Racing History Returns to the Mountains
A road with history
Motor racing first came to the Bernina Pass in 1929, during the International St Moritz Automobile Week. Drivers raced uphill on public roads, climbing towards the pass with very little protection and no room for mistakes.
One of the great names of that time was Hans Stuck, known as the “King of the Mountains”. Driving an Austro-Daimler, he became famous for his skill on hill climbs across Europe, including Bernina. His success helped turn the pass into a legendary motorsport location. That spirit still defines the event today.
September 2025
In September 2025, the Bernina Pass once again became a place for racing. High in the Swiss Alps, the Bernina Gran Turismo brought historic competition cars back to one of Europe’s most beautiful and challenging mountain roads.
This is not a modern race circuit. The Bernina Pass is narrow, steep and unforgiving mountain pass. That is exactly why it has mattered to racing drivers for almost a century. Today, this race keeps the spirit of classic motorsport alive.
The Bernina Gran Turismo today
The modern Bernina Gran Turismo began in 2015, with a clear idea: historic cars should still be driven properly, not just displayed.
In 2025, the road from La Rösa to Ospizio Bernina was closed once again for competition. Cars from different eras — from early racing machines to classic touring cars and sports racers — took on the climb in timed runs.
For the first time, the event was shown live to an international audience, but on the mountain itself the feeling remained traditional. The focus stayed on the cars, the drivers and the road.
Kessel Racing on home ground
Swiss team Kessel Racing also played an important role in 2025. Led by Ronnie Kessel, the team brought experience, precision and strong local knowledge to the event.
The 2025 competition developed into a close contest between Daniele Perfetti, who finished first overall, and Ronnie Kessel, who secured second place. Both drivers pushed their cars to the limit on the Bernina climb. Perfetti’s Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 1975 proved decisive, while Kessel drove his Alfa Romeo 1750 GTAm with remarkable commitment, repeatedly hitting the apex and running very close to the edge of grip. It was a hard-fought battle between two skilled drivers, each extracting everything from their machinery on one of Europe’s most demanding mountain roads.
Italian passion: Alfa Delta and Alfa Romeo
One of the highlights of the 2025 event was the return of Alfa Delta, the Italian team based in Varese.
The team entered three Alfa Romeo GTAm 2.0 cars and one GTA 1.6, all finished in special liveries inspired by Alfa Romeo’s touring car races of the 1970s. Their presence added colour, sound and strong Italian character to the grid.
These cars were carefully prepared for the Bernina Pass. Alfa Delta adjusted the suspension to cope with the uneven road, shortened the gear ratios for faster uphill acceleration, and tuned the shock absorbers to improve grip and control. The result was a group of cars that looked dramatic and performed exactly as they should on a mountain road.
Their appearance reminded spectators of Alfa Romeo’s long and successful racing history, while showing why the marque still works so well in historic competition.
Racing icons on the mountain
Alongside the touring cars, the 2025 grid featured some of the most famous cars in motorsport history. Among them was the Ferrari 250 GT SWB SEFAC Competition, a car that represents the golden age of GT racing.
Seeing such cars driven at speed on a real mountain road is rare — and that is exactly what makes Bernina special.
Why Bernina still matters
Bernina Gran Turismo is about keeping racing history alive by using it properly.
In 2025, the event once again proved that historic motorsport can still be serious, exciting and relevant. When the engines stopped and the road reopened, the Bernina Pass returned to silence, but the sense of history remained.
Special thank you to Bernina Gran Turismo for organising the event.
Thanks to Loris Costa for some of the pictures: Loris Costa 
(@_loris_photography_) • Instagram photos and videos
To learn more about Bernina hill climb and future events: Home – Bernina Gran Turismo – The legendary hill climb
To learn more about Kessel Racing: Homepage – Kessel – Luxury Cars, Motorsport & Exclusive Services
To learn more about Alfa Delta racing: Alfa Delta