Iron Cup Series 26 (Prova 05/05) · Finale Race⏱ 1h11

The 70-minute endurance finale at Circuito di Pomposa in San Giuseppe di Comacchio (Ferrara) brought together 26 teams on the 1,213-metre kart circuit on 16 September 2026. It was a densely fought race, with no fewer than 20 karts completing the same 45-lap tally and only small gaps separating the leaders at the flag.

MARCHESAN DAMIANO IRON MAN (kart #9) took the win after 45 laps, crossing the line ahead of ANDREA MARANGONI IRON MAN (#2, +4.963 s) and CRISTIAN BORRELLI IRON MAN (#19, +7.308 s). VIGNALI RICCARDO IRON MAN (#23) and NICOLÒ MONTEVERDE IRON MAN (#17) completed the top five, separated by less than three seconds. All top-20 finishers recorded 45 laps and all 26 starters made 3 pit stops each.

The fastest lap of the race was set by RED RACING SPIRIT IRON TEAM (kart #58) with a time of 1:11.386, the sharpest single lap of the day. Yet that pace did not translate into a strong result: the team finished 13th overall, 32.707 s off the lead — a gap that the analysis helps explain.

The performance data reveals a strong correlation between rhythm, consistency and final classification at the front. MARCHESAN DAMIANO IRON MAN produced the best pure pace of the race with a median lap time of 1:12.219 (1st in pure rhythm ranking) and an impressive overall consistency figure of 0.9 s standard deviation. Their two main stints — 23 laps at a median of 1:12.052 and 16 laps at 1:12.270 — were both rated stable, reflecting an exemplary management of tyre and kart over the 70 minutes.

ANDREA MARANGONI IRON MAN (2nd in pure rhythm at 1:12.237) and CRISTIAN BORRELLI IRON MAN (3rd at 1:12.243) were virtually inseparable on raw pace, and the classification faithfully reflects this hierarchy. Notably, Marangoni's second stint showed a sharp improvement, posting a median of 1:11.974 with a very low dispersion of 0.50 s — the team's fastest phase of the race.

Further back, LUNADEI CHRISTIAN IRON MAN (#31, 7th overall) ranked 5th in pure rhythm at 1:12.441, while MATTEO MACCANTI IRON MAN (#33, 6th overall) achieved the 6th best median (1:12.447), indicating that strategy and pit execution played a role in the final order among these closely matched competitors. At the other end of the spectrum, RED RACING SPIRIT IRON TEAM held the 4th best pure rhythm (data from the broader field) yet finished 13th — a significant gap between raw speed potential and race result.

The most notable strategic outperformance came from NICOLÒ MONTEVERDE IRON MAN, who finished 5th despite ranking only 9th in pure rhythm (median 1:12.529), gaining four positions through consistent execution and efficient pit management. Conversely, LELLI STEFANO IRON MAN (#15, 9th) ranked only 13th in pure pace, compensating with steadiness across three stints. SARAGONI MATTEO IRON MAN (#5, 12th) showed an accelerating trend in their opening stint, gaining 0.22 s/lap, before stabilising across a long 24-lap second stint.

Key takeaways for teams: at Circuito di Pomposa, pure lap speed alone does not guarantee a strong result — race-long pace management and consistency proved decisive. The top three finishers occupied the top three positions in pure rhythm, underlining that minimising lap-time dispersion over 70 minutes is as important as outright speed. Teams able to sustain a stable, repeatable rhythm across all stints, rather than relying on isolated flying laps, have a clear structural advantage on this circuit.