September 29, 2023: Francesco Liberatore and his friend Francesco Zadotti, at the wheel of their Alfetta GT6 2500, face the track with grit and wisdom, managing to fit in the middle of the ranks of very fast Alfa GTAms.
Their beautiful Alfetta, managed by Scuderia del Grifone, is a GT with a sleek line and very modern features. Born from the clever hand of Giorgetto Giugiaro in 1978, this coupe seems made for the track and the Alfa Revival Cup is the perfect championship to combine style and speed.
After an excellent start to the championship at Mugello, you were also protagonists in Austria, drawing attention with your Alfetta, to the point that, in the very first stages of the race, with you at the wheel, you entered the top-5. You found a great feeling at this track as well.
Francesco Liberatore: “Although it is not very long, the Red Bull Ring is one of the most beautiful tracks out there and is located in a particular context, in the middle of the woods.
I raced there in the mid-1990s and that is why I already knew it a little bit, but compared to then lots of things are new. We didn’t have much time to discover the track. Everything went well in the race.”
How did you choose the Alfa Revival Cup?
“I have always been an Alfista. As a matter of fact, I have nearly always raced with Alfa Romeo, therefore being part of the Alfa Revival Cup was a natural consequence of my passion.
We had this Alfetta GTV 6 and we tried to make it run in the best way and to make it competitive for the track. Getting into the Alfa Revival championship was a natural choice”.
At Mugello luck was not on your side: while fighting for the overall podium, you had a problem. In Austria though, you confirmed that the potential is high.
“The car was at the first race and we had to expect some problems would have come out. Now everything has been fixed, so we have high hopes to do well in the championship”.
What does your Alfetta need to be driven? A rear-wheel drive and front-engine model?
“With modern cars, you brake with the left foot while cornering, there is the ABS and the gearbox is sequential. With our Alfetta, you still do the double clutching when you change and the driving style is one of older times.
I did some rallies with this car and, in that context, it proved to be a bit heavy to drive: with continuous changes of direction and low speeds the steering is heavy and you can feel it. On the track the situation changes, it is less tiring and much more fun.”
How do you feel sharing race weekends with your teammate (Francesco Zadotti)?
“We have known each other for 40 years, we always get along very well and if something happens to one, the other does not take it bad. Our team spirit is very good and we try to have fun.”
