Spa-Francorchamps, 1 August 2021 |
Pro |
Indeed, it led the race from hour five thanks to a perfect strategy combined with the consistency of the drivers
and the car’s competitive pace. However, the result was called into question with 45 minutes to go when a
violent downpour lashed the track. The Ferrari delayed its pit stop by a lap. This left the way clear for the WRT
Audi, with which it had fought an intense duel in the previous hours, before a Full Course Yellow made
necessary by the many cars veering off the track, followed by the entry of the Safety Car. The latter bunched
up the group and allowed Pier Guidi to produce a masterclass, culminating in a spectacular passing of Dries
Vanthoor on the outside at Blanchimont with less than ten minutes remaining. The reigning Endurance Cup
champion took the chequered flag first, winning one of the few endurance racing classics still missing from his
packed trophy cabinet. |
In the Pro-Am class, the two AF Corse 488 GT3 Evo 2020s claimed an extraordinary one-two. The #53 car
crewed by Duncan Cameron, Matt Griffin, Rino Mastronardi and Miguel Molina finished ahead of its #52 twin
driven by Louis Machiels, Andrea Bertolini, Alessio Rovera and John Wartique. The Piacenza-based team’s
cars, along with Sky Tempesta Racing’s Chris Froggatt, Eddie Cheever, Jonathan Hui and Matteo Cressoni,
took turns leading the race. However, several unfortunate episodes and various race strategies put the
reigning champion team out of the fight for the podium, leaving the AF Corse cars to slug it out for victory.
The #53 488 GT3 Evo 2020 crew came out on top thanks to a flawless performance, with Miguel Molina’s
superb stints and Matt Griffin doing his very best to honour the memory of his recently deceased father. A
technical stop made under the green flag left the crew of the #52 Ferrari one lap in arrears, with an excellent
Alessio Rovera, author of the class fastest lap, only three-tenths of a second behind the overall leader, who
was in command for several hours. The fourth Ferrari in the race, Kessel Racing’s, finished eleventh with
Tim Kohmann, Francesco Zollo, Giorgio Roda and David Fumanelli. |
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