AF Corse heads to Bahrain with its eyes fixed firmly on bringing home one of the FIA World Endurance Championship GTE Pro titles.
Both Gianmaria Bruni and Giancarlo Fisichella sit just 5.5 points off the top of the GTE Pro Drivers’ World Championship, and as such, AF Corse has taken the decision to split the two drivers up, doubling the team’s chances to get one of them to the top of the table by having them in two cars. Bruni will race with Toni Vilander in the #51 Ferrari F458 Italia, while Fisichella will partner Kamui Kobayashi in the #71 sister car.
AF Corse also hold second place in the GTE Pro Teams standings, 8.5 points behind Aston Martin Racings, while Ferrari hold second in the GT Manufacturers’ standings, 17.5 points behind Aston Martin.
At the end of Free Practice 1, Bruni and Vilander were second fastest, behind the championship leading Aston Martin. Fisichella and Kobayashi were the slowest car in GTE Pro, almost two and a half seconds off the pace of the #97 Aston Martin.
GTE Am could also see Ferrari taking a title home, with 8Star Motorsports, who are managed by AF Corse, sitting in second place in the GTE Am Teams’ standings. The 8Star drivers of Enzo Potolicchio and Rui Aguas could also walk away from Bahrain with the GTE Am Drivers’ title, with the duo only 9 points off the top of the table.
8Star closed the first practice session in fourth place in GTE Am.
