It was a challenging qualifying session for the Ferrari 296 LMGT3s at Interlagos, the venue for round five of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The number 54 Ferrari, crewed by Thomas Flohr, Francesco Castellacci, and official driver Davide Rigon, was the best of the Vista AF Corse entries, qualifying 11th. The “sister” number 21 car of François Heriau, Simon Mann, and Alessio Rovera will start 15th.

The first qualifying session, featuring the Bronze-rated drivers, ran in perfect conditions, with an air temperature of 20°C and the track at 28°C. For the first time this season, neither Ferrari driver qualified in the top 10, which is key to securing a place in Hyperpole. Thomas Flohr, in the number 54 car, was the highest-placed driver to miss out, setting a time of 1’35’’366 to qualify 11th, just 26 thousandths of a second short. François Heriau also missed the cut, finishing 15th in the number 21 car with a time of 1’35’’542, just over a second off the fastest lap.

As a result, the 296 LMGT3s will line up on the sixth and eighth rows of the grid for the 6 Hours of São Paulo, which kicks off on Sunday, 13 July at 11.30 a.m. local time.