Eliseo Donno, along with teammate Alessandro Cozzi, heads to Portimão as GT3 Championship leader with a 16-point advantage going into the final race of the season in Portugal in the no51 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3, with the Italian team looking to retain the team trophy they won last season.
The 20-year-old Italian from Lecce in Southern Italy, has scored five podium finishes in six races but he and his teammate have yet to record a win in the 2025 Michelin Le Mans Cup, something they are keen to rectify at the season finale on Saturday 18 October. However, they also know that a 4th place finish at the end of the 2-hour race would be enough to secure the 2025 title.
We caught up with the 2023 Ferrari Challenge Europe champion as he prepares for the season finale in Portimão.
Q: You are leading the GT3 championship by 16 points going into the final race of the season in Portimão. With a good margin to the Kessel Racing Ferrari, how are you going to approach this race? Will it be any different than the previous events?
Eliseo Donno:“I will approach the final race like all the others because I do what I love to do. It won’t change much compared to the other races because even if the points are in our favour, we will always give our best, aiming for the top step of the podium.”
Q: You have yet to win a race this year, but you have consistently finished on the podium in all but one race at Le Mans. Has this consistency been the key to putting you in a position to fight for the title?
ED: “Yes, we have been very consistent in our results, achieving excellent placements; the added value has definitely been the determination to do well, always striving for victory, and so I really think that this has been the key to being the league leaders now, and of course, with the final race ahead, I would love to finish with a win.”
Q: While the GT3 class is small, the grid features a lot of strong driver line ups and teams. How do you rate the opposition you’ve faced in the GT3 category this year?
ED:“I must say that I got along very well with the other drivers; there were some fantastic battles, especially at Le Mans where overtaking was easier thanks to the slipstreams, but it remains true that I dealt with tough competitors whom I admire and respect. I consider this championship very competitive and a lot of fun at the same time.”
Q: Portimão is a very technical circuit. What do you like about the circuit, and do you have a favourite corner or corners?
ED: “Unfortunately, I have never raced in Portimão, I have only done two test days, and I must say it is really a beautiful circuit! If I had to choose a particular corner, I think I would choose turn one, because besides approaching it at high-speed braking, you come in with a lot of incline and therefore you feel the G-force while braking.”
