24h Le Mans
43 teams (fielding 61 cars) competed in the 87th 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Super Finale of the FIA WEC 2018-19 World Endurance Championship. There were winners, of course, but also mechanical glitches, track incidents and early retirements. Joy for some, disappointment for others... Here’s a summary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the AF Corse team, which ran in the LMGTE Pro class.
Class: LMGTE Pro
Car: #51 Ferrari 488 GTE EVO
Drivers:
Since 2007, AF Corse has not missed a running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This year, the Italian team took its 13th start in the race. The #51 Ferrari 488 GTE EVO qualified in 40th position with a time of 3:49.655 clocked by James Calado. During the race, AF Corse banked on a winning strategy based on experience, as long as the drivers made no mistakes. The car finished in 20th place overall and won the LMGTE Pro class. "We worked hard for it. A lot of preparation had gone into the last six months because this was something we wanted more than anything. But, it was not an easy race at all, " explained Calado.
Car: #71 Ferrari 488 GTE EVO
Drivers:
This car qualified in 36th position with a time of 3:49.391 clocked by Sam Bird during the third session. During the race as night fell, the car incurred a 10-second penalty (added to a pit stop) for failing to respect a Full Course Yellow procedure. Later, the Italian team was forced to retire in the 12th hour when this car's engine broke down.
PHOTO: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES DU MANS, SATURDAY 15 JUNE 2019, RACE. The #51 Ferrari 488 GTE EVO fielded by Italian team AF Corse driven by Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Daniel Serra.
