Three Ferraris and Valentino Rossi line up at the Gulf 12 Hours

The Gulf 12 Hours will this weekend raise the curtain on the 2021 competitive-racing season at the Sakhir track. After the success achieved in Pro-Am class by the Monster VR46 Kessel-run Ferrari 488 GT3, driven by nine-time motorcycling racing champion Valentino Rossi, Luca Marini and Alessio Salucci, the trio will seek to replicate the feat against very stiff competition, some of whom will also be racing aboard Prancing Horse machinery. Monster VR46 Kessel's 488 GT3 Evo 2020 will be flanked by two Kessel Racing entries featuring the 2020 set-up, crewed by Alessandro Cutrera, Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio, Marco Frezza and Nicola Cadei, in Pro-Am class, while in the Gentleman class, driving chores at the wheel of the #27 will be handled by Ferrari Challenge Europe champion Emanuele Maria Tabacchi, Murat Cuhadaroglu, Francesco Zollo and David Fumanelli.

The tenth edition of one of the most important motorsport events in the Middle East got underway today with the first free practice, which saw the Rossi / Marini / Salucci entry holding third place, second in Pro-Am class and the two Kessel-run Ferraris #27 and #8 in sixth and ninth places.

Qualifying will kick off tomorrow at 17:00 local time. On Sunday, the first part of the race, lasting six hours, will commence at 09:30, while the second and final part will get underway at 17:30 with the chequered flag unfurled at 23:30.