Ferrari takes second in both GT3 classes in Sebring 12 Hours

Ferrari ended an up-and-down day on a high note, taking second in both GT3 classes in Saturday’s 12 Hours of Sebring.

Bumped to last on the first lap of the race, the Daytona 24 Hour winning No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 came through the GTD Pro field three times en route to finishing second. Daniel Serra took the checkered flag a scant 0.121-seconds behind the winner. The Risi Competizione team last stood on the Sebring podium in 2017 when they finished third with drivers Calado, Giancarlo Fisichella and Toni Vilander.

The No. 47 Cetilar Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 also had its share of miscues in the opening stanza of the 12 hour contest, however Antonio Fuoco took the checker only 0.646-seconds behind the GTD class winner.

GTD Pro. Serra was joined by fellow Ferrari factory drivers James Calado and Davide Rigon on their fight to the second step on the podium. Starting driver Rigon was bumped early in the opening lap, and managed to come unscathed after taking a wild slide between packs of cars. The team later had trouble changing a tire on a pit stop and also served a penalty for speeding in the pit lane. Each time, the team managed to rebound despite falling to 10th in the competitive class for GT3 machinery with all-Pro lineups.

GTD. In the Pro-Am crew class, Cetilar Racing was looking to repeat its victory in the 2022 Sebring classic. The team had its share of spins in the tight wheel-to-wheel action, and fought back from 10th at the midway point. Factory driver Fuoco co-drove with Roberto Lacorte and Giorgio Sernagiotto.

Conquest Racing led GTD at the midway point, and went on to finish 11th with Manny Franco, Albert Costa and Cédric Sbirrazzuoli. The team was fourth with two hours remaining before being shuffled back in the late going.

Triarsi Competizione also had a strong run, running second at four hours and third at eight hours with Onofrio Triarsi, factory driver Alessio Rovera and Charlie Scardina sharing the No. 023 Ferrari 296 GT3. A late stop to attempt to repair faulty headlights dropped the team to fourteenth at the finish.

The No. 21 AF Corse Ferrari ran as high as fourth in the class, driven by factory driver Miguel Molina, François Heriau and Simon Mann. However, the car was eliminated when Molina was bumped by the overall race leader – who was eliminated in a specular crash. Molina was able to limp away from the incident, although he pulled off later in the lap and his car was retired, placing 19th in GTD.

The standings. Points counting toward the IMSA Endurance Cup were awarded at the four, eight and 12-hour marks on a 5-4-3-2 basis. Risi Competizione scored bonus points in two of the three segments, and is now second in the five-race competition, two points behind the lead. In GTD, Triarsi earned extra points in two segments and is third, four points in arrears.

The Endurance Cup continues with races at Watkins Glen, Indianapolis and Road Atlanta. Conquest Racing is expected for the next IMSA SportsCar Championship round, with the GTP and GTD classes competing in the Long Beach Grand Prix on Saturday, April 21.