AF Corse to Run Ferrari LMGT3 Entries for Flohr, Mann

Ferrari is set for stability in its entries for the first season of the FIA World Endurance Championship’s LMGT3 class next year, with Thomas Flohr and Simon Mann both returning according to the Italian manufacturer’s global head of endurance racing.

LMGT3 manufacturers are limited to two entries each in 2024 and Ferrari has selected AF Corse to run both of them, in addition to its operation of the factory Hypercar program.

Flohr, who is the head of business airline VistaJet, currently drives the No. 54 Ferrari 488 GTE Evo in the GTE-Am class, while Mann is the designated Silver-rated driver in the No. 21 Ferrari that has featured a rotation of Bronze drivers this year.

Ferrari’s sports car racing boss Antonello Coletta told Sportscar365 at Fuji last weekend that both are due to remain part of the AF Corse setup for the WEC’s new GT3 era.

“Probably we stay with the same lineup next year in GT,” said Coletta.

“Thomas has made a lot of progress, speaking of the last races. At Monza, without the problem, probably the battle for the victory was not impossible.

“We had some unlucky moments with the safety car, but in the last two hours, it was [Davide] Rigon on the car and the chance to win was [there].

“In the other car, we have Simon Mann. I think they are probably confirmed for next year.

“I don’t know who will be the Bronze [in the No. 21 car] but sure, we can confirm Thomas and Simon. And after, we will see.”

Flohr has been racing with AF Corse in WEC since 2017 and recently claimed his second GTE-Am class win at Fuji, ending a six-year wait to return to the top of the podium.

The Swiss driver intends to continue sharing the wheel with Francesco Castellacci, who has been his unbroken driving partner for the last 43 WEC races. He also hopes to retain the services of Ferrari factory driver Davide Rigon who joined the lineup this year.

“There is no GTE, but the cars will be as close to these cars as possible, but under the GT3 brand,” Flohr told Sportscar365.

“After the season ends, we have two or three months to get used to the 296.”

Flohr will start testing the 296 GT3 over the winter, placing his full concentration on GTE-Am until the category’s final race at Bahrain International Circuit in November.

Despite the worldwide versatility of the GT3 platform, Flohr does not expect to drive in any other championships outside of the WEC.

“It’s eight races next year and I still need to run my business,” he said.

“In the true sense, I believe that I’m an Am and some others are doing 15 or 20 races. I don’t, and I’ll solely focus on WEC next year.”

Mann already drives for AF Corse in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup and expressed an interest in continuing to have a Stateside program alongside LMGT3, although it is yet to be determined.

The 22-year-old started racing four years ago and, after winning the Italian GT Sprint Pro-Am title in 2021, embarked on his first full season of WEC GTE-Am the following year.

“Compared to some of the other guys here, I don’t have as much experience in racing,” Mann told Sportscar365.

“Especially compared to what I’ve done before: lot of these guys have done Formula and karting.

“I’m progressing, but I also need to take that into consideration. The more experience I can get in a GT3, I’ll take it.”

Coletta Warns of Manufacturer Influence in LMGT3

Each GT3 manufacturer that gets approval to race in the LMGT3 class will have the power to decide which teams get their two allocated entries.

Some of those have already been decided, such as AF Corse with Ferrari, Manthey with Porsche and TF Sport with Chevrolet.

However, Coletta has warned against the factories getting too heavily involved in LMGT3, expressing fears that they could have a significant influence on driver lineups, especially in the department of the mandatory Bronze-rated amateur.

“Many teams will find the best Bronzes in the world and I hope that the philosophy of endurance remains consistent,” he said.

“We need to have the gentleman drivers. The risk is that we lose this attitude. It would be very bad to have official teams in the paddock.”

When asked if Ferrari could be part of the problem by having its Hypercar factory partner AF Corse run the LMGT3 entries, Coletta replied: “No because we retain the actual [Bronze] drivers.

“AF Corse will be in charge to manage the cars, but one is the official team and the other is the commercial team.

“But I’m not sure that other manufacturers will maintain the philosophy to find the best Bronze budget, not the best Bronze ‘professional’. This is the very big challenge for next year. Unfortunately, I think it will be a very hard exercise.

“We don’t have a chance to change if another manufacturer has a professional lineup, in terms of Bronze, Silver and Gold. The risk is very high. This is not good for the philosophy of the championship.

“On the other side, it’s complicated to manage the situation. If I put myself on the table of the promoter, I believe that it’s very hard to find a solution, to manage all of this.”