Top-Five Finishes for Ferrari at Sebring

Ferrari continued its competitive weekend at the 12 Hours of Sebring by placing its cars in the top five of both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD Pro and GTD classes. 

Ferrari began the once-around-the-clock event from the pole position in both categories, and all seven entries ran atop the charts and persevered the bumpy Sebring circuit.

GTD Pro. The trio of Albert Costa, Giacomo Altoe and factory driver Davide Rigon finished fourth amongst GTD Pro competitors. They also earned points to finish in the top-five of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup after an event that saw the Ferrari 296 GT3 at various positions on the leaderboard throughout the 12-hour race. 

Altoe, who joined the team after the 24 Hours of Daytona, will partner with Sebring polesitter, Albert Costa, for the remainder of the WeatherTech Championship season. 

GTD. In the GTD class, Inception Racing survived an up-and-down day to finish highest of the Ferrari 296 GT3s in fourth place. Brendan Iribe, Ollie Millroy and Frederik Schandorff powered through contact with multiple competitors throughout the race and look to bring momentum into the rest of the team’s first full season with the Italian brand.

Conquest Racing – with factory driver Daniel Serra, Manny Franco and Cedric Sbirrazzuoli behind the wheel – was poised for a podium finish, if not for a last-minute pit stop for fuel. The trio ran solidly in the top 10 at Sebring and ultimately finished seventh.

The pole-sitting AF Corse entry earned valuable points towards the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup, but unfortunately fell victim to the grueling trials and turns of Sebring. Factory driver Alessandro Pier Guidi started first and – alongside fellow factory driver Lilou Wadoux Ducellier and Simon Mann – kept the team’s 296 GT3 inside the top-five for the majority of the race. 

With less than four hours remaining, however, Wadoux was forced to pull off track for an early end to the day. Despite the result, the trio of drivers scored the most points in-class for two of the three IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup marks, adding to their total from Daytona. 

The Triarsi Competizione crew were dealt numerous struggles with its two 296 GT3 entries, finishing just outside the top 10 in-class. The No. 021 Ferrari of Sheena Monk, Stevan McAleer and Mike Skeen fought for contention before contact in the third-to-final hour caused damage that required repairs on pit lane.

The second entry for Triarsi suffered controversial damage within the opening hour at Sebring at the hands of a faster GTP class competitor. The quicker car ran into the back of Charles Scardina in the No. 023 and sent the Ferrari nose first into the concrete barriers. Scardina – who shared the car with Onofrio Triarsi and factory driver Alessio Rovera – walked away from the site, while the GTP car was penalized for incident responsibility.

Cetilar Racing – with drivers Lorenzo Patrese, Giorgio Sernagiotto and factory driver Antonio Fuoco – was also poised for a positive performance at Sebring, but after running in the top-five, the team pulled its 296 GT3 off track just past two hours in the contest.

The next round for full-season WeatherTech Championship GTD competitors is scheduled for the April 11 - 12 at the Grand Prix of Long Beach. For the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup challengers, a hiatus awaits before returning to track at Watkins Glen International on June 19 - 22.

Giacomo Altoe, #81 DragonSpeed 296 GT3: “First of all I want to thank DragonSpeed to welcome me for Sebring and for the rest of the season. It’s been a great collaboration so far and I really like to work with this group of professional people. The season is looking strong.

“Unfortunately this P4 was the maximum today, so of course we are not happy. But we have to be proud because we really did our best and maximized every situation we could to jump some positions.”

Ollie Millroy, #70 Inception Racing 296 GT3: “It was really tough, but Sebring is always like this, it’s never plain sailing really. At one point, we were last, so to end up fourth was pretty good. We probably didn’t have the pace of the Mercedes and the Aston in front of us, so I think this is what we could have hoped for. If you had offered us this three hours from the end, we probably would have taken it.

“We got maximum points for the Akin Trophy for Brendan (Iribe) as the Bronze driver. We scored some points at the four-hour for the Endurance Cup as well, so it was a pretty solid day. We’re happy, well as happy as you can be finishing fourth.”

Cedric Sbirrazzuoli, #34 Conquest Racing 296 GT3: “We’re obviously disappointed. When you’re on the podium at the Sebring 12 Hours and 30 seconds from the end, and you have to refuel, it’s quite painful. We did what we had to do. We were a bit unlucky with the fuel and it is what it is, onto the next one.”

Lilou Wadoux Ducellier, #21 AF Corse 296 GT3: “The car was really fast in the beginning of the race and we were in a good place. The car looked really nice and since the beginning of the week, we were on the game. We knew that. 

“At the end, we have to take the positive things – we were there, we were fast, and I hope we will be back in Watkins Glen with a better result. It’s not easy, the beginning of the season for us, but we will push and try to do good for the end of the season.”

Giorgio Sernagiotto, #47 Cetilar Racing 296 GT3: “The car was so fast. It was so easy to drive and the strategy was perfect. And that’s it, from one moment to another something happened and no way. There’s nothing we could do and we have no words to describe. I am sad because everything was there to do something really good.” 

Stevan McAleer, #021 Triarsi Competizione GT3: “It’s super disappointing. It’s two races in a row where were on the lead lap with an hour to go and feeling that we have a chance. I think both races we’ve not been the best car, but we’ve certainly been in the mix. 

“We’re learning this new Ferrari, Sheena did a great job today. It’s a bummer to have a mechanical issue to take us out. I feel sorry for JG Wentworth and Mike and Sheena and Randy, but we’ve just got to keep pushing. We’ve got Long Beach in a couple of weeks, and I think it will be well suited to the Ferrari. Obviously, we can’t wait to get Mike back in the car later in the season. We have to take some positives – new car, new team. We’ve been on the lead lap right until the end. It is a bummer to go out like this, but it is what it is.”

Alessio Rovera, #023 Triarsi Competizione 296 GT3: “To be here in Sebring for the 12 Hours is very special because it’s such an important race. To score a good result here was really important for us. Unluckily, we got hit by a GTP in the rear and Charlie had a massive accident. Luckily, he was not hurt, he is okay and that is the most important thing. But, we are out of the race.”