The Asian Le Mans Series season kicks off this weekend in Dubai. The calendar is concentrated into four races over two rounds, the second of which follows closely on 19 and 20 February at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi.
A total of 23 cars representing nine teams will compete in the GT class, with the top three from the final standings receiving an invitation to the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the Circuit de la Sarthe in June.
Five Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020s will participate in the two opening races in Dubai, each lasting four hours, at a circuit finally open to the public again.
AF Corse and Kessel Racing will field two Ferraris apiece. Louis Prette, Vincent Abril and Conrad Grunewald will be on track in the Piacenza-based team’s number 17 car. At the same time, Alessandro Pier Guidi, recent winner of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, Francesco Piovanetti and Victor Gomez will take turns at the wheel of the number 51.
The Polish Michael Broniszewski, David Fumanelli and Mikkel Jensen will drive Kessel Racing’s number 74 car, while Roman Ziemian, Francesco Zollo and Axcil Jefferies will crew the number 57 in the GT Am class.
Rinaldi Racing will deploy the last of five Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020s on the track, with David Perel driving the number 55 along with two Italians, Rino Mastronardi and Davide Rigon, who in the GT class last season finished the championship in third position.
Programme. After Friday’s free practice, the Dubai event will open with the GT qualifying session scheduled for Saturday 12 February at 9.40 a.m. and with Race-1 at 4.30 p.m., also on Saturday (duration four hours). Race-2 qualifying is scheduled for the same day, at 10.40 a.m. The race itself will set off on Sunday 13 February at 5.30 p.m. (four hours). All times are local.