AF Corse Sweeps GTE-Pro Qualifying at Fuji

Photo: Vision Sport Agency

AF Corse swept the front row in GTE-Pro qualifying at Fuji, with James Calado and Davide Rigon giving the No. 71 Ferrari F458 Italia its first pole of the season in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Calado and Rigon combined for a best two-lap average of 1:38.295, outpacing teammates, and defending GTE-Pro champions Gianmaria Bruni and Toni Vilander by 0.108 seconds.

It marked the first GTE-Pro pole positions for both drivers, as the pairing, and championship contenders, search for their first class victory of the season tomorrow.

The No. 99 Aston Martin Vantage V8, qualified by Alex MacDowall and Fernando Rees, will roll off third in class, followed by the pair of Porsche Team Manthey Porsche 911 RSRs in fourth and fifth, respectively.

Larbre Competition broke through to give the Corvette C7.R its first class pole in GTE-Am.

Paolo Ruberti and Gianluca Roda’s average of 1:39.901 was more than two-tenths quicker than class championship leaders Aleksey Basov and Victor Shaytar in the No. 72 SMP Racing Ferrari, which was second.

Ruberti and Roda will share driving duties tomorrow with WEC debutant Nicolai Slyvest in the French entry, which received a 20 kg minimum weight reduction prior to the weekend.

The No. 98 Aston Martin, No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari and No. 77 Dempsey Proton Racing Porsche, which claimed pole last month at Circuit of The Americas, completed the top-five.

The FIA WEC Six Hours of Fuji gets underway Sunday at 11 a.m. local time. (Sat., 10 p.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