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January 9, 2026

Serpent’s Catanzani confirmed for inaugural Nitro Party

Currently one of the fastest Nitro Onroad racers in the World, Serpent’s Andrea Catazani is the latest top international driver to be confirmed for the inaugural Nitro Party race in Foshan, China, later this month. The 20-year-old Italian, who was the Top Qualifier at both the IFMAR 1:8 Onroad and the 1:8 GT World Championships at the end of the last year, joins the already stacked entry in making the trip to the new Hongyu GDC facility for its first major nitro onroad event. The reigning Italian GT Champion, he joins compatriots Alessio Mazzeo, Natanaele Senesi, and Filippo Domanin for the first edition of what the 2026 ISTC World Championship host venue plans to build into a major annual event on the nitro racing calendar. Other confirmed entries for the January 24-25th race include Infinity’s Naoto Matsukura and Genius Racing’s Bernard-Alain Arnaldi.

Source: Hongyu GDC [Facebook]

December 19, 2025

Serpent SRX8GTE R 1:8 Electric GT

Following the release of its SRX8GT R 1:8 GT Nitro Car ahead of the IFMAR 1:8 GT World Championships in Chile, Serpent has now released the R version of the electric SRX8GTE. The R is the culmination of contributions from World Championship Top Qualifier Andrea Catanzani and his father, Roberto. Serpent has designed a new flat chassis based on the new IFMAR/EFRA rules and to enhance the flex characteristics, the new chassis is 4mm thick in most areas and is designed without side dams. It offers the ideal flex for a race car that is both fast and easy to handle. To still have the advantage of the kickup suspension Serpent designed a special front adaptor to keep the same front bulkheads and c-hubs. They have saved 53 grams (adaptor included) on the previous chassis. An optional carbon chassis with distinct flex characteristics will be available to enhance performance on specific tracks. This save 61 grams on the aluminium chassis with the adaptor included. Perhaps the most significant advancement of the R platform comes from the revised geometry. In addition to adjustments in the roll centre roll centre migration, and camber change, the narrower track width stands out as the most noticeable modification. Another key aspect is the altered relationship between wheel and shock movement. Specific to the Electric chassis Serpent has updated the Split centre diff design and improved the motor mount. With the existing slide system and 1 screw holding already being a great staple, we kept that the same. However, the motor mount’s shape has been also changed to accept the new split diff and has been lightened in the process to reduce weight.

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December 4, 2025

Deja vu! Catanzani is Top Qualifier in Chile again

It was a case of Deja Vu at the IFMAR 1:8 Onroad World Championship in Chile today as Serpent’s Andrea Cantanzani claimed his second overall Worlds TQ of 2025 in the sixth & final round of qualifying, the super quick Italian having pulled off the same feat 11 weeks ago to the day when he was Top Qualifier at the 1:8 GT Worlds. With Catanzani equalling Maxine Ripoll with a second TQ run of the event in Q5, this set the stage for a thrilling duel between the two young drivers. The highly anticipate battle however wouldn’t go the full distance. Steeling time from his rivals with his super quick fuel stops to TQ Rounds 3 & 4, unfortunately this time round Ripoll would have issues in pit lane, his engine flaming out during refuelling. This ended what has been a super impressive and entertaining to follow challenge from the 19-year-old for the top spot on grid. With Ripoll out, Catanzani would TQ the round ahead of Capricorn’s Toni Gruber and Mugen Seiki’s Shoki Takahata to secure the overall TQ, the first in a long time for 1:8 Onroad pioneering manufacturer Serpent. For Gruber and Takahata the result will see the go directly to the final as Top 4 qualifiers. One of the favourites ahead of championship, Simon Kurzbuch would end quali with a P4 which wouldn’t be enough and now the 2015 World Champion has a Semi final between him and lining up to try and claim a second World title.

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December 3, 2025

Catanzani takes close opening qualifier as Kurzbuch finds form in Chile

Serpent’s Andrea Catanzani has taken the opening qualifier at the IFMAR 1:8 Onroad World Championship in Chile, this morning’s first of the six schedule rounds a close encounter as Mugen Seiki’s Simon Kurzbuch found his form after a below par seeding yesterday. With a first lap error from Catanzani, it was 2019 World Champion Shoki Takahata who set the early pace but soon it was Top Seed Catanzani who was back at the top of the timing screens but all the while Kurzbuch was executing a strong run getting to within 0.156 of a second of the Italian, the two drivers the only ones to run 23-laps of the CACH track over the 7-minutes. The star of yesterday’s seeding, Xray’s Maxime Ripoll would complete the Top 3 despite the French driver having a poor pit exit after his fuel stop, his car bouncing off the steel barrier. Capricorn’s Toni Gruber would open with a P4 run after a driver error dropped Takahata back to P5 with the Capricorn of Thilo Diekman completing the Top 6.

