World champions Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado won the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, round two of the FIA World Endurance Championship, while teammates Miguel Molina and Antonio Fuoco took the third step of the podium.
The race was full of twists and turns, mainly due to the weather, which, as forecast and as tradition has it, shuffled the pack. The rain made driving skills and strategy count for more than the pure performance of the cars, partially nullifying the pros and cons of the Balance of Performance. As often happens, the Ferrari crews and pit wall made the difference in the difficult conditions, allowing the Maranello marque to claim its first triumph of the season.
The race featured three red flags and numerous Safety Car phases due to the vast amounts of water on the track and the many accidents and run-offs, fortunately harmless. After the second hour, the Ferraris took the lead with the 488 GTE driven by Miguel Molina ahead of the twin car, then driven by Alessandro Pier Guidi, with the Italian overtaking the number 92 Porsche on wet asphalt. Earlier, the two Maranello cars struggled to keep pace with the leaders in the dry. At the end, with a dry track, James Calado – who had inherited top spot from Fuoco while the latter made a quick pit stop during a Full Course Yellow – used all his experience, speed and talent to defend the lead from the attacks of the number 92 Porsche. The world champion successfully countered his rival’s every attempt and crossed the finish line victorious.
Miguel Molina and Antonio Fuoco took third place after a superb performance. The Spaniard was outstanding when conditions were toughest, while the Italian was damaged by a lapping that robbed him of the chance to take a well-deserved second place.
The Ferraris had a tricky race in the LMGTE Am class, but AF Corse’s number 54 488 GTE performed well, with Thomas Flohr, Francesco Castellacci and Nick Cassidy fourth after a fantastic comeback.