GTWCEU - Round 1 : Paul Ricard

The 6 Hours of Paul Ricard, the season opener for the GT World Challenge Europe – Endurance Cup, proved to be a challenging race for AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors. Our two Ferrari 296 GT3 entries, the number 51 and number 50, concluded the event with a 15th and 16th-place finish in the Pro class, respectively.

The number 51 Ferrari, driven by our official drivers Alessio Rovera, Alessandro Pier Guidi, and Vincent Abril, started from 14th on the grid. Despite a promising start, which saw them climb to as high as sixth place thanks to excellent driving and clever strategy during Full Course Yellow phases, they ultimately lost ground as night fell, finishing in 15th place.

Meanwhile, the number 50 Ferrari, with Antonio Fuoco, Arthur Leclerc, and Eliseo Donno, started from 15th position and battled throughout the race to finish in 16th place. Leclerc made his European series debut in the race after his victory in the 2024 Italian Gran Turismo Endurance Championship, while Donno and Fuoco contributed to the team’s efforts throughout the six-hour race.

With qualifying results leaving both cars outside the leading positions, we were forced to play catch-up, but we remain committed to improving as the season progresses.

Discover exclusive behind-the-scenes content, including interviews with the Head of Ferrari Endurance Race Cars, Ferdinando Cannizzo, as well as drivers Vincent Abril and Eliseo Donno, only on our website, FrancorchampsMotors.tv.

Next: Looking ahead, the next round of the GT World Challenge – Endurance Cup will take place at the legendary Autodromo Nazionale di Monza from 30 May to 1 June. Before that, we will be competing in the first two rounds of the Sprint Cup, at Brands Hatch on 3-4 May and Zandvoort on 16-18 May. Additionally, the prologue for the 24 Hours of Spa will be held from 13-14 May. We look forward to continuing our journey and striving for stronger results in the upcoming races.