Ferrari celebrates five titles with the 296 GT3 in Jeddah

The Ferrari 296 GT3 concluded the GT World Challenge Europe – Endurance Cup season in the best possible way, amassing titles on the Jeddah circuit. A third-place finish at the end of the six-hour race secured the overall championship victory in the Endurance standings for Alessandro Pier Guidi and Alessio Rovera, with the support of Davide Rigon, who had missed the Monza round. AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors also triumphed in the most prestigious category for Teams. It was a memorable season for the number 51 car, which claimed podium finishes in three of the five races, including at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the 3 Hours of Monza, and in Saudi Arabia.

A perfect evening in Jeddah also brought Ferrari the Drivers’ and Team titles in the Bronze category, with the crew of the number 93 Sky Tempesta Racing car – Jonathan Hui, Christopher Froggatt, and Eddie Cheever – delivering a solid and consistent season, culminating in a sixth-place finish on the streets of Saudi Arabia. Having also won the Sprint Cup, Cheever and Hui secured the combined title in the Bronze class of the GT World Challenge (the latter provisional until the appeal window is closed regarding the Barcelona Race 1 result).

Roll of honour. For Alessandro Pier Guidi, this marks his third drivers’ title in the Endurance Cup of the GT World Challenge Europe, following his successes in 2020 (individually) and 2021 (alongside Nicklas Nielsen and Côme Ledogar). For Alessio Rovera, it represents his first triumph in the category. Rigon did not reach the top step of the podium, as he missed the Italian race due to a scheduling conflict with an IMSA series event.

The 296 GT3 continues to enrich its list of triumphs, now boasting 8 Team titles and 12 Drivers’ titles since its competitive debut in January 2023. Among the standout achievements in 2024 were victories in the Italian GT Endurance Championship with Fisichella, A. Leclerc, and Mosca driving for Scuderia Baldini, as well as the Drivers’ standings success of Balzan and Kurzejewski in the Le Mans Cup. These extraordinary results will be celebrated in Maranello this December during the Endurance Award Ceremony.

The race. The number 51 296 GT3 started from pole position, leading authoritatively in the first hour with Rovera at the wheel, before losing ground due to issues during the initial pit stop. The middle stages saw Pier Guidi and Rigon mount a comeback, returning to the top positions. In the final 20 minutes, Pier Guidi made three decisive overtakes, securing both the podium finish and the titles. The sister car, number 71, driven by Thomas Neubauer, Vincent Abril, and David Vidales, endured a race in the midfield, finishing 21st overall and 15th in the Pro class, affected by a spin in the closing stages.

In the Bronze category, the best-placed 296 GT3 at the finish was the number 52 AF Corse car of Louis Machiels, Jef Machiels, and Andrea Bertolini, which finished fourth after starting from the pit lane. Sixth place for Sky Tempesta Racing was enough for Hui, Froggatt, and Cheever to celebrate their titles and secure a guaranteed invitation to next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The other two Ferraris in the race were forced to retire. An accident took the number 8 Kessel Racing car of Nicolò Rosi, Niccolò Schirò, and David Fumanelli out of contention, while the number 333 Rinaldi Racing car of Christian Hook, David Perel, and Felipe Fernandez Laser suffered a puncture.