The race was dominated by the downpour that hit the Austrian track shortly after the two-hour mark. The
wet conditions caused many cars to veer off track, leading to a second entry for the Safety Car after a first
quick appearance in the early stages due to an accident involving three prototypes. After a hiatus of over 30
minutes, the race resumed but not without other weather-related twists and turns. As the track gradually
dried out, the teams could vary their strategy, although a further cloudburst threw the outcome into
uncertainty. The Ferraris were always in the lead and ended up monopolising the podium, testifying to the
car’s excellent competitiveness on the Spielberg track.
Strategy
In a thrilling finale, AF Corse’s 488 GTE on intermediate tyres had to fend off the twin cars of Spirit of Race
and Iron Lynx, both on slicks. However, François Perrodo, Emmanuel Collard and Alessio Rovera crossed
the line ahead of David Perel, Duncan Cameron and Matt Griffin. Third place went to Miguel Molina, Matteo
Cressoni and Rino Mastronardi, who, despite the ballast, secured crucial points for the overall standings
that they now lead by seven points, ahead of the Spirit of Race trio.
Important Points
The other Ferraris in the race also did well, with fifth place for JMW Motorsport with Jody Fannin, Andrea
Fontana and Rodrigo Sales, seventh for the second Iron Lynx car crewed by Claudio Schiavoni, Giorgio
Sernagiotto and Paolo Ruberti. In contrast, the last few seconds bore bitter fruit for the 488 GTE no. 83,
driven by Rahel Frey, Michelle Gatting and Manuela Gostner. After taking an excellent fourth place a minute
from the end, Frey finished her race in the gravel after clashing with a rival car, a move not penalised by
race officials.
Programme
The next round of the European Le Mans Series is scheduled for 6 June at Le Castellet in France.
François Perrodo, AF Corse #88 ...
“It was an exciting race. Spielberg is a challenging track, and I didn’t find starting with a double stint easy,
especially after suffering a drive-through for track limits. It was really very tricky, but I managed to stay in
third until the pit stop. Emmanuel [Collard] had to drive in impossible conditions on slicks in the pouring
rain, trying to keep the 488 GTE on track. He did brilliantly not to make any mistakes and hand the car
over to Alessio [Rovera]. However, it wasn’t an easy task for him either, driving on wets and then on
intermediates as the track dried out and the cars behind were on slicks. It was a thrilling race from first to
last lap, and it’s crucial for our position in the standings”.
Alessio Rovera ... AF Corse #88
“The race was really intense, hard-fought down to the last because earlier we had fitted intermediates while
our direct rivals were on slicks. It was very satisfying. The conditions were difficult, and my teammates had
a great race. Perrodo was very fast in the dry during the first stint. It was a perfect weekend for the whole
team”.
Matt Griffin ... Spirit of Race #55
“Second place is a great result for the AF Corse family, who I congratulate on this one-two. Duncan
[Cameron] did a double stint, as the rules require Bronze drivers to drive for an hour and a half. He set a
great pace. I drove at mid-race, in the dry, and the 488 GTE went really well, so much so that I clocked the
fastest lap of the race. Then the rain came, but I handled the situation very well and took the lead. During
the Safety Car phase, things were very tricky, and probably other teams took better advantage of the
situation than we did. Unfortunately, the driver change between me and David [Perel] came at the wrong
time, when the Safety Car was pulling into the pits, but the race director hadn’t notified us. That probably
cost us the win. David did well to hold off Molina during his stint, closing the gap to Rovera. So, the race
was very positive with a great performance from our car and the AF Corse family”.
Miguel Molina ... Iron Lynx #80
“Third place is a good result, achieved at the end of a difficult race, especially in the final stages. We
chose a good strategy, but in the last four laps, the rain became heavier, and we were on slicks, so it was
impossible to attack those ahead of us. The important thing is to mount the podium and take points
because what counts is winning at the end of the season”.
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