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December 3, 2025

Catanzani Top Seed in Chile, as Ripoll impresses with P2

Andrea Catanzani is the Top Seed for the 24th running of the IFMAR 1:8 Onroad World Championship but it is the pace of French driver Maxime Ripoll which is the big surprise in Chile. The Top Qualifier at the 1:8 GT Worlds back in September, Catanzani’s Serpent would top the times in opening and closing runs of the day, the schedule made up of fourth seeding rounds. In the second round it was Rapoll’s Xray that raised a few eyebrows as he set the fastest time ahead of 2019 World Champion Shoki Takahata. Round 3 would see Takahata go fastest and the factory Mugen Seiki driver seeds 3rd for qualifying tomorrow when we will have the first 3 of the 6 rounds of 7-minute qualifiers. After a bad start to seeding, Toni Gruber would make it four different manufacturers at the top as the Capricorn driver solved his engine/glowplug issues and managed a 4th and a 3rd to end the day 4th. One of the favourites coming into this World Championship, Japan 2023 Top Qualifier Simon Kurzbuch, didn’t have the day he was looking for finding himself in P5 and with work to do for tomorrow. Celebrating his birthday today, drivers from the 16 nations racing at these Worlds singing Happy Birthday to him at the end of the opening ceremony, British driver Alex Thurston made it three Mugen MRX7s in the Top 6.

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November 17, 2025

Serpent X25 Link Suspension Upgrade Set

Serpent has released this Link Suspension Upgrade Set for their X25 1:10 Electric Touring Car. The set is designed to give racers finer and more accurate caster adjustment. It has also been engineered to ensures no suspension binding, giving a smoother, more consistent response across every driving condition.

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November 13, 2025

Serpent Viper 990R 1:8 Onroad

One of 1:8 Onroad racing’s most historic brands, Serpent has revealed its latest race chassis, the Viper 990R. Built on their successful 990 EVO, the 990R features an all-new chassis, redesigned fuel tank and upgraded rear bulkheads. Designed by Michael Salven. the car also gets improved rear anti-roll bar mounts, a new bumper, and a redesigned gearbox shaft. Serpent, who will be represented at the upcoming IFMAR 1:8 Onroad World Championship in Chile by Andrea Catanzani, has made a slight redesign to the chassis shape to enhance flex characteristics and improve handling. The rear section is now stiffer, achieved by eliminating the cut under the rear suspension arms and removing the weight hole beneath the engine. Additionally, the new chassis features a second servo saver position, offering greater Ackermann adjustment options for even more precise steering performance. The most noticeable update on the 990R is the new fuel tank. In line with current trends of placing the battery underneath the tank, they have designed a spacious fuel tank that provides ample room beneath it to accommodate larger batteries, eliminating the need to raise the tank for battery installation. At the rear of the car new bulkheads are now easier to assemble, with the two rearmost screws much more accessible for quicker and more convenient maintenance. At the front Serpent have reworked the bumper aiming to make it stiffer, but at the same time be ably to use different carbon stiffeners and outward body supports.

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September 18, 2025

Catanzani is GT Worlds Top Qualifier as sterling Mazzeo effort just comes up short

Serpent’s Andrea Catanzani is the Top Qualifier at the IFMAR 1:8 GT World Championships in Chile, qualifying coming to thrilling climax at the Club de Aeromodelos de Chile track after a sterling effort in the final qualifier by Raptor’s Alessio Mazzeo. After taking three of yesterday’s four qualifying rounds, Catanzani held the overnight TQ from Q1 winner Mazzeo who needed to TQ today’s two remaining rounds to deny his fellow Italian pole position for Friday’s 1-hour final. Rising to the challenge by ticking the first box and topping Q5, the 33-year now needed to not only TQ the sixth & final qualifier but also to better Catanzani’s Q4 time. With engine his sponsor Gimar fitting a new engine for Q6, Mazzeo earlier saying they had nothing to lose, he put together a brilliant drive and as the 7-minutes started to come to a close it looked like he was about to pull off the impressive feat, his projected time just ahead of Catanzani’s best. It wasn’t to be however, Mazzeo’s engine going lean right at the end and losing power, costing vital 1/10ths of a second. Still taking the TQ for the round and forcing the tiebreaker, unfortunately he was 6/10ths of second short with Catanzani, who has struggled today, securing the honour of Top Qualifier for the 3rd running of the GT World Championships 2-years on from when he announced the arrival of his talent on international stage at the GT Worlds in Sydney. Behind the fight for the TQ there was also a battle for the order of the other two direct spots in the final, Super Pole no longer a thing. It would be Natanaele Senesi who got the better of Alex D’Angelo concluding qualifying with his fastest run that gave him a P2. With it an all Italian Top 4, best of the rest at the end of qualifying in Santiago would be Brazilian WIRC driver Elias Flavio who will lead away one of the Semi Finals while Raptor driver Carli Lopez from Puerto Rico starts on pole in the other Semi.

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