The second round of the Malta National GT3 Championship 2025 turned up the heat at Imola, delivering the kind of wheel-to-wheel action that spectators had been waiting for. After a calm opening round, this event brought everything, from drama, overtakes, penalties, and pure pace from Malta’s finest GT3 talents.
Under mild conditions with 23 degrees ambient and 26 degrees on track, finding grip proved a challenge. Yet Mikhail Mercieca of Project Eversio wasted no time, setting a blistering 1:42.871 on his first flying lap, showing speed comparable to international standards.
As the minutes ticked down, Intercom VMD Simsport driver Aaron Debattista fought back with a late charge, edging Mercieca with a 1:41.970, the only lap to dip below the 42-second mark.
Newcomer Ilan Dimech Ghirxi impressed everyone with a stunning P3, followed closely by Brandon Bonello in fourth. The top four were separated by just two tenths of a second, a clear sign that the battle for victory was going to be enjoybale to watch.
When the lights went out, Debattista made a strong start, pulling a small gap to avoid early chaos. Behind him, Jayden and Andrew Ellul exchanged positions in a spirited opening lap as the rest of the pack settled in.
By lap two, Mercieca made his move for the lead, but contact between him and Debattista resulted in a 5-second penalty for the Project Eversio driver. Despite the penalty, Mercieca pressed on, setting fastest laps and building a solid gap ahead.
Further back, Andreevski and Jean Pierre Caruana clashed at Tamburello in a controversial overtake that left Caruana spinning. After review, the stewards declared it a racing incident, a decision that sparked debate among spectators.
As the race approached its final minutes, Debattista, eager to recover from earlier setbacks, closed in on Ghirxi for P3. Their battle intensified lap after lap, allowing Bonello to close the gap. With just minutes to go, contact between Debattista and Ghirxi sent both spinning, again ruled a racing incident.
Bonello seized the opportunity, climbing to second place, while Andreevski capitalised as well to grab fourth which is his best result so far this season.
At the flag, Mercieca crossed the line first, taking his maiden win of the 2025 championship, followed by Bonello and Ghirxi on the podium.
With three rounds remaining, the battle for the Malta National GT3 Championship title is wide open. The rivalry between Mercieca, Bonello, Debattista and Ghirxi is heating up, and if Imola was any indication, the next round promises even more intense action.
