Le Mans Series 2010

Round 1: 1000 km Le Castellet

Circuit	Le Castellet
Date	05.04.2010
Laps	266
Distance	1540,406 km / 957,369 miles

Le Mans Series – Engines fire up at Paul Ricard
Source: Ferrari

Maranello, 9 April – A busy day of free practice has just come to an end at the HTTT Le Castellet circuit, in the run up to the first round of this season’s Le Mans Series, the famous racing championship born out of the Le Mans 24 Hours and this year is its twelfth season. Giancarlo Fisichella, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro’s reserve driver, made his GT2 racing debut, completing around a dozen laps, although as planned, his workload will increase tomorrow, compared to his team-mates, Jean Alesi and Toni Vilander. The crew was seventh fastest, at the wheel of one of the three F430s entered by the Italian AF Corse team and the general view of this first day of practice was summed up by Fisichella after the afternoon session: “taking into account the fact the tyres were very worn and the car had a significant fuel load, everything went well. A bit of oversteer and a nervous rear end meant it was hard to do better than seventh, but the feeling is good and tomorrow we can expect to have a lot of work to do on track.”

The other Ferraris also did well: the Andrew Kirkaldy and Tim Mullen F430 dominated the morning session, just ahead of its AF Corse sister car, driven by Jaime Melo and Gimmi Bruni and the Porsche 997 of Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz. At the end of the second run, the Lieb and Lietz Porsche came out on top, ahead of the third AF Corse F430, in the hands of Luis Perez Companc and Matias Russo and the Aston Martin of Robert Bell and Darren Turner.

Tomorrow, Fisichella and his team-mates tackle the third and final free practice session, followed by the all-important qualifying session, in preparation for the eight hour marathon which gets underway at 11 on Sunday, ending at 7 pm.

Le Mans Series – Ferrari takes class pole
Source: Ferrari

Maranello, 10 April – The second day of practice for the Le Mans Series race on the Paul Ricard HTTT circuit at Le Castellet went very well for the AF Corse team. In the third and final free practice session in the morning, it was the Porsche 997 of Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz that was quickest, ahead of the F430 crewed by Giancarlo Fisichella, Jean Alesi and Toni Vilander, the other Ferrari entered by CRS Racing, driven by Andrew Kirkaldy-Tim Mullen and the second AF Corse car driven by Gimmi Bruni and Jaime Melo. However, this crew then produced a skilful drive to dominate qualifying, which has just ended on the French track, getting the most out of the short session. Tomorrow therefore, they start ahead of the Lieb-Lietz Porsche and the Kirkaldy-Mullen and Alesi-Fisichella-Vilander F430s. “Again, just a few laps for me today,” said Fisichella, “because we all agreed it was better to leave qualifying in the expert hands of Toni Vilander. This morning’s session went well and we managed to dial out some of the oversteer, giving us a much more precise car to drive than yesterday. Hard to say what might happen tomorrow: we start fourth in our category and I’m expecting an exciting race,but I hope I won’t be having to fight the rain.” The race starts at 11am tomorrow.

Le Mans Series – Ferrari on the podium
Source: Ferrari

Maranello, 11 April – The Ferrari of Jean Alesi, Giancarlo Fisichella and Toni Vilander made it to the third step of the podium in the GT2 class at the end of the curtain raiser for this season’s Le Mans Series, held at the Paul Ricard HTTT circuit at Le Castellet. With six laps remaining in the eight hour marathon, the AF Corse F430 suffered a puncture after coming together with a prototype car and had to make its way down pit lane for a wheel change, thus dropping from second to third spot. The race ended with a Porsche 997 one-two for Marc Lieb-Richard Lietz and Martin Ragginger-Christian Ried-Patrick Long, but after the flag, Fisichella felt it had gone well. “It’s a shame about Jean’s accident just ten minutes from the end as we were running second and had a good pace,” said the Ferrari man, who now heads off to Shanghai to fulfil the role of reserve driver for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro in the Chinese Grand Prix. “We were the highest qualified Ferrari in our category and as a debut race, I am more than pleased, especially as I think I have learned a lot and can therefore improve.” In fourth place was the CRS Racing Ferrari, crewed by Pierre Ehret-Phil Quaife-Pierre Kaffer, with AF Corse’s second F430 finishing fifth in the hands of Luis Perez Comanc-Matias Russo.

