Second season podium for Ferrari in FIA WEC LMGTE Am

The 6 Hours of Portimão brought Ferrari its second podium of the season in the LMGTE Am class, courtesy of the second place secured by the 488 GTE of Richard Mille AF Corse crewed by Luis Perez Companc, Lilou Wadoux and Alessio Rovera. The FIA World Endurance Championship round also ended with the two AF Corse Ferraris in fourth and fifth place, while Kessel Racing's 488 GTE closed in tenth.

The race featured a highly positive start by world championship newcomer Diego Alessi, who took the lead in the number 21 car and defended it until the driver change. Behind him, Lilou Wadoux fought back to take second spot after Perez Companc’s stint. However, Kessel Racing’s race was compromised by a drive-through for speeding in the pit lane, which forced the Swiss crew of Takeshi Kimura, Scott Huffaker and Daniel Serra into a long chase that ended in a tenth-place finish.

Several crews took the lead, with the alternation of gentlemen and professional drivers shuffling positions as the race progressed. The driving stints of Davide Rigon, Daniel Serra, as well as Lilou Wadoux, who always turned in speedy and consistent times, were noteworthy at these stages. In the finale, the young French driver handed over to Alessio Rovera, who repeatedly threatened the Corvette of Catsburg, winner of the Portuguese event by just 260 thousandths of a second over the Ferrari of Richard Mille AF Corse.

The other two 488 GTEs of the Piacenza-based team came close to a podium finish courtesy of an excellent stint by Rigon, which gave the Italian, Thomas Flohr and Francesco Castellacci fourth place, 3"4 off third and with a few regrets. The number 21 488 GTE of Diego Alessi, Simon Mann and Ulysse de Pauw was fifth over the line after a solid and convincing performance.