Ferrari 488 GTEs at Portimão for round two of FIA WEC

Four Ferrari 488 GTEs will line up for the 6 Hours of Portimão, the second event of the FIA World Endurance Championship 2023, over the weekend of 15 and 16 April. Ferrari official drivers Davide Rigon, Daniel Serra, Lilou Wadoux and Alessio Rovera will feature in the LMGTE Am class for professional and gentlemen drivers. The two Ferrari 499Ps will line up on the grid in the same event in the top Hypercar category. After qualifying for the production-derived cars, the programme will culminate on Friday, 15 April, from 3.30 p.m. with the race on Sunday, 16, from 12 p.m. (all times are local).

LMGTE Am. Drivers appreciate the 4.684-kilometre, 16-turn Autódromo Internacional do Algarve for its medium-high speeds, gradient changes, and technical complexity. In this setting, the number 83 Ferrari 488 GTE returns to the spotlight in Portugal after an unfortunate debut at the 1000 Miles of Sebring, when an accident in the early stages forced the Richard Mille AF Corse team to retire. Lilou Wadoux and Alessio Rovera, flanked by Luís Pérez Companc, will try to score their first championship points. 

After a third place in the US, Daniel Serra, Japan's Takeshi Kimura and the USA's Scott Huffaker come to Portimão on a high. They will drive in the colours of Kessel Racing. The Brazilian driver has racked up some impressive results on the Portuguese track. In the only previous world championship race, the 8 Hours of the FIA WEC in 2021, Serra finished runner-up in the LMGTE Pro class with Miguel Molina. 

The multiple title-winning AF Corse team’s two cars round off the Prancing Horse quartet. Simon Mann, Ulysse de Pauw and Diego Alessi – that is replacing Stefano Costantini - will drive the 488 GTE number 21. The number 54 in VistaJet silver livery will be crewed by Thomas Flohr (the Swiss driver claimed third place in class in the Algarve event in 2021), Francesco Castellacci and Davide Rigon. 

The calendar. After the 6 Hours of Portimão, the World Endurance Championship will continue with a race over the same distance at Spa-Francorchamps (29 April), followed by the 24 Hours of Le Mans (10-11 June), the 6 Hours of Monza (9 July), the 6 Hours of Fuji (10 September) and the 8 Hours of Bahrain (4 November).