Calado, Pier Guidi Together in AF Corse Ferrari for Gulf 12H

FIA World Endurance GT champions James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi are set to team up in the Gulf 12 Hours as part of AF Corse’s entry with two factory-driven cars.

The three-time WEC champions, who secured their third title in Bahrain earlier this month, will share the No. 71 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 with Antonio Fuoco.

AF Corse is running two factory-driven Ferraris in the top Pro class at next weekend’s Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli season finale in Abu Dhabi.

The No. 50 machine is due to be driven by Alessio Rovera, Davide Rigon and Nicklas Nielsen.

Both cars will compete with Francorchamps Motors backing, as was the case at the Indianapolis 8 Hour.

Ferrari’s lineups are different for the IGTC season finale at Yas Marina Circuit, after Indianapolis required an FIA Silver-rated driver in each crew.

The North American round saw Fuoco and Daniel Serra joined by Ulysse de Pauw, while Rigon shared the other car with Miguel Molina and Pierre Ragues.

Ferrari’s Pro lineups at the TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa were the Iron Lynx crews from Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS. The Italian manufacturer skipped the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour at the start of the season in May.

Calado and Pier Guidi last shared a GT3 Ferrari in this year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona where they finished second in the GT Daytona Pro class for Risi Competizione.

Calado represented Iron Lynx in GTWC Europe whereas Pier Guidi stepped back from the championship that he won twice in a row to focus on other Ferrari work including the development of the 499P LMH car.

Ferrari is contesting the Gulf 12 Hours with three Pro entries despite Mercedes-AMG securing the IGTC manufacturers’ title at Indianapolis and also being guaranteed the drivers’ crown.

In addition to the factory-driven 488s, AF Corse is running the MDK Motorsports Ferrari featuring Kevin and Jan Magnussen alongside Bronze-rated Mark Kvamme.

Eight Pro Cars on Updated Entry List

The Gulf 12 Hours field has been updated to 36 cars including eight Pro entries among the 31-strong GT3 field.

Alongside the Ferraris, Mercedes-AMG Team GruppeM Racing is running a pair of Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evos, while Audi Sport announced its factory-assisted entries for Attempto Racing and Sainteloc Junior Team last week.

The Pro grid is completed by Al Manar Racing by GetSpeed which is running a Mercedes-AMG.

Since the last entry list update in October, Kessel Racing’s operation has gone down from four Ferraris to two while Optimum Motorsport has added a second McLaren.

The remaining Kessel cars will compete in Pro-Am and Am, with the former featuring Silver-rated drivers Axcil Jefferies and David Fumanelli.

Optimum’s operation includes the Inception Racing program and another McLaren 720S GT3 with a lineup that is yet to be confirmed. The second Sainteloc Junior Team crew and the third member of Century Motorsport’s BMW M4 GT3 are also TBA.

Herberth Motorsport has brought in GTWC Europe race winner Klaus Bachler, who will share the No. 44 Porsche 911 GT3 R with Daniel Allemann and Alfred Renauer.

The other Pro-Am Herberth Porsche is the No. 69 which will be driven by Robert Renauer, Ralf Bohn and Patrick Kolb who usually races Audis at the Nürburgring.

EBM Giga Racing’s Porsche includes the father-son duo of Brenton and Stephen Grove who contested the IGTC races at Bathurst and Spa before missing Indianapolis.

In addition to running the three Pro-class Ferraris, AF Corse is operating three 488s in the Am category.

Giorgio Sernagiotto, who has driven for Cetilar Racing in the WEC and IMSA, forms part of the No. 52 crew while International GT Open Am class champion Jamie Stanley is in the No. 66.

GTWC America competitors Conrad Grunewald and Jean Claude Saada will link up with Monegasque racers Louis and Philippe Prette in the No. 71 AF Corse entry.

The GT Cup field has reduced from six cars to five, with Speedlover now only bringing one of its Porsche 911 GT3 Cups.