Cozzolino: “Good Timing” for Ferrari 296 GT300 Debut

Kei Cozzolino believes it is “good timing” for the Ferrari 296 GT3 to make its debut in SUPER GT next year with the newly-formed PONOS Racing team.

PONOS announced last month its intention to race in the GT300 class next year with Cozzolino and Lilou Wadoux sharing its Michelin-shod Ferrari, stepping up to team ownership for the first time having sponsored various teams in past seasons.

The ORECA-built 296 GT3 made its debut in 2023 across a variety of series worldwide, notably scoring victories in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS and the Michelin Le Mans Cup in its first season.

Cozzolino believes that both improvements to the car and changes to its Balance of Performance will make the 296 a force in its first year in SUPER GT.

“This year was the very first year for the car, so it’s still honestly in the development process,” Cozzolino told Sportscar365. “It’s still very new.

“But if you look at GT World Challenge, which uses the SRO BoP that they use in SUPER GT as well, it’s getting better and they were able to win in Barcelona. Even in the Le Mans Cup, we won at Aragon and ended up second in the standings. 

“Ferrari is pushing hard to make the car even better, so I think it’s good timing to have the car in Japan in its second year, rather than the first. 

“We already tested at Fuji, and now we have to see how it performs at the other tracks in Japan, but I would say I am more confident, more than I was this year.”

Cozzolino also believes his personal experience with the 296 GT3 this year, which he added to in the opening round of the Asian Le Mans Series at Sepang earlier this month, will be useful in getting the Gainer-run PONOS team up to speed quickly.

“I have to thank AF Corse for the chance to race this year in the Le Mans Cup, although we had standard Michelins there and we will have confidential tires in SUPER GT,” he said. 

“I also had the chance to race the 296 in Asia with Michelins again, and we had factory driver Davide Rigon giving us data and feedback in the other car, so I think all that will be a big advantage for us.”

Ferrari factory driver Wadoux will make her SUPER GT debut in 2024 as Cozzolino’s teammate aboard the PONOS Ferrari.

But Cozzolino isn’t expecting the French driver to experience too many difficulties in getting up to speed in Japan based on her experience in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

“We really wanted a factory Ferrari driver because it’s a new car, and the more data we get from the factory drivers, the better the car will be,” explained Cozzolino. 

“Lilou is young and she is excited to learn new tracks, there was interest from her side to come to Japan. I was speaking to Alessio Rovera, her teammate in the WEC, and he really recommended her as well, because she adapts well to new tracks.

“Nobody can question her speed. She is the first female driver to win a WEC race, and I haven’t won a race in the WEC yet, so you could say she’s a level higher than me!”