The next round of this series takes place on 9 May, at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium.


No. 91 - CRS Racing	No. 95 - AF Corse
Copyright Ferrari	Copyright Ferrari


No. 95 - AF Corse	No. 96 - AF Corse
Copyright Ferrari	Copyright Ferrari

Le Castellet 2010 - Gallery

No	Driver	Ferrari	S/N	Team	Result
89	Dominik Farnbacher Allan Simonsen	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGTC 2630	Hankook - Team Farnbacher	not classified

90	Pierre Ehret Phil Quaife Pierre Kaffer	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGTC 2612	CRS Racing	22. overall/ 4. in class LMGT2

91	Andrew Kirkaldy Tim Mullen	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGTC 2618	CRS Racing	not classified

94	Luis Perez Companc Matias Russo	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGTC 2624	AF Corse	23. overall/ 5. in class LMGT2

95	Giancarlo Fisichella Toni Vilander Jean Alesi	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGT 2464	AF Corse	21. overall/ 3. in class LMGT2

96	Gianmaria Bruni Jaime Melo	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGTC 2626	AF Corse	not classified

Round 2: 1000 km Spa-Francorchamps

Circuit	Spa-Francorchamps
Date	09.05.2010
Laps	139
Distance	973,556 km / 605,069 miles

LMS – Two Ferraris on the podium
Source: Ferrari

Maranello (Modena), 9 May 2010 – Two F430 GT2 cars finished the Spa 1000 Km, the second round of the Le Mans Series, which has only just ended on the historic Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium on the podium. The race win went to the Porsche 997 of Marc Lieb-Richard Lietz, while two of the three F430s entered by the Piacenza based AF Corse team came second and third. First of the Ferraris was the one driven by Gimmi Bruni and Jaime Melo, while second went to the crew of Giancarlo Fisichella, Jean Alesi and Toni Vilander. “We are really happy with this result, which was totally unexpected after an unlucky qualifying which meant we had to start from the thirteenth row,” said Fisichella after the race. “I got a good start and immediately picked up some places. Me and my team-mates were able to manage that advantage, before getting past the BMW M3 of Priaulx-Muller-Farfus in the final stint to end up again on the podium. It was a great race.”

The next round of this prestigious series takes place over the weekend of 17 July at the Portimao track in Portugal.

LMS – Ferrari on pole at Spa
Source: Ferrari

Maranello (Modena), 8 May –One month on from the season opener at France’s Paul Ricard HTTT circuit at Le Castellet, the Le Mans Series set up camp at the legendary Spa Francorchamps circuit to tackle the 1000 km race, one of the most prestigious endurance races in the history of motor sport and a good rehearsal for the Le Mans 24 Hours on 13 June. Yesterday saw two free practice sessions, with qualifying to decide the grid taking place today, before tomorrow’s race gets underway at the Belgian track at 11.30. Among the fifty two cars entered in the GT and prototype classes, there are no less than six Ferrari’s in the GT2 category: the AF Corse car, took the class pole in the hands of Gimmi Bruni and Jaime Melo, ahead of the Porsche 997 of Marc Lieb-Richard Lietz and the other Ferrari of Andrew Kirkaldy and Tim Mullen (CRS Racing.) The second car entered by the team from Piacenza was not so lucky, doing no better than thirteenth on the grid, in the hands of Giancarlo Fisichella, Jean Alesi and Toni Vilander. “Unfortunately, the red flag came out on my quick lap,” said the Roman driver when he was back in the garage. “When I went back out there was oil on the track and so I couldn’t do better than that. Despite that, we are very confident as we went well in free practice and if it doesn’t rain tomorrow, we can have a good race.”


No. 89 - Hankook - Team Farnbacher	No. 90 - CRS Racing
Copyright Ferrari	Copyright Ferrