Le Mans, 24 hours to win: Kessel Racing

The Swiss team will line up for the 24 Hours of Le Mans with two Ferrari 488 GTE, twice the size of its 2022 contingent. It also has high podium ambitions after last year’s unfortunate race.

The team. Founded in 1971, a few miles from Lugano city centre, the Kessel Group has expanded its horizons over the years to become a benchmark in motorsport. The founder, Loris Kessel, was a versatile driver with some experience in Formula 1 as well as the great classics, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans. His son Ronnie now heads the company, which employs over 100 people.

Number 57 crew. The association between Kessel Racing and the driver Takeshi Kimura, founder of the Car Guy team, is continuing in 2023. He will be at the wheel of the 488 GTE with a different crew from last year when he finished outside the top ten. In this edition, Scott Huffaker and Daniel Serra will race alongside the Japanese driver. With three consecutive 12 Hours of Sebring victories, the young American joined Kessel Racing this season, competing in both the FIA World Endurance Championship and European Le Mans Series. In contrast, the Brazilian has been a Ferrari official driver since 2019, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans that year with James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi.

Number 74 crew. The Swiss team’s second crew is all-Japanese, with the experienced Kei Cozzolino at the wheel. He debuted at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2019 with Car Guy, finishing sixth before retiring in the 2020 race. The Italo-Japanese driver will race alongside Yorikatsu Tsujiko, and 42-year-old Naoki Yakomizo, a former Formula Nippon driver who has competed in the GT World Challenge Asia and Super GT. Like Cozzolino, he also has a title in the Asian Le Mans Series, claimed in 2013 driving a Ferrari 458 GTE.