Ferrari GTs Sweep GTE-AM Class at Le Mans

The 85th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 18-19 brought Ferrari GT cars the top three spots on the podium, a remarkable but satisfying achievement in this classic motor endurance race.

In the GTE-AM class, the #84 488 GTE of JMW Motorsport won handily, leading most of the race, and ending with a lap’s advantage over everyone else in the class. The British team was making its debut with the new berlinetta, which was driven by Robert Smith, Dries Vanthoor and Will Stevens.

Second place went to the Spirit of Race team, with drivers Marco Cioci, Duncan Cameron and Aaron Scott in the #55 488 GTE.

Third place went to the 2016 winners, Bill Sweedler and Townsend Bell, along with newcomer Cooper MacNeil, in the #62 488 GTE of Scuderia Corsa. Cooper is the son of Ferrari collector and Weathertech founder David MacNeil, Weathertech being a sponsor of the IMSA Sportscar Championship in the USA, and a partner of the Cavallino Classic. In the GTE-Pro class, the results were less spectacular but the #71 488 GTE of AF Corse, driven by Davide Rigon, Sam Bird and Miguel Molina, did finish in the points. However, James Calado, Alessandro Pier Guidi and Michele Rugolo in car #51 were out of luck, having been knocked out due to contact with a lapped car that destroyed a radiator. Bad luck also struck the #82 488 GTE of Risi Competizione, driven by Toni Vilander, Giancarlo Fisichella and Pierre Kaffer, which was struck and put out of action due to a senseless maneuver by an Oreca of TDS Racing.

Info from your staff and Media Ferrari. Images from Media Ferrari.

A full report by Competitions Editor Keith Bluemel will be in the next Cavallino magazine. Subscribe today!