Calado, Pier Guidi Take GTE-Pro Honors at Fuji

Photo: Vision Sport Agency

Ferrari swept GTE class honors in Sunday’s weather-shortened Six Hours of Fuji, with AF Corse’s James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi leapfrogging into the championship lead in GTE-Pro.

The No. 51 Ferrari 488 GTE ended up on top in the second and race-ending red flag with 1 hour and 30 minutes remaining.

The race did not restart due to worsening visibility around the Japanese circuit, which had been impacted by rain and fog all weekend.

It marked the second consecutive win for Calado and Pier Guidi, who take over the lead in the GT Drivers’ World Championship, thanks to a trouble-filled race for the No. 67 Ford GT pairing of Andy Priaulx and Harry Tincknell.

The Ford duo were classified 8th in class after two incidents for Priaulx as well as an early race pit lane penalty, which dropped the championship leaders to third in the title race.

The class pole-sitting No. 91 Porsche 911 RSR of Richard Lietz and Fred Makowiecki came home second in the race, after leading early, with the sister No. 92 Porsche completing the GTE-Pro podium in third.

Both Porsches were in contention for class honors but ultimately lost out on a maiden WEC win for the mid-engined 911 RSR due to the shortened race.

Miguel Molina, Francesco Castellacci and Thomas Flohr, meanwhile, claimed their first class victory in GTE-Am in the No. 54 Spirit of Race Ferrari.

They took a narrow win over the No. 61 Clearwater Racing Ferrari, which led early in the hands of Keita Sawa and Weng Mok Sun.

The No. 77 Dempsey Proton Racing Porsche completed the class podium.

RESULTS: 6H Fuji

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