296 LMGT3 takes first World Endurance Championship win in Japan
At the foot of Japan’s most famous, photographed and painted volcano, the Ferrari 296 LMGT3 achieved its first world championship victory. The win, secured during the 6 Hours of Fuji, the seventh round of the FIA WEC 2024, was claimed by Ferrari official driver Davide Rigon, alongside Thomas Flohr and Francesco Castellacci.
Above: the winning driver trio of (from left) Castellacci, Rigon and Flohr celebrate their victory at the 6 Hours of Fuji
The trio, sharing the number 54 Vista AF Corse car, crossed the line first on Sunday 15 September, bringing triumph to the car that debuted this year on the World Endurance Championship stage in the LMGT3 class, which is reserved for series-derived cars piloted by teams of professionals and gentleman drivers.
It was a sporting achievement that concluded a weekend in which Ferrari was the undisputed protagonist in the class, considering the pole position secured by the sister car, number 55, driven by Alessio Rovera, François Heriau, and Simon Mann, which subsequently finished sixth.
Above, from left: the number 55 car of Rovera, Herlau and Mann takes a pit stop; the winning number 54 car on its way to victory; its drivers on the podium; the number 55 car took an impressive sixth place
Ferrari's success at Fuji marks the 54th GT class victory for the Prancing Horse in the FIA WEC since its inception in 2012. Rigon-Flohr-Castellacci repeated their 2023 win, when they triumphed on the same track with the 488 GTE – the final world championship win for that car – which was replaced by the 296 LMGT3 in the 2024 season. For Flohr and Castellacci, it was their third victory at Fuji, following wins in 2023 and 2017, the latter achieved with driver Miguel Molina.
The eighth and final round of the FIA WEC will take place on 2 November in Bahrain, the traditional venue for the world championship season finale, where Ferrari will be hoping to repeat their impressive victory in Japan.