New Ferrari 296 in striking distance in qualifying for Sebring 12 Hours

SEBRING, FL (17 March 2023) – Ferrari posted competitive laps with its new Ferrari 296 GT3 in Friday morning’s qualifying for Saturday’s 12 Hours of Sebring, Round 2 of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The endurance classic marks the second outing for the all-new platform, having debuted in the season-opening Daytona 24 hour event. 

Ferrari factory driver Daniel Serra recorded the fifth-fastest time in the GTD Pro category, running 1:59.939-seconds in the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3. Factory pilot Davide Rigon will co-drive for the Houston-based team, joined by Gabriel Casagrande.

IMSA newcomer Triarsi Competizione led Ferrari’s GTD contingent for teams with Pro-Am lineups.  Factory driver Alessio Rovera was sixth-fastest in the category, running 2:00.124-seconds in the No. 023 Ferrari of Central Florida / Ferrari of Tampa Bay Ferrari 296 GT3. Onofrio Triarsi and Charlie Scardina will co-drive for the Orlando-based team, which took 10th in the season-opening Daytona 24 Hours, the international debut of the 296 in international competition. Scardina and Triarsi won at Sebring in the team’s professional debut in 2021 in a GT World Challenge America event.

Celilar Racing, the 2022 Sebring GTD winner, qualified 11th with Giorgio Sergagiotto running 2:01.451-seconds in the blue No. 47 Ferrari. Factory driver Antonio Fuoco joins Roberto Lacorte in the return of last year’s winning lineup.

AF Corse will line up 12th in GTD, with Simon Mann turning a lap of 2:01.588-seconds in the No. 21 Ferrari 296 GT3. The car will be co-driven by factory driver Miguel Molina and Francesco Castellacci.

The 71st 12 Hours of Sebring takes the green flag at 10:10 a.m. ET on Saturday morning. Live coverage on USA Network picks up at 4:30 p.m. ET.