Ferrari 296 LMGT3s at Spa for FIA WEC

The curtain rises on round three of the FIA WEC 2024, which takes place at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps track. Vista AF Corse will field its two Ferrari 296 LMGT3s on the Belgian circuit. Thomas Flohr, Francesco Castellacci, and official Prancing Horse driver Davide Rigon will take the wheel of the number 54 car, while François Heriau, Simon Mann, and official driver Alessio Rovera will crew the number 55. The 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps kicks off on Saturday 11 May, at 1 p.m. (local time).

After the Ferrari 296 LMGT3 number 55’s fourth-place in the last round at Imola and the number 54 car’s twelfth-place finish, both crews will aim to build on the promising performances of the season’s early rounds in Qatar and Italy and further improve their final results.

The 6 Hours of Spa, one of the most anticipated events in the FIA World Endurance Championship, has traditionally preceded the most famous and prestigious round, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This year, the iconic Le Mans race is scheduled for 15-16 June.

History. Spa-Francorchamps, inaugurated in 1921 and one of the world’s oldest circuits still operating, is synonymous with endurance racing. Indeed, the first 24 Hours of Spa took place here in 1924.

In over a century, Ferrari has recorded many endurance racing triumphs at Spa, including 13 overall victories with Sports and Prototype cars. The first came in 1949 when Luigi Chinetti and Jean Lucas drove the 166 MM to victory in the 24 Hours race. In recent years, the Prancing Horse has notched up other significant wins on the 7.004-kilometre Belgian circuit. One of these was a class victory at the FIA WEC 2023 by the 488 LMGTE driven by official drivers Lilou Wadoux and Alessio Rovera, alongside Louis Perez-Companc.

The situation. Thanks to the results at the Qatar 1812 km and the 6 Hours of Imola, Heriau-Mann-Rovera lie sixth in the Drivers’ standings, while Flohr-Castellacci-Rigon are seventh. The two crews are 33 and 39 points behind the leaders, respectively, ahead of a race that awards 25 points to the winners. The crews of Vista AF Corse numbers 55 and 54, are currently sixth and seventh in the team standings, respectively.

The programme. On Thursday, 9 May, two free practice sessions, each lasting 90 minutes, start at 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. On Saturday, 10 May, a third free practice session will run from 11 a.m. to 12 noon, followed by qualifying from 2:45 p.m. to 3 p.m., and the Hyperpole session for the ten fastest cars starting at 3:08 p.m. The green flag for the race will be waved on Saturday 11 May, at 1 p.m. (local time).

Davide Rigon, 296 LMGT3 #54: “I can’t wait to race at Spa, undoubtedly one of my favourite tracks, where the driver can make the difference, just like the car’s balance. We left Imola feeling slightly bitter because of the final race result, but throughout the weekend on the Italian track we still saw that our 296 LMGT3 is an excellent car. So, we arrive in Belgium with a fair amount of optimism and hopes of being competitive. We dream of climbing the podium at the end of the 6 Hours.”

Alessio Rovera, 296 LMGT3 #55: “I am looking forward to a positive weekend on a track that suits the characteristics of our 296 LMGT3 well. The key will be to have an error-free race and to devise an excellent strategy because, as we know, Spa is a complete and varied track, where it is crucial to exploit every driving session as best you can and in every respect. Last year, I won my class at the 6 Hours of Spa in the 488 LMGTE. I have fond memories of that race, and this year I hope to deliver an excellent result for all the team.”