A wall of water, a cloud of particles suspended in the air, two thin red lines becoming increasingly defined as the odometer rises and the heart-rate with it, the roar of the engine, the rhythm of the windscreen wipers, the colour of the trees, the details of the track and the breathtaking idea of overtaking around the outside on one of the most perilous corners of the Spa-Francorchamps track.
Snapshots from inside Alessandro Pier Guidi's helmet, nine minutes and thirty-five seconds from the end of the 24-hour slog, in a manoeuvre that has been described as one of the most stunning in the history of endurance racing; unquestionably ‘the overtake of the year'. A feat in which courage, determination, the will to win and extreme driving sensibilities combined to shape a daring trajectory, perfectly executed by the 488 GT3 Evo 2020, increasingly becoming the benchmark in its category. The overtaking move was also made possible thanks the sportsmanship shown by Dries Vanthoor at the wheel of the WRT team-run Audi, who had duelled incessantly with Pier Guidi over the preceding hours. Were it not for the talent of the reigning champion, whose courage to drive on slicks on a track drenched by a downpour forty minutes from the end, and were it not for the added impetus of triumphing in one of the great classics still pending, we might well be telling a different tale today. But the beauty of motor racing is its ability to chronicle new pages with memorable sporting achievements. The signature of Alessandro Pier Guidi will remain indelibly stamped upon the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps along with his 2020 Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo.