AF Corse in “Race Against Time” to Make Prologue Start

AF Corse is in a “race against time” to get its pair of Ferrari 296 GT3s ready for the start of Monday’s FIA World Endurance Championship Prologue after its cars and equipment only arrived at Lusail International Circuit on Sunday morning.

The pair of Vista-liveried cars showed up in the pit lane on Sunday morning amidst the logistical dramas that have plagued the championship in recent days.

AF Corse GT team manager Ron Reichert told Sportscar365 that the Italian squad was one of the final to receive its containers, with the last shipment of equipment not arriving until 10 a.m. local time on Sunday.

“It was very obvious our garage was empty until not long ago,” Reichert said.

“For us it’s quite difficult. Also because we changed from the 488 GTE to the 296 GT3, everything is more or less new, so this [delay] is an extra add on for us.

“It’s a big challenge for us. It’s a race against time [to be ready for the Prologue], but in the end we want to do a good job.

“We can’t just start rushing people for nothing and they start making mistakes, and you start on the wrong foot.

“This is not the right approach. We have to take time we need to do the best job possible.”

The championship has revised the event schedule for the Prologue for a second time as a result of the delays, with an initial session that was due to start at 8:30 a.m. local time on Monday morning scrapped.

Instead, the test has been condensed into three sessions, with the first currently scheduled to begin at 12 p.m.

When asked if the two 296 GT3s would be ready to take to the track for the start of the Prologue, Reichert couldn’t yet say.

“We need to see how it progresses, how the night goes, how long the mechanics can stay in the night,” he said.

“At some point we need to make the decision to let them sleep a little bit. We’ll see. It’s too early to tell.”

All remaining LMGT3 cars were delivered to the circuit on Sunday, which also included the two Lexus RC F GT3s that will be run by the debuting Akkodis ASP Team.

Team principal Jerome Policand, who was on hand helping his crew set up equipment in the paddock on Sunday morning, said that the team is in a “bit of a rush” to get ready, but was confident of the chances of making the start of track action on Monday.

“Two containers arrived at 7 a.m. this morning so it should be okay,” Policand told Sportscar365.

“Everything was in there. For sure it’s a bit of a rush but I think by midnight everything will be set.

“It will just take time. It’s all the data loggers and all the electronics from the FIA because now we are more or less in the same regulations as Hypercar.

“It’s not complicated, [but it takes time]. We’re not used to it. Usually it was only one data logger with a stick and that’s it, so it’s more complicated.”

Policand revealed that the team performed final tests and checks on the electronics system aboard the Lexus with a third chassis at the Albi airfield in France at the start of the week before traveling to Qatar.

The Frenchman anticipated that ASP should likely have no issues getting the cars out on time for their first laps around the Lusail International Circuit on Monday.

“There is a quite a lot of sensor loom and everything to fit in the car which will take time, but roughly I think we will finish the car, the setup, all the stuff around 10 p.m. For tomorrow, it should be okay.”

Jamie Klein contributed to this report