The 488 GTE’s epic run in the World Endurance Championship drew to a close with the AF Corse-run number 54 Ferrari, courtesy of the trio of Thomas Flohr, Francesco Castellacci and Davide Rigon, which completes the season in third place overall in the drivers’ standings thanks to a fourth-place finish in the 8 Hours of Bahrain. The crew, fresh off the back of their triumph at the 6 Hours of Fuji, finished ahead of Kessel Racing’s number 57 Ferrari, which was fifth past the chequered flag.
Takeshi Kimura, Esteban Masson and Daniel Serra finished just 1"7 from the representatives of the Piacenza-based team at the end of a solid race despite very tough conditions due to the heat. Ninth position went to the Richard Mille AF Corse car crewed by Louis Perez Companc, Alessio Rovera and Lilou Wadoux, whose race was affected by contact in the early stages which resulted in a penalty for the team.
It was still a positive season for the winners of the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, with the trio scoring fewer points than the potential they displayed during the race. Lilou Wadoux, the first woman to win an FIA WEC race, will take part in tomorrow’s Rookie Test at the wheel of the 499P that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The second AF Corse car, the number 21 crewed by Franck Dezoteux, Simon Mann and Kei Cozzolino, finished 11th.
With this race, one year after the last LMGTE Pro class outing, the curtain also fell on the LMGTE Am class and, with it, the 488 GTE’s World Endurance Championship career. The Maranello car has 29 victories, 17 in the Pro class and 12 in the Am class out of 51 starts, amassing four manufacturer’s titles (2016, 2017, 2021, 2022), three driver’s titles in the Pro class and three in the Am, three team titles in the Pro class and another three in the Am.