Dumas Joins AF Corse in Management Role

Photo: Bruno Vandevelde/Endurance-Info

Former Ligier Automotive general manager Philippe Dumas has taken on a new role as one of AF Corse’s team managers.

The Frenchman is present at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this week, working with Car Guy Racing and MR Racing, and will take on a larger role with Cetilar Racing next season.

Dumas joins Batti Pregliasco and Didi Cazzago as a third team manager for the Italian company, working under Amato Ferrari.

“I’m responsible for the LMP2 Cetilar Racing project in the FIA World Endurance Championship from the 2019-20 season,” Dumas told Endurance-Info.

“I’m starting a collaboration with AF Corse in close relationship with Amato Ferrari. This involves recruiting staff and organizing the team.

“It’s a real business project. My duties are close to those I had before, except this time it’s with a team and not a constructor. I will also work on future projects.”

Dumas says he expects his role to take him to the Asian Le Mans Series as part of AF Corse’s presence there, with possible involvement in the U.S. and “more generally, [seeing] what can be implemented with Ferrari”.

He’s impressed with the team so far, working on two of its GTE-Am entries at Le Mans this weekend.

“I feel from the start a very good atmosphere,” he said. “People respect each other despite the different nationalities.

“It is the base of everything. The team is like Amato. It’s family and professional.

“With Amato Ferrari, we have found each other because he is a person of incredible simplicity who does not seek the front of the stage and I understand him.

“Amato is a lover of motorsport, his company and his men. It’s beautiful, simple and honest. He is also very close to his clients.

“It is a pleasure to work with him. We understand each other and we have the same ideas. ”

Dumas says a slower period after his departure from Ligier helped him recuperate as well as evaluate different offers.

He departed the French constructor in January after five years, most recently working on the Nissan Onroak DPi with the now-defunct Extreme Speed Motorsports.

Laurent Mercier contributed to this report.

Jake Kilshaw

Jake Kilshaw is a UK-based journalist. He is a graduate of Politics and International Relations.