Hites Benjamín

Benjamín Hites

## **Overall results**

**Benjamín Hites Michelson** (Santiago, May 3, 1999)is a Chilean racing driver. He develops his sports career competing in motorsport categories of the Argentine Republic, the United States between 2017 and 2019; and Europe in the GT World Challenge Europe seasons during the years 2020 and 2021. He is the 2022 International GT Open champion.

## Biography

Initiated in his country in the Kart environment, he debuted in this specialty in 2014.Hites began his professional career in 2017 competing in the Argentine zonal category TC Patagónico, where he received the sponsorship of Roberto Valle, owner of the Argentine team RV Racing Sport. Precisely, from the hand of this team came its debut at the national level, when participating in the divisional Top Race Series where it initially competed under the Mercedes-Benz brand. After three dates competing in this team, he then joined the Fiat Octanos Competition team, with which he competed until the end of the season.​

Along with his forays into Argentine motorsport, Hites also had a presence in categories in the United States, where he developed tests at the Homestead circuit in Miami, commanding a Ferrari 488.Finally he ended up being summoned for the Ferrari Challenge category, where after having developed the aforementioned tests, he officially debuted in 2018 in the professional class, commanding a Ferrari 488 Challenge.​ ​

In the 2019 season he competes in parallel in the Top Race Series tournament and in the Ferrari Challenge. In the Argentine championship he finishes fourth despite not running all the dates to privilege the American tournament, where he gets the runner-up, which catapults him to the GT World Challenge of Europe 2020, going on to occupy a place in the Akka ASP team at the helm of a Mercedes AMG. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, he contests the 8 dates of the event in the Sprint and Endurance distances, obtaining the first podium at the Magny Cours circuit (France), third in the fourth date. In the sixth double date he is second and first in Barcelona. In the following season, during the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), he achieved the pole position in the Silver category, qualifying 18th in the Super Pole Position, being the only member of the Silver series. He finishes the tournament in the fifth position in the ranking of his category. In 2021 he switches to the Rinaldi Racing team to drive a Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020, always in the Silver series that is for young professional talents. The championship consists of 10 dates (5 Sprint and 5 Endurance).

In 2021 he signed for Team Rinaldi Racing to drive a Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo in the Silver category, finishing 9th in the Sprint Cup (Silver category). He also took part in the 6th round of the GT International Open in Monza (October 2021), obtaining the first place. And he was invited by the NTE Sport team in November 2021 to race in the United States IMSA Championship at the Motul Petit Le Mans where he came 9th in the GTD (Gran Turismo Daytona) category.

In 2022 he competes in parallel in three championships as part of the "Junior Program" of Lamborghini Squadra Corse, his new brand. The three events are: Fanatec GT World Challenge of Europe and Italian GT Championship forming the Team Vincenzo Sospiri Racing (VSR); and the GT International Open at Team Oregon. In June he is invited to race at Le Mans in the LMP3 category, which is the opening act for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with the aim of getting to know the legendary French circuit. In the GT International Open he is titled champion of the 2022 contest with his Italian teammate Leonardo Pulcini on the last date of the tournament in Barcelona. In the Italian GT Championship he finishes fourth and in the GT World Challenge, he finishes 12th in the Endurance Cup.

## Awards

2022 SEASON
1st Champion of the GT International Open Tournament of Europe 2022 with the Italian Leonardo Pulcini. 4th place Italian Gran Turismo Championship (GT) 2022 12th place GT World Challenge Championship Europe 2022

2022 PODIUMS
1st place 2nd round Italian GT Endurance Championship in Pergusa (Italy). 2nd place 4th round Italian GT Endurance Championship in Mugello (Italy). 1st place Race 1 of the GT International Open in 1st round in Estoril (Portugal). 1st place Race 2 of the GT Open International in 1st round in Estoril (Portugal). 1st place Race 1 of the GT Open International in 3rd round in Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium). 2nd place Race 1 of the GT International Open in 5th round at Red Bull Ring (Austria).

1st place Race 2 of the GT Open International in 5th round at Red Bull Ring (Austria). 2nd place Race 2 of the GT Open International in 6th round in Monza (Italy). 3rd place Race 1 of the GT Open International in 7th Round in Barcelona (Spain).

2021 PODIUMS
Until the 10th round of the GT World Challenge Europe he achieved 2 podiums: 3rd place in Round 1 of the ESport Championship in Monza. 2nd place in Round 5 of Race 2 in Misano, Italy, (Sprint) -In the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, his second experience in this type of 1-day tests, he obtained the 10th place in its Silver category and was 30th in the general classification among 58 competitors.

European International GT Open Championship
1st place 6th Round Race 2 GT Open International Championship in Monza 2020 PODIUMS In the 2020 championship he achieved 3 podiums in the Silver division: 3rd place in Magny-Cours (Sprint). 2nd place in Race 1 in Barcelona (Sprint) 1st place in Race 2 in Barcelona (Sprint). -Debuted in a 24-hour race (Spa-Francorchamps) in 2020 with a 6th place and a 5th in the 6 Hours of Paul Ricard. All these places in Silver, also achieving the pole position in the Silver category and in the Box 18° of the starting grid between 61 cars. -The best position in the general classification during 2020 was a 4th in Barcelona.

HISTORICAL RANKINGS OF BENJAMÍN HITES
2022: 1st European International GT Open Champion (Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo) 2022: 4th place Italian Gran Turismo (GT) Championship 2022 (Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo) 2022: 12th place GT World Challenge European Championship 2022 (Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo) 2021: 9th place in Sprint Cup Silver Qualifying (Ferrari 488 GT3) 2021: 15th place in General Classification Silver Category (Ferrari 488 GT3) 2021: 17th place in Endurance Cup Silver Category Qualifying (Ferrari 488 GT3) 2020: 5th GT World Challenge Europe in Silver Ranking (Mercedes-AMG) 2019: 2nd Ferrari Challenge North America 2019: 4th Top Race Series of Argentina 2018: 3rd Ferrari Challenge North America 2018: 25th Top Race Series Argentina 2017: 23rd Top Race Series Argentina 2016: 1st Chile Seniors Karting Championship. 2015: 1st Copa Chile de Karting category DD2 Rookie / Super Master.