WEC

First world championship race win for the 296 LMGT3 at Fuji

WEC
15 Sep. 2024 • 20:19
The Fuji International Speedway was the setting for the first success in the FIA World Endurance Championship for the Ferrari 296 LMGT3 in its debut year on the world stage. The number 54 car of the Vista AF Corse team, driven by Thomas Flohr, Francesco Castellacci, and official Ferrari driver Davide Rigon, triumphed on the Japanese circuit, a year after their last win on the same track when the same crew had taken the Ferrari 488 GTE to victory.
Photo : Ferrari

This marks the 54th FIA WEC victory for the Prancing Horse across all GT classes since the championship’s inception in 2012. It was a triumphant weekend for the 296 LMGT3, which also secured pole position with the number 55 car driven by François Heriau, Simon Mann, and official driver Alessio Rovera, who finished sixth over the line.

 

Starting from ninth, the number 54 car gained positions in the hands of Francesco Castellacci, who then handed the wheel over to Thomas Flohr for the middle stint of the race. The final two hours were entrusted to official Prancing Horse driver Davide Rigon, who executed several decisive overtakes to secure the final victory. The 296 LMGT3 crossed the line at 5 p.m. local time after completing 194 laps, finishing nearly four seconds ahead of the nearest challenger. The Fuji circuit remains a favourite among the entire crew, with this marking the third victory in Japan in the FIA WEC for Thomas Flohr and Francesco Castellacci (2017, 2023, 2024) and the second for Davide Rigon (2023, 2024).

 

The number 55 started from pole position but encountered a technical issue related to the ABS, forcing it to return to the pit lane and dropping it to the back of the standings. From there, the three drivers staged an impressive comeback, with François Heriau, Simon Mann, and official Ferrari driver Alessio Rovera securing sixth place overall, finishing 20 seconds behind their teammates.

 

The eighth and final round of the FIA WEC season is scheduled from 31 October to 2 November with the 8 Hours of Bahrain.

  

 

Davide Rigon : I'm really happy with this victory. We felt really ready for a great result coming into this weekend, and in the end, we got it. It’s a win built on teamwork, tyre management, and the commitment from all of us. We had a very well-balanced car, thanks to the excellent work of the engineers and technicians. At the end, I had fun battling with the other drivers, pulling off some great overtakes and always pushing to the limit.

 

Thomas Flohr : Fuji is a circuit I like a lot, and the passion of the local fans is a real motivation. It’s been a tough season so far, with a lot of bad luck. But one of the team’s strengths is the ability to bounce back from difficulties, and we did that here at Fuji with an incredible team effort to bring home this win. I knew a double stint here wouldn’t be easy for me, but it was crucial for our race strategy, so I got it done while carefully managing the tyres, which is really important here.

 

Francesco Castellacci : This is a really important victory for us, especially after we couldn’t even take our place on the grid in Texas. The car here at Fuji was very competitive, and my goal at the start was to gain a few positions and avoid any incidents, so I could hand the car over to Thomas (Flohr, ed.) as far ahead as possible for his double stint. I then got back in the car with fresh tyres and set Davide (Rigon, ed.) up in the best possible position for the final part of the race.

 

Alessio Rovera : It was a tough race right from the start due to the issue with the ABS, but despite that, we finished just 20 seconds behind the winners. There was potential to take the win, as the crew of the number 54 car showed. We hope to be just as competitive in Bahrain, so we can finally make it onto the podium. 

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