Serra Replaces Rigon in Ferrari’s GTE-Pro Squad

Ferrari has made a change to its FIA World Endurance Championship GTE-Pro driver lineup with Daniel Serra coming in to replace Davide Rigon for the 2021 campaign.

Double 24 Hours of Le Mans class winner Serra will partner Miguel Molina in the re-numbered No. 52 Ferrari 488 GTE Evo next season.

The pair will be joined at Le Mans by Rigon, who will also represent Ferrari outfits in the Asian Le Mans Series and GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS this year.

James Calado and reigning GTWC Europe Endurance Cup champion Alessandro Pier Guidi will once again pilot the No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari.

The 2017 WEC champions’ additional co-driver for Le Mans has yet to be announced.

New full-time recruit Serra became a Ferrari factory driver at the end of 2019 after scoring class wins at Le Mans and Motul Petit Le Mans with Calado and Pier Guidi.

The 36-year-old Brazilian, who also won the GTE-Pro race at Le Mans with Aston Martin in 2017, appeared in several series last year driving GT3 and GTE-spec Ferraris.

Those outings included finishing second at Le Mans with Calado and Pier Guidi, and a call-up to drive the No. 51 Ferrari at the 2019-20 WEC season finale in Bahrain.

Serra’s full-season drive alongside Molina will take him into the entry that previously ran as the No. 71.

“My goal was to race in the WEC and I am delighted to be heading into the 2021 season,” commented Serra, who is also a multiple Stock Car Brasil champion.

“I know the team and my teammate very well, and I think we can do well together. I’m preparing myself as best as I can to be ready when the season kicks off.”

Ferrari’s confirmation of its two-car program, which was first reported last November, brings the number of full-time GTE-Pro cars on next season’s WEC grid to four.

The Italian marque will race against Porsche in 2021 following Aston Martin’s exit from the category after wrapping up the drivers’ and manufacturers’ championships.

Porsche has already announced its factory driver pairings with former LMP1 star Neel Jani joining the Manthey-supported team in place of Michael Christensen.