For the third year in a row, Cetilar Racing will enter the Rolex 24 at Daytona with the #47 Ferrari 296 GT3. This time, Cetilar brings a partially-revised GTD line-up including two newcomers to IMSA competition.
Roberto Lacorte will be joined by his son Nicola Lacorte for the first time, as the younger Lacorte makes his GT racing debut. The 17-year-old Lacorte is preparing for his FIA Formula 3 Championship debut with DAMS, as a member of the Alpine Academy. He was a race winner in last year’s Formula Regional Oceania Championship and competed full-time in the Formula Regional European Championship.
He is joined by reigning 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Antonio Fuoco, who returns for his fifth Daytona 24 Hours start with Cetilar Racing alongside the elder Lacorte, and another second-generation driver, Lorenzo Patrese.
The 19-year-old son of Riccardo Patrese, Lorenzo has spent the past three years in GT World Challenge Europe. He finished third in the Gold Class this season, after finishing second in the Sprint Cup’s Silver class and third in the Endurance Cup in 2023.
Together, they form an all-Italian team eager to improve on Cetilar Racing’s best-ever Daytona result – sixth in LMP2 back in 2021, with the Dallara P217.
“This is a very important moment in my life. Sharing the car with my son is another dream come true,” said Roberto Lacorte. “Together with Ferrari and AF Corse, we carefully evaluated the opportunity to enter the race with this line-up. Both Niko and Lorenzo completed two test days in Barcelona, showing great speed and maturity. I believe they are both ready to tackle the iconic 24 Hours of Daytona.
“Additionally, I am proud that Cetilar Racing continues its legacy with an eye on the future and young talents. I’m especially proud to give Patrese a chance as he focuses on GT racing, while for Nicola, this will be a valuable experience in his motorsport journey ahead of his FIA Formula 3 season, where he is already showing significant growth during testing.”
“Having the opportunity to compete in such a legendary event as the Rolex 24 at Daytona is a huge honour for me,” added his son Nicola. “I must thank Cetilar Racing for this and BWT Alpine F1 Team for granting me permission to participate in this American race. It will undoubtedly be a tough challenge, as this will be my first endurance event. However, my main focus in 2025 will remain the FIA Formula 3 Championship, where I am preparing for my first season.”
“First and foremost, it’s a great honour for me to take part in the 24 Hours of Daytona and become part of the big Cetilar Racing and AF Corse family,” said Patrese. “It will certainly be a brand-new experience: a new car, a new track, and my first race overseas. All of this makes me very excited, and I thank Cetilar Racing for this incredible opportunity.”
And Fuoco, who was the runner-up in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s Hypercar category in 2024, commented: “2024 has been one of the best years of my career, filled with great achievements, starting with the victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the Ferrari-AF Corse Hypercar and the podium we secured at the 12 Hours of Sebring with Cetilar Racing.
“The goal for next year is to continue with maximum commitment. Starting the season with the 24 Hours of Daytona, a race we’ve had unfinished business with since our IMSA debut in 2021, is the perfect way to begin.”
Images © Jack Webster / Dailysportscar.com, Cetilar Racing
