Following his successes with GEBHARDT Motorsport, Valentino Catalano is becoming part of the Duqueine Academy by Debard Automobiles, where he will be competing for attractive prize money.
Valentino Catalano, a young driver from the Palatinate region who will turn 21 on 2 November, has been part of GEBHARDT Motorsport since 2024. The long-established sports car team from Sinsheim has provided Catalano with intensive support ever since. Amongst other series, the youngster has competed with the team in the Prototype Cup Germany, the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge in the USA and the Michelin Le Mans Cup.
In the process, Catalano – who is regarded as one of the fastest LMP3 drivers in the world – has already celebrated a number of successes at the wheel of Duqueine LMP3 cars. In 2024, he won the Prototype Cup Germany title, followed in 2025 by the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge title in the USA. In 2026, he narrowly missed out on the title in the IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge with the Duqueine D09 and, at the season opener in Sebring, secured one of the final global victories for the Duqueine D08 with its spectacular V8 engine.
The French manufacturer has now invited Catalano to be one of six drivers taking part in the Duqueine Academy by Debard Automobiles shootout. Together with five other drivers, he will compete for a special scholarship at the Pôle Mécanique d’Alès on 23 and 24 November. Speed, consistency, technical understanding and the ability to work closely with a team are the key elements of the selection process. The winner will receive €150,000 for a programme in 2027 driving a Duqueine D09 LMP3 prototype in one of the leading LMP3 championships.
“We are delighted that Valentino has been invited to the Duqueine Academy by Debard Automobiles shootout to compete for the sponsorship for 2027. He has been an integral part of GEBHARDT Motorsport since 2024 and has completed our GEBHARDT Young Driver Academy. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for him for the Shootout, but we also know what he’s capable of! The prize money would be a great help to us for our plans for the coming year with Valentino,” said GEBHARDT Motorsport team principal Fritz Gebhardt.
Valentino Catalano has not only completed the GEBHARDT Young Driver Academy, but also supports the team’s current protégés from Sinsheim: the young Swedish driver Emma Wigroth and the Swiss driver Jérémy Siffert. He supported the two talented drivers at this year’s Interwetten Sports Car Challenge races with tips and advice.
