Abu Dhabi, 11th December, 2022 |
Antonio Fuoco, Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado
clinched the Gulf 12 Hours, the fourth and final round of the 2022
Intercontinental GT Challenge. The crew in the AF Corse –
Francorchamps Motors no. 71 Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020
triumphed on the Yas Marina track after 335 laps, having led for
194. Taking runner-up spot was the no. 50 sister car from the
same team driven by Davide Rigon, Alessio Rovera and Nicklas
Nielsen. In the AM class the Prancing Horse notched up a
historic hat-trick. |
Pro Class |
The race in the United Arab Emirates got underway amid dry track conditions and summery temperatures.
The 34 cars trailed – without any collisions – GruppeM Racing’s Mercedes-AMG, which started first, retiring
10 laps later. The two 488 GT3 Evo 2020s of AF Corse driven by the official Ferrari Competizioni GT drivers
were immediately in the limelight, taking advantage of a different pit-stop strategy: Pier Guidi took the lead
after 12 minutes, alternating in the role of pacemaker with the crew of Rigon, who started fourth, over the
first two hours. The no. 71 consolidated its leading position mid-race, building up a considerable margin over
its pursuers. Fuoco took the chequered flag with a 14’’388 advantage over Nielsen, who had made a
comeback in the final hour. Seventh, fifth in the Pro class, were Kevin Magnussen and Jan Magnussen with
Mark Kvamme driving for AF Corse – MDK Motorsports. |