Molina Aiming to Help Perez Companc in Close Pro Title Fight

Photo: Fabrizio Boldoni/DPPI

Former Pirelli World Challenge champion and current Ferrari Hypercar star Miguel Molina says it’s his goal to help Matias Perez Companc as much as possible this weekend in the Argentinean’s GT World Challenge America powered by AWS title pursuit.

Molina, who won the 2018 PWC SprintX title with Toni Vilander in a R. Ferri Motorsport Ferrari 488 GT3 and contested the majority of the following season in support of Vilander, who claimed back-to-back titles, has returned to SRO America competition for an expected one-off run in the No. 16 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo.

The 37-year-old Spaniard is filling in for Perez Companc’s usual co-driver, Frederik Schandorff, who is on GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup duty at the Nürburgring, in a rare weekend that sees three of the four regional GTWC series in action.

For Molina, the 2024 Le Mans 24 Hours winner, who has largely been spending his time in the FIA World Endurance Championship with the factory AF Corse Ferrari 499P effort, this weekend marks his first time at the four-mile Wisconsin circuit.

“It’s been a few years but I’m really happy to be back [in SRO America],” Molina told Sportscar365. “It’s a championship that always stays there in my memory.

“It’s good to be back and it’s my first time here at Road America. It’s quite cool to experience something new.

“I’m really looking forward and really happy to share the car again with Matias. We did Spa last year together, so it was a good opportunity to come back here.”

Perez Companc heads into the weekend second in the Pro class standings following his and Schandorff’s breakthrough class win last time out at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, which has placed the FIA Silver-rated driver within eight points of leaders Michai Stephens and Mikael Grenier of JMF Motorsports.

The top-three in the GTWC America Pro class are all extremely close, with two-time and reigning Pro-Am class champions Robby Foley and Justin Rothberg, who have stepped up to the top class with Turner Motorsport this year, just three further points behind in third.

When asked what his target is this weekend, Molina was quick to stress his support for Perez Companc.

“That’s my aim and goal, to give him as much support as possible and try to help him keep going with this momentum and try to help him as much as possible and try to do a good result here,” he said.

“With AF Corse, it’s always guaranteed to enjoy and to have a good weekend.

“It’s longer races which are separated by stints as well, and all these kind of things. But at the end, it’s a race.

“[My goal] is to try and help as much as possible to Matias to keep going.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John