The Ferrari crews for the LMGTE Pro class of the 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season have been officially announced. Old and new faces will take the wheel of two 488 GTEs fielded by AF Corse.
Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado will again take the wheel of car no. 51. In their fourth world championship season, the crew will launch an assault on the title, looking to repeat their 2017 win. “I can’t wait to get started,” said James Calado, “It’s going to be six hard-fought races against the Porsche crews. We saw last year that we are capable of winning both individual races and the championship, and so we’ll try to do everything in our power to claim the drivers’ and constructors’ titles for Ferrari again”.
“Given that we’ll be competing with Porsche for the title”, echoed Alessandro Pier Guidi, “I hope that the Balance of Performance can be revised from last year, to allow us to fight on equal terms, for the benefit of the show on the track. From our side, we have the advantage of stability and harmony within the team, and good competitiveness on all tracks. Therefore, we are setting off to try to win the title. It’s not the number of cars that determines a championship's level, quite the contrary. With fewer cars at the start, a zero in the ranking could be decisive for the final outcome”. The third driver for the rounds involving them will be announced later.
The second AF Corse crew has a new number and new line-up. Spanish driver Miguel Molina and Brazilian Daniel Serra will share wheel in car no. 52. The two-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in particular, is eager to start the new series. “My goal was to race in the WEC,” commented Serra, “and I am delighted to be heading into the 2021 season. I know the team and my teammate very well, and I think we can do well together. I’m preparing myself as best as I can to be ready when the season kicks off”.
“I’m delighted to be back in the WEC after my first full season, which was very useful for gaining experience”, said Miguel Molina. “The championship is very competitive, and I’m satisfied with what I achieved. I’m happy to share the 488 GTE with Daniel because he is so fast and we have a great relationship. I also want to thank Davide because in these years he has been an exemplary teammate. I have had the chance to learn a lot from him, and he has pushed me to improve”. Davide Rigon, who has been involved in the world championship since 2016, will join the pair in the long-distance races, seeking to win the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup and Asian Le Mans Series titles. In addition to his on-track duties in the GT world, he is confirmed in his role as simulator driver for Scuderia Ferrari, which he has held since 2014.