24 stories for 2014 (13) – Gianmaria Bruni and Nelson Panciatici, repeat offenders

 

Photo : Sebastien BASSANI (ACO)

 

Last year, to increase its chances for a title in the LM GTE Pro class of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the AF Corse team, official Ferrari representative, dissolved the Gianmaria Bruni/Giancarlo Fisichella driver line-up at the last round of the season at Bahrain. His victory, along with the Finn Toni Vilander, allowed Bruni to win solo the first GT Driver Endurance World Cup with three victories. In 2014, he again won three times in LM GTE Pro in a duo with Vilander, namely reuniting with the top step on the podium at Le Mans, with a third class win after 2008 and 2012. All to solidify his status among the best GT drivers in the world, and there is no doubt he will once again be a big favourite of the 2015 season. At 33 years of age, he still has great years ahead of him.

Nelson Panciatici also continued his momentum in the ELMS, still with Signatech Alpine. Title-winner in 2013 with Pierre Ragues, the French driver welcomed two new teammates in 2014: his fellow countryman Paul-Loup Chatin and the Brit Oliver Webb. For the Alpine A450b, the 2014 ELMS season was as solid as in 2013: a win, a consistent presence in the top 5 in the four other rounds and, once again, the two driver and team titles. After such success, and also a nice third place finish in the LM P2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the next logical step in Signatech Alpine's ascension, as for Panciatici, will be to join the LM P2 group of the FIA WEC. Will that be the case? Time will tell…

Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO

Photo: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), PLACE DE LA REPUBLIQUE, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, MONDAY JUNE 9 2014, TECHNICAL & ADMINISTRATIVE VERIFICATIONS. With three class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and two Endurance Driver World Cups, Gianmaria Bruni is definitely one of the top GT drivers racing today.