Lirim Zendeli scored his first podium finish in Round 2 of the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia at Misano World Circuit today after the MIM-contracted driver took his Ombra Racing-Centro Porsche Bergamo Porsche 911 GT3 to an impressive third place in just his second race in the category.

The result was an excellent one for the 24-year-old German, who is embarking on a new chapter in his career in GT racing this season after years in formula motorsport, and it also earned him the award for Rookie of the Race.

Due to the qualifying nature of the PCCI this year, where a driver’s fastest lap time earns him a Race 1 grid position and his second fastest puts him in Race 2, Lirim lined up in P4 on the second row, and this was all the extra push he needed at the start of the 30 minute + 1 lap race as he inherited third place immediately when Simone Iaquinta had a spin.

With eventual race winner Keagan Masters (Team Q8 High Perform) and Race 1 winner Larry ten Voorde (Enrico Fulgenzi Racing) both lapping slightly quicker than Lirim throughout the 19 laps, all he had to do was maintain a decent 1m37s pace around the Misano circuit and steer his Porsche to the chequered flag, which he did while keeping one eye on his fellow rookie Francesco Braschi behind.

“I think it was a good race, we showed as a complete team and also myself very good pace,” declared Lirim on the podium. “We made some small mistakes which meant I couldn’t keep up any more with Larry at the front but it was a very good race for me, a second race podium and I just couldn’t be happier. The weekend could have started off a bit better so maybe I could have taken home two podiums, but now we start here, we go step by step and we’ll charge to the front.”
MIM CEO Salvatore Gandi, who was present at Misano to see his young protégé race, added: “I’m very proud and happy about Lirim’s podium result today, he drove a mature race for third place and it is a great start to his season in the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia. A big thanks also to the historic Italian team Ombra Racing, who did a great job all weekend!”

Lirim’s next appointment in this busy month of May will again be behind the wheel of his Ombra Racing Porsche, but this time in the opening Mobil 1 Supercup round at Imola’s Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit in two weeks’ time, as a support race to the Emilia-Romagna Formula 1 Grand Prix.