Ferrari on front row at 6 Hours of Fuji

Two 488 GTEs will start from second position in the LMGTE Pro and LMGTE Am classes at the 6 Hours of Fuji, round five of the FIA WEC World Championship, which sets off at 11am tomorrow. James Calado and Sarah Bovy posted the second fastest times in their respective categories in qualifying at the historic Japanese circuit. The session saw many crews bunched together within a few hundredths on a dry track with an asphalt temperature of 41°C and air temperature of 27°C. 

LMGTE Pro. James Calado in the number 51 488 GTE turned in a time of 1’36’’566, only 195 thousandths off the pole position of Michael Christensen in a Porsche. The other AF Corse car, number 52, driven by Miguel Molina, finished fourth, 480 thousandths behind the leader. The Briton, reigning world champion with Alessandro Pier Guidi, completed five laps, the same distance as his teammate. 

LMGTE Am. The number 85 Ferrari 488 GTE of the Iron Dames’ all-female crew, who took a historic pole position in the last round at Monza, confirmed their status as one of the favourites. Sarah Bovy claimed second place with an excellent 1’39’’371, just sixty-two thousandths behind Ben Keating's Aston Martin. The other Maranello cars competing in Japan also performed well. Franck Dezoteux was third in the number 71 of Spirit of Race, while Thomas Flohr and Christoph Ulrich came eighth and eleventh, respectively, in AF Corse's 488 GTEs. Claudio Schiavoni was thirteenth in the colours of Iron Lynx.

Programme. The cars will take to the track for the fifth round of the World Endurance Championship late tomorrow morning, lining up on the starting grid at the circuit on the slopes of Mount Fuji. The lights will go off at the stroke of 11am.