At the revamped Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, which welcomed over 35,000 spectators over the weekend, Alessandro Pier Guidi, Alessio Rovera, and Vincent Abril, at the wheel of the AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors number 51 296 GT3, secured third place overall and second in the Pro class after a closely fought contest in the fourth round of the GT World Challenge Europe – Endurance Cup. The two official Prancing Horse drivers now sit second in the overall Endurance Cup standings, just three points off the top ahead of the final event in Jeddah at the end of November.
Unfortunately, the sister car, number 71, driven by official drivers Yifei Ye, Thomas Neubauer, and David Vidales, was compromised by an exhaust manifold issue before reaching the grid, finishing in 34th place.
In the Bronze class, the best result for the Maranello cars came from Sky Tempesta Racing’s number 93, driven by Eddie Cheever, Jonathan Hui, and Christopher Froggatt, who finished fourth in class and twelfth overall. With this result, Hui and Cheever now lead the class standings.
The race. Pro class. With a stunning comeback in the final laps, Alessandro Pier Guidi took the number 51 Ferrari 296 GT3 to the third step of the overall podium, following an exciting race that was affected by numerous Full Course Yellow and Safety Car periods, which put the team strategies to the test. Starting from pole position, the AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors car maintained the lead throughout the first stint, driven by a determined Alessio Rovera, and during the second stint with Vincent Abril at the wheel. In the chaotic final phase, after the final pit stop, Pier Guidi found himself chasing, but thanks to a brilliant recovery, he finished just behind the top two, securing second place in the Pro class and setting the fastest lap of the race with a time of 1’44”593 on lap 85 of the 87 completed.
After a difficult start due to the exhaust manifold issue, which kept the number 71 296 GT3 in the pits for the first 15 minutes, Ye, Neubauer, and Vidales managed a consistent race, finishing 34th overall and 17th in the Pro class.
Bronze class. Among the five cars of the Maranello manufacturer competing in this class, the best result came from Sky Tempesta Racing’s number 93, driven by Cheever, Hui, and Froggatt, who skilfully brought home a fourth-place finish, securing the top spot in the overall Endurance class standings.
David Fumanelli, Niccolò Schirò, and Nicolò Rosi finished sixth in the Bronze class with the number 8 Kessel Racing car, ahead of the number 333 Rinaldi Racing car, driven by Christian Hook, David Perel, and Felipe Fernandez Laser. The race for AF Corse’s number 52 driven by Louis and Jef Machiels and official Prancing Horse driver Andrea Bertolini ended early due to an off-track incident involving Jef midway through, which dashed their promising second-place start. Even more unfortunate was the race for Kessel Racing’s other car, number 74, driven by Ashish Patel, Ben Tuck and Alex Fontana, who were forced to retire after a collision on the opening lap.