Season Review 2022: the story of winter

A year that saw Prancing Horse cars as protagonists on circuits the world over concluded with a tally of 29 international-level titles won. The 2022 story was one teeming with challenges, all for the sake of speed. It was a ‘film’ that rolled into action in mid-winter with its opening acts in America and the Middle East.

January. In its usual manner, the racing season across the Atlantic got underway with the 24 Hours of Daytona, the curtain-raising event of the IMSA championship, with the Risi Competizione-run Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 of Pier Guidi-Calado-Rigon-Serra claiming the runner-up spot in the GTD-Pro class, while the AF Corse entry in the GTD class narrowly missed out on the podium with Nielsen-Vilander- Pérez Companc-S. Mann.

February. The month hosted the four races of the Asian Le Mans Series, where in the Pro class, Davide Rigon, David Perel and Rino Mastronardi aboard the Rinaldi Racing Ferrari, sealed a win in Dubai and a runner-up spot in Abu Dhabi to finish third in the drivers' standings. Meanwhile in Pro Am, two triumphs at Yas Marina for Kessel Racing’s Zollo-Jefferies-Ziemian left them tied on points with the SPS Automotive team, who, by virtue of having won first in the season, took the title.

The 9 Hours of Kyalami brought down the curtain on the 2021 Intercontinental GT Challenge season. Thanks to their runner-up spot in South Africa, Pier Guidi and Côme Ledogar – on this occasion alongside Miguel Molina – clinched the title, the 107th for a 488 GT3, rounding off an extraordinary season. The championship had kicked off with a win for the Italian-French pairing, together with Nicklas Nielsen, at the Spa 24 Hours, followed by fourth place at the 8 Hours of Indianapolis.

March. In the opening act of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the 1000 Miles of Sebring, Ferrari, Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado arrived with the world champions’ laurels, but the drivers were to come back down to earth with an unexpected bump. On the demanding Sebring asphalt, the 488 GTEs of the incumbent world champions, and the new crew made up of Antonio Fuoco and Miguel Molina, failed to live up to their full potential, coming away virtually empty-handed.