03 June, 2026: Following the season opener at Mugello, the Alfa Revival Cup returns to action for the second round of the 2026 campaign as the series heads back to the Autodromo “Riccardo Paletti” in Varano de’ Melegari, a venue absent from the championship calendar since 2022. A very different challenge compared to the Tuscan circuit, the compact 2.350-kilometre track rewards precision, consistency and the ability to manage traffic through its succession of corners and heavy braking zones. Here, outright speed matters, but race management can prove just as decisive.
The opening round delivered victories for Alessandro Morteo and Lorenzo Moramarco in the G/H/I category and for Giampaolo Benedini and Bruno Ferrari in E/F, while leaving both championships wide open. If Mugello provided the first indications of the season, Varano will offer a clearer understanding of who can build on that momentum and who is ready to challenge the early hierarchy.
In G/H/I, Davide Bertinelli arrives in Emilia as championship leader thanks to his runner-up finish in the opening race. Behind him, the pairing of Massimo and Marco Guerra remains firmly in contention within an exceptionally close classification. Reigning champions Peter Bachofen and Dario Inhelder head to Varano determined to regain ground after a Mugello weekend that fell short of expectations, while Alessandro Morteo and Lorenzo Moramarco will be looking to confirm the form that brought them victory in Round 1.
Back together aboard their 1750 GTAm, Mathias and Fabian Körber, representing Alfa Delta OKP, are expected to feature prominently in the fight at the front, alongside Francesco Pantaleo and Emanuele Benedini in the Team Carrera GTAm and Carlo Barbolini Cionini. Fred Arve Monsen will also be one to watch after securing class honours at Mugello with his Giulia Sprint GTA, in what promises to be one of the most competitive categories of the season.
The E/F periods appear equally balanced. Victory at Mugello allowed Giampaolo Benedini and Bruno Ferrari to share the top of the standings with Emanuele Morteo, while Giovanni Serio and Franco Mischis remain close behind after seeing an even stronger result slip away in the closing stages of the opening round due to a gearbox issue. At Varano, Benedini will be partnered by Francesco Pantaleo in the Team Carrera Giulia Sprint GTA, one of the most notable changes compared to the Mugello entry. Francesco Liberatore and Francesco Moramarco will also join the field in their Giulietta TI, ready to enter a contest that looks set to remain wide open from the very first session.
As is tradition in the Alfa Revival Cup, competition unfolds across two separate overall classifications. On one side are the E/F cars, closer to the origins of Alfa Romeo motorsport; on the other, the G/H/I periods, where GTAm, Turbodelta and Group 5 machinery represent the technical evolution that defined the following years. Two distinct eras sharing the same track, producing parallel battles and contrasting interpretations of performance.
The Varano grid also features several additional points of interest. Fabrizio Zamuner will be joined by Stefan Rollwagen aboard the Alfa Delta OKP Giulia Sprint GTA, while Fabio Gimignani, representing Scuderia Biondetti, is set to make his first appearance of the season at the wheel of a Period H1 GT Veloce 2000. André Kardol returns with his Alfa Race Team GT Veloce 2000, while Gianluca Bardelli arrives looking to defend the class victory he secured at Mugello with the Alfetta GT America.
The weekend will also form part of the ACI Storico Festival, an event dedicated to celebrating Italy’s historic automotive heritage. Throughout Saturday, the paddock will host exhibitions, gatherings and activities centred around historic competition machinery.
After the first verdicts delivered at Mugello, the Parma circuit is set to provide a clearer picture of the competitive landscape. On a track where gaps are often measured in fractions and mistakes can prove costly, the pecking order is beginning to emerge, but the battle remains wide open.
