The first round of the FIA WEC 2023 kicked off with qualifying for the 1000 Miles of Sebring just before the sun set over Florida skies, in the same conditions the crews will face in the race’s final stages. All the Ferrari 488 GTEs competing in the LMGTE Am class for professional and gentlemen drivers finished in the Top-10.
At the end of the fifteen-minute session, where the Bronze drivers had the job of trying to clock the best time, the number 83 of Richard Mille AF Corse was the fastest 488 GTE and will set off from fourth position. Argentine Luís Pérez Companc, who will share the car with Ferrari factory drivers Lilou Wadoux and Alessio Rovera in the race, turned in a time of 1’59”733, 0”784 behind the session leader Iron Dames.
AF Corse’s number 21 Ferrari will line up fifth, courtesy of the time set by Stefano Costantini, who will partner Simon Mann and Ulysse de Pauw in the endurance event. Kessel Racing’s 488 GTE will start from seventh on the grid thanks to the time recorded by Takeshi Kimura, who will partner Scott Huffaker and official driver Daniel Serra. The number 54 Ferrari of AF Corse, driven in Thursday afternoon’s session by Thomas Flohr, will start tenth. The Swiss driver will take part in the famous American race with Francesco Castellacci and official driver Davide Rigon.
The green flag for the 1000 Miles of Sebring, signalling the start of the FIA World Endurance Championship, will go up on Friday, 17 March, at 12pm (local time).