After the season debut of the Ferrari 499P and 296 LMGT3 in the FIA WEC and in the run-up to the beginning of the main international championships that will see the Maranello-based manufacturer’s production-derived cars fielded, Ferrari unveils the programme of official drivers who will be key competitors in 2024. Among the new developments is the debut of Thomas Neubauer, who will be racing a 296 GT3 in the GT World Challenge Europe - Endurance Cup.
WEC. In the Hypercar top class, the Ferrari - AF Corse team is entrusting 499P numbers 50 and 51 respectively to Antonio Fuoco-Miguel Molina-Nicklas Nielsen and Alessandro Pier Guidi-James Calado-Antonio Giovinazzi; The AF Corse team is taking part with car number 83 and Prancing Horse official drivers Yifei Ye and Robert Shwartzman, together with Robert Kubica.
Official drivers Davide Rigon and Alessio Rovera will be in the spotlight with the Ferrari 296 LMGT3 entered by the Vista AF Corse team. The former, together with Thomas Flohr and Francesco Castellacci, makes up crew number 54; the second, with François Heriau and Simon Mann, will race in car number 55.
IMSA. n the most important series on American soil, Rigon and Daniel Serra remain key players in the Endurance Cup, at the wheel of Risi Competizione’s 296 GT3, in the GTD Pro class. In the GTD class endurance tests, Fuoco shares the 296 GT3 of Cetilar Racing with Roberto Lacorte and Giorgio Sernagiotto; Rovera is competing in Triarsi Competizione’s 296 GT3 together with Onofrio Triarsi and Charles Scardina; Molina will be at the starting line in the same car, entered by AF Corse, with Simon Mann and François Heriau.
GT WC Endurance Cup. The championship, which in addition to the European legs – Paul Ricard, 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, Nürburgring, Monza – this year includes an unprecedented final round in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), sees the official Ferrari driver debut of Thomas Neubauer in the AF Corse - Francorchamps Motors 296 GT3 shared with Vincent Abril and David Vidales. The three official drivers Pier Guidi, Rigon and Rovera (both competing for the overall victory) are competing in the sister car. Development driver Andrea Bertolini, meanwhile, is at the start in the Bronze class with Louis and Jef Machiels driving the 296 GT3 of AF Corse. The season will start in France on 7 April.
Other championship. In the European Le Mans Series, Rigon will be racing the Ferrari 296 LMGT3 of the GR Racing with Mike Wainwright and Riccardo Pera, Serra with Kessel Racing in a crew with Takeshi Kimura and Esteban Masson, and Nielsen with the Formula Racing team together with Johnny and Conrad Laursen. The championship will start in Barcelona on 14 April.
Lilou Wadoux will take part in the Japanese Super GT at the wheel of the Ponos Racing Ferrari 296 GT3, forming an unprecedented crew – in the GT300 class – together with expert Kei Cozzolino over the eight races to be held on six different circuits; the first event is in Okayama on 13–14 April. In 2024, Wadoux will also take part in the IMSA endurance tests with LMP2 prototypes.
In the Italian GT Endurance Championship, Arthur Leclerc makes his debut at the wheel of the 296 GT3 run by the Baldini team – which is defending the Drivers’ and Team titles won in 2023; For the 23-year-old Monegasque, Development Driver for Scuderia Ferrari as well as Charles’ brother, this is his racing debut in production-derived cars following his experience in single-seaters and three years in the Ferrari Driver Academy. The season-opener will be contested at Vallelunga on 16 June.