Barcelona 02 October 2022
Ferrari celebrated with two titles at the 3 Hours of Barcelona, the final round of the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS and the closing act of the Endurance Cup. In the overall standings, AF Corse claimed the top honours for the Pro Am class teams, while Andrea Bertolini, Louis Machiels and Stefano Costantini became champions among the Pro Am drivers in the Endurance Cup. Antonio Fuoco, second across the finish line in the Iron Lynx-run 488 GT3 Evo 2020, saw his dream of winning a maiden Endurance Cup drivers' championship slip away by just two points.
Pro. On the Catalan circuit, crowded with passionate fans, the Iron Lynx no. 71 Ferrari got the race underway from pole position, with Alessandro Pier Guidi producing a quality first stint that allowed him to edge away from his pursuers. On the following lap Alessio Rovera climbed to second position, before handing the baton over to Antonio Fuoco with 58 minutes still to go on the clock. Fuoco, thanks to a swift pit-stop, re-entered the track as leader, but over the subsequent laps the leadership contenders found themselves bogged down in traffic. The situation was to benefit the Dinamic Motorsport Porsche most with an overcut that allowed Matteo Cairoli to take the lead and fend off attacks from the Maranello manufacturer's driver, who would finish just 8 tenths-of-a-second behind. The other Iron Lynx entry, the no. 51 handled by Giancarlo Fisichella, Nicklas Nielsen and Miguel Molina, started from the last row of the grid, but the 15 positions clawed back in the opening laps proved insufficient to get beyond 20th place overall.
Gold Cup. Only bad luck could put the brakes on the Iron Dames' charge aboard the no. 83 488 GT3 Evo 2020, which started from pole position in the class and, thanks to two flawless stints by Sarah Bovy and Michelle Gatting, was able to forge a gap over their rivals. An unexpected twist arose 42 minutes from the finish, when a gearbox issue forced Rahel Frey to pull the car in the fuchsia-coloured livery over to the side of the track, prompting a Safety Car entrance. In the same class, AF Corse’s no. 21 Ferrari crewed by Hugo Delacour, Alessandro Balzan and Cedric Sbirrazzuoli also failed to make it past the chequered flag.
Pro Am Cup. The greatest satisfaction from Barcelona came in the class made up of pro drivers and gentlemen, with third place for Andrea Bertolini, Louis Machiels and Stefano Costantini in the AF Corse-run 488 GT3 Evo 2020 enough to secure the Pro Am drivers’ title in the trophy dedicated to long distance racing, with a 17-point margin over the runners-up. For Bertolini, the official Competizioni GT driver, this is a tenth international career title, while Machiels takes his tally of personal titles to five. AF Corse wins the overall Pro Am class team table, 24 points clear of the nearest second-placed rivals.