The 2025 Spa 24 Hours has already been the stage for Ferrari to unveil the new Evo version of its 296 GT3 racer, but all attention now turns to the main event, where two examples of the current-spec car are running in AF Corse colours in the Pro class as part of a full GT World Challenge Endurance Cup campaign: the #50 driven by Arthur Leclerc, Hypercar star Antonio Fuoco and young Ferrari Challenge graduate Eliseo Donno; and the #51, with 2021 race winner Alessandro Pier Guidi in alongside Alessio Rovera and former Bentley factory driver Vincent Abril.
With two zero scores from the first two races, Rovera and his teammates in the #51 are not focusing on points collection at the six and 12-hour marks this weekend.
“Last year, too, we focused on the overall win and not the segments and we were really close, so we will try the same this year,” he told DSC on Friday. Last year, of course, was when Rovera and Pier Guidi – then sharing with Davide Rigon – were cruelly robbed of victory in the closing stages when a stricken Lamborghini blocked pit entry, allowing the Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin through for the win.
2025 sees a change to the line-up with the arrival of Abril alongside Rovera and the hugely experienced Pier Guidi. “Last year was my first alongside ‘Ale’ and I could learn a lot,” said Rovera. “We’re a good duo and Vincent makes it a good trio. We’re a good, fast consistent line-up. With a bit more luck, the result will come. We just need to survive the night, and then maybe take more risks from the morning.”
In contrast to drivers from other brands, the Ferrari pilots have been somewhat critical of the latest Pirelli spec tyre introduced for 2025. “I think this year we’re struggling a bit to find the right operational window, especially in cool conditions,” said Rovera. “Especially in Paul Ricard, we were hurting a bit once it went dark. But during the day with these 25 degrees plus temps that are forecast, we should be fine.”
Pier Guidi (left) is relatively satisfied with the #51’s fifth-place grid position for the race, but has some concerns about long-run pace due to the interruptions and variable weather experienced across the free practice and pre-qualifying sessions.
“In Superpole, we gained a couple of positions from Thursday, which was good, but the gap to first was still quite big, which is not ideal. We’re also a bit worried about our ‘raceability’ because we’re missing a bit of straight-line speed. With such a big grid and so much traffic to pass on every lap, when you’re making your lap time more in the corners than the straights, it’s not ideal.”
Elsewhere, Pier Guidi echoed Rovera’s concerns about the 2025 Pirelli tyre, stating simply: “Honestly, I thought the old one was better. I’m not really happy about the new one, as there’s more degradation; last year’s was more consistent.”
Reflecting on 2024’s disappointment – and race director Neils Wittich’s request that drivers try to stay as far left or right as possible if ‘recovering’ to the pits’ – he said: “Of course, it could be a solution, but I think you have to say the pit entry before the line is still part of the track, so if you have an incident there, it should be a full-course yellow and closed pits. Even if someone is trying their best to stay to one side, there are some parts of pit entry here that are just too narrow to avoid it getting blocked. I think race control needs to react quicker to close pit entry if what we saw last year happens again.”
And when it comes to the record 75 (now 74) car grid for this year’s race, Pier Guidi is also not short of an opinion: “It’s too many. Across seven kilometres, it’s less than 100 metres between the cars. I think it’s starting to be a bit too much. I understand there are so many teams an drivers wanting to do this race, but at some point, we have to put a limit on it.
”Over in the #50 car, Pier Guidi’s fellow Hypercar driver Antonio Fuoco (above) spoke to DSC shortly after recording 10th-fastest time in Friday’s Superpole.
“Overall, it was quite a clean lap, I think the only clean lap I’ll have all week with this many cars on the entry! The grid size is a bit on the limit, to be honest. I’m hoping the forecast is right and it will be a dry race.”
Looking at the bigger picture, Fuoco says dovetailing GT3 appearances with Hypercar duty brings plenty of benefits. “It’s nice to move between the cars and also see different championships, how they approach things, how they work differently.”
“WEC is for me now one of the best championships in the world, growing really well, with a really nice fight between the brands and more competitors on the way. And from my perspective, I can sometimes take things I learn from one side to the other. I’m doing both since 2023 and it’s a really good thing for a driver to do.”
Images courtesy of SRO
