AF Corse Goes 1-2 in GTE-Pro Qualifying at Spa

Photo: Vision Sport Agency

AF Corse has claimed back-to-back GTE-Pro class poles with its new Ferrari 488 GTE car, with Sam Bird and Davide Rigon taking top qualifying honors for Saturday’s FIA WEC Six Hours of Spa.

The pairing combined for a best two-lap average of 2:17.644, outpacing the sister No. 51 entry of Gianmaria Bruni and James Calado by 0.317 seconds.

Bruni made a late improvement of 2:17.835 late in the 25-minute session, bumping the No. 97 Aston Martin Vantage GTE of Fernando Rees and Richie Stanaway to third in class.

Bird and Rigon, who also started on pole at Silverstone, will be looking for their second consecutive class win on Saturday after a dominant run in the season-opener.

The pair of Ford Chip Ganassi Racing entries will start fourth and fifth in class, with the No. 66 Ford GT of Olivier Pla and Stefan Muecke just 0.038 seconds faster than the No. 67 entry, qualified by Marino Franchitti and Andy Priaulx.

In GTE-Am, Aston Martin Racing’s Pedro Lamy and Paul Dalla Lana claimed pole, thanks to the duo’s 2:20.351 average in the No. 98 Aston Martin Vantage GTE.

Lamy and Dalla Lana’s time was a considerable 1.851 seconds faster than the Silverstone class-winning No. 81 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia GT of Francois Perrodo and Rui Aguas in second.

The class pole-winning pairing will team with Mathias Lauda in the race tomorrow.

The WEC Six Hours of Spa gets underway Saturday at 2:30 p.m. local time (8:30 a.m. ET).

RESULTS: Qualifying

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John