AF Corse claims maiden victory at CotA

Text: Rick Kiewiet

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6 races, 6 different winners. The 2024 WEC season is still waiting for its first contender to win two races. This time round, the #83 AF Corse Ferrari 499p of Robert Kubica, Robert Shwartzmann and Yifei Ye crossed the finish line first. The second time this year a 'privateer' wins in WEC, after JOTA's victory in Spa. In LMGT3 Heart of Racing also scored their maiden victory, on home soil with their #27 in the hands of Ian James, Daniel Mancinelli and Alex Riberas.

HYPERCAR

Antonio Giovinazzi initially led the field from pole in the No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari 499P, followed closely by Kubica in the No. 83 Ferrari. The Ferraris dominated the early part of the race, holding the top three positions after the first round of pit stops. However, two hours into the race, Giovinazzi’s day took a turn for the worse. A collision with the lapped No. 94 Peugeot sent him into a spin, dropping him down the order and eventually leading to his car’s retirement after earlier contact with the No. 78 Lexus damaged the drivetrain.

With Giovinazzi out of contention, the battle for the lead intensified. Ye Yifei took over driving duties in the No. 83 Ferrari, but faced increasing pressure from the No. 7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid, driven by Mike Conway and Nyck de Vries. Toyota’s strategy and swift pit work brought them into contention, with De Vries closing the gap on Ye.

A pivotal moment occurred when Toyota attempted an undercut during a pit stop, with Kamui Kobayashi taking over the No. 7 car. The strategy initially worked, as Kobayashi emerged in the lead. However, a costly drive-through penalty for overtaking under a double yellow flag nullified his advantage, handing the lead back to Shwartzman in the No. 83 Ferrari.

Despite a late charge by Kobayashi, Shwartzman held on to take the checkered flag, securing a historic first win for the No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari. The race concluded with just 1.780 seconds separating the Ferrari from the No. 7 Toyota, marking the second-closest finish in the championship’s history. The victory was also the first Hypercar class win for all three Ferrari drivers.

Behind them, the No. 50 AF Corse Ferrari, driven by Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, and Nicklas Nielsen, completed the podium, finishing third. The No. 2 Cadillac Racing V-Series.R and the No. 35 Alpine Endurance Team A424 rounded out the top five with season-best finishes.

LMGT3

In the LMGT3 class, the Heart of Racing Team claimed a commanding victory with their No. 27 Aston Martin Vantage AMR. The team, consisting of Ian James, Daniel Mancinelli, and Alex Riberas, led the race from start to finish, crossing the line 21 seconds ahead of the No. 92 Manthey PureRxcing Porsche 911 GT3 R. Despite pressure throughout the race, the Manthey Porsche never managed to threaten the Aston Martin’s lead, but still retained the lead in the LMGT3 Endurance Trophy standings.

The sister Manthey Porsche, the No. 91 car, secured third place, while the No. 59 United Autosports McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo finished just off the podium in fourth. The race proved challenging for other manufacturers, with the best-placed Ford Mustang LMGT3 finishing in sixth and the leading Chevrolet Corvette Z06 LMGT3 R in eighth.

It was a tough day for the No. 85 Iron Dames Lamborghini, which led early but fell to 13th after damage from contact and a lengthy pit stop. The race saw several retirements, including the No. 12 JOTA Porsche and the No. 51 Ferrari, both exiting in the final hour.

The Lone Star Le Mans provided another chapter in the unpredictable 2024 WEC season, with the Hypercar and LMGT3 classes showcasing intense battles and strategic depth. As the championship heads into its final rounds, the fight for the titles remains wide open.