Ferrari Sixth in Sebring

SEBRING, FL (18 March 2023) – Ferrari scored a sixth-place finish with its new Ferrari 296 GT3, with various problems hitting all four teams racing in Saturday’s 71st running of the 12 Hours of Sebring.

Factory driver Daniel Serra took a sixth-place finish in the GTD Pro class, driving the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3. Serra was hit from behind by the race-leading prototype with less than 20 minutes remaining, leading to a lengthy caution. Serra was battling for fifth at the time of the incident, which caused both cars to spin. The caution allowed the top two GTD Pro cars to finish the race without pitting.

Gabriel Casagrande took the GTD Pro lead shortly after the four-hour mark driving the Risi Ferrari. Factory driver Daniel Serra fell to fifth on Casagrande’s pit stop, and worked up to third at the halfway point of the Florida classic.

Next up for the Houston team was factory driver Davide Rigon, who ran as high as second before pitting near the seven-hour mark. He was running within 10 seconds of the lead at the eight-hour mark. Serra drove a closing stint of more than three and a half hours, running third for the majority of his stint before his final stop.

Three Ferrari teams raced the new 296 in the GTD class for GT3 cars with Pro-Am driver lineups, only to experience a range of different issues on the historic runway-based circuit. 

Defending class winner Cetilar Racing had a new, blue Ferrari 296 in a livery that is becoming more familiar to IMSA fans. 

Roberto Lacorte led the class with three hours, 48 minutes remaining, but the team fell to 14th when he pitted and turned the Ferrari over to Antonio Fuoco. The factory driver was running a lead-lap ninth when he pitted with two hours remaining. Georgio Sernagiotto returned to the race but lost 10 laps on an unscheduled pit stop 10 minutes later, resulting in a 14th-place finish.

AF Corse was running in contention with the No. 21 Ferrari 296 GT3 of factory driver Miguel Molina, Francesco Castellacci and Simon Mann. The team was running 12th, on the lead lap, when a long pit stop during the eighth hour to repair the front of the car due to an oil pump issue dropped them nine laps behind the leader. Molina soldiered on to finish 13th in the competitive class.

Triarsi Competizione, running its second IMSA race, retired midway through the race after a driveline issue and recurring issues with a transmission belt. They finished 20th in the class. Triarsi had the highest-qualifying Ferrari in GTD, starting sixth with the new No. 023 Ferrari of Central Florida / Ferrari of Tampa Bay entry of factory driver Alessio Rovera, Charlie Scardina and Onofrio Triarsi.

Next up for the IMSA WeatherTech Championship will be the Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 15. A full Ferrari contingent is expected for the next Endurance Cup event, the Sahlen’s Six Hours of Watkins Glen on June 25.