24h Le Mans
For the first time since the GTE Pro class was created, AF Corse is fielding three cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. A bigger commitment requires a sturdy driver line-up, justified by the extremely tough competition in the class. The new recruits are two Brazilians - Daniel Serra and Pipo Derani – and Italian Antonio Giovinazzi.
Daniel Serra is the son of Chicco Serra who drove for the Fittipaldi and Arrows Formula One teams in the eighties. Father and son share similar career paths. A few years apart, they were both stars of the very popular Brazilian stock car racing scene. Daniel honed his driving skills with Red Bull Racing, switching to GT from time to time, in Brazil, and in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
In 2017 he joined Aston Martin Racing for the British marque’s WEC campaign. He and teammates Darren Turner and Jonathan Adam won the LMGTE Pro class, beating his present colleague Pipo Derani to first place.
Like Serra, Luís Felipe Derani, aka Pipo, is from Sao Paolo. However, where Serra cut his racing teeth at home, Derani headed straight for Europe to see how he measured up to the rising stars of single-seaters. British and German Formula Three including the Zandvoort and Macau Masters was a rewarding learning experience. In 2012 he finished sixth on the urban circuit in Macau, between Felipe Nasr and Carlos Sainz Jr.
He entered endurance racing in 2014 via the European Le Mans Series with Murphy Prototypes. From then on, his career took off and he went from strength to strength in the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA. At 24, he has already won the 24 Hours of Daytona (2016) and the 12 Hours of Sebring twice (2016, 2018). This is Derani’s fourth Le Mans. He finished second in LMGTE Pro last year with Ford Chip Ganassi.
Approached by AF Corse, he jumped at the chance to race Le Mans 24 Hours with Ferrari. “I’m delighted to join AF Corse for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It’s going to be a dream come true for me because I’ve idolised Ferrari since I was a child. It’s an absolute legend. My father is a great fan of the marque and my whole family is so proud. I’m throwing my heart and soul into this campaign and I appreciate working with such a professional, dedicated group of people. I’m so grateful for this fantastic opportunity."
Serra will be racing the 86th 24 Hours of Le Mans with the #51 Ferrari 488 GTE EVO he shares with James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi. Derani will be sharing the #52 with Toni Vilander and Antonio Giovinazzi. The team’s third car is entrusted to Davide Rigon, Miguel Molina and Sam Bird.
