31 August 2017
Maranello, 31 August 2017 - The FIA World Endurance Championship is back on track next weekend in Mexico City with the fifth of its nine scheduled races. As usual, there will be four Ferrari 488 GTEs competing on the circuit named after the brothers Pedro and Ricardo Rodriguez, two in the GTE-Pro class and two in the GTE-Am.
GTE-Pro. In the GTE-Pro class, Ferrari embarks upon the intercontinental part of the season tied on points with Ford in the constructors' championship but ahead by dint of more victories. In the last round at the Nürburgring, the 488 GTE no. 51 won with James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi, while the twin car of Davide Rigon and Toni Vilander was hit by a technical problem, taking just half a point. In Mexico Sam Bird will rejoin Rigon. Calado and Pier Guidi are also best placed in the standings, 22 points behind championship leaders Andy Priaulx and Henry Tincknell (Ford). Rigon is 23.5 points in arrears and Bird 24.
GTE-Am. It's all square in the GTE-Am class drivers' standings, with Matteo Cairoli, Marvin Dienst and Christian Ried (Porsche) level on 88 points with Keita Sawa, Matt Griffin and Weng Sun Mok of Clearwater Racing (Ferrari). Mathias Lauda, Pedro Lamy and Paul Dalla Lana (Aston Martin) are just two points behind, so the battle is wide open.
The track. The historic Mexico City circuit is over 2,000 metres above sea level, offering unique racing conditions that last year did no favours to Ferrari, which struggled to find any speed on the straights. The weather is also unpredictable, with sudden changes in conditions and temperatures. After Friday's free practice, the qualifiers are scheduled for 5:50 pm (0:50 am CET) on Saturday, while the race will start on Sunday at 12 pm (7 pm CET). In Mexico Ferrari has just one victory in closed-wheel racing to its name. This dates back to 1961 when Pedro Rodriguez won at the wheel of a 250 GT California in a race that didn't count towards the world championship.