FAEMS Team by Nova Race is new to the International GT Open, both sides of the partnership bring experience from elsewhere in the GT Sport paddock. FAEMS Team has established itself in GT Cup Europe, while Nova Race previously contested selected GT Open events, notably with Honda machinery.
Monza used to evaluate full 2027 campaign
The Monza appearance is intended to be more than a standalone race. FAEMS Team is considering stepping up to a full International GT Open programme in 2027 and will use the endurance event to assess the championship before committing to an entire season.
It follows an approach the team has used successfully before. FAEMS first established itself within GT Cup Europe before developing into a championship-winning operation, securing both the Drivers’ and Teams’ titles in 2025.
The move into GT Open would therefore represent another step in the team’s development. The championship sits above GT Cup Europe within GT Sport’s racing structure and brings together GT3 machinery from several manufacturers across an eight-round European calendar. The provisional 2027 International GT Open schedule will also see Silverstone return as the series continues its established mix of major European circuits.
Team head Fabio Pampado believes Monza provides an opportunity to determine whether FAEMS and Nova Race are ready to make that progression.
“We are excited about this one-off. The objective is to do exactly what we have done in the GT Cup, taste the waters before embarking on a possible GT Open full campaign in 2027. It’s a further step up, but together with Nova Race, we have an excellent package, and Giuseppe and Ian are two young drivers who are doing very well in the Italian GT this year.”
Forenzi and Rodríguez continue BMW partnership
Forenzi and Rodríguez provide continuity for the team as it enters a new championship. The pair already share the BMW M4 GT3 EVO during the 2026 Italian GT Sprint season, having both progressed from GT Cup machinery into the top GT3 category.
The programme began at Imola, where Forenzi and Rodríguez immediately demonstrated their potential by finishing third in the second race. Their campaign has subsequently continued against an Italian GT field featuring factory and highly experienced GT drivers, giving both valuable experience with the BMW before their Monza GT Open appearance.
Forenzi, 20, is among the younger drivers making the transition into GT3 competition. The Italian moved into the category this year after establishing himself in GT Cup racing and has continued adapting to the additional performance and technical demands of the BMW M4 GT3 EVO.
Rodríguez arrives with greater experience and an existing championship connection to FAEMS.
Rodríguez returns to GT Sport as defending GT Cup champion
The 26-year-old Guatemalan was one of the central figures in FAEMS Team’s successful 2025 GT Cup Europe campaign, securing the Drivers’ title as the team also claimed the Teams’ crown.
That success gives Rodríguez familiarity with GT Sport events and the wider paddock even though the Monza weekend marks the team’s first International GT Open appearance. His experience should also help Forenzi as they move into an environment featuring a larger GT3 field and a different sporting format from their domestic programme.
The pairing already knows both the BMW and each other from the Italian championship, reducing the number of variables the team needs to address during its GT Open debut.
Nova Race brings previous GT Open experience
While FAEMS Team is entering the championship for the first time, technical partner Nova Race is returning to familiar territory.
The operation, led by former Formula 1 and sportscar driver Christian Pescatori, has previously contested selected International GT Open events. Its past programmes included Honda machinery, giving the technical organisation prior experience of the championship’s format and operating environment.
Nova Race has since developed considerable experience with the BMW M4 GT3 EVO. Its partnership with FAEMS has placed the car into the Italian GT Championship this season, where Forenzi and Rodríguez are competing in the Pro category.
That existing programme allows the Monza entry to build around an established technical package rather than requiring the team to simultaneously learn a new car and a new championship.
Another BMW joins competitive GT Open grid
The FAEMS Team by Nova Race entry also strengthens BMW representation during one of the most significant GT Open events of the season.
The Monza GT Open 500 replaces the championship’s usual two-race weekend with a single endurance contest, placing additional emphasis on pit strategy, driver changes and consistency. Double points are also available, increasing the importance of the race for the full-season championship contenders.
Tom Emson and Tom Lebbon head towards Italy with a 23-point championship lead after their fifth victory of the season in a chaotic wet Hockenheim Race 2. Behind them, Christian Mansell and Maximilian Götz, Zac Meakin, Dean Macdonald, Pietro Armanni and Alex Fontana remain closely grouped as the title fight enters its final two rounds.
FAEMS Team by Nova Race has no championship position to protect, allowing Forenzi and Rodríguez to approach the 500km race purely as a standalone event while providing another potential complication for the regular title contenders.
Growing list of additional Monza entries
The BMW is another significant addition to a Monza field attracting teams beyond the regular championship grid.
Leipert Motorsport has also confirmed its International GT Open return with Brendon Leitch and Nicolas Stati, fielding a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 after last competing in the championship in 2024.
The endurance format traditionally creates opportunities for additional crews to join the grid, and their presence can influence the championship even without being involved in the season-long points battle. Strong one-off entries can occupy major scoring positions, making the Monza 500 particularly unpredictable for the regular contenders.
For FAEMS Team by Nova Race, however, the priority extends beyond the immediate result. The weekend is effectively an evaluation of whether its successful GT Cup Europe foundations and developing Italian GT programme can support a permanent move into GT Open.
Monza could begin next stage of FAEMS expansion
The team arrives at Monza with several pieces already in place for a longer-term programme. FAEMS brings recent championship success from GT Cup Europe, Nova Race provides GT3 technical experience and previous knowledge of the International GT Open, while Forenzi and Rodríguez have spent the current season developing together in the same BMW they will race in Italy.
The combination also follows a route already seen elsewhere within the GT Sport paddock. Teams including ZRS Motorsport have used GT Cup Europe as a platform before stepping into the International GT Open, with the Porsche squad becoming an immediate contender during its first full season in the championship.
FAEMS Team is not committing to the same move yet. Monza instead provides the opportunity to understand the sporting, technical and operational demands of a GT Open weekend before deciding whether to return permanently in 2027.
The immediate challenge will be the GT Open 500, where Forenzi and Rodríguez will take their established BMW partnership into a deeper international field. The longer-term question will come afterwards, when FAEMS Team by Nova Race determines whether its first GT Open appearance should become the foundation for a full campaign next season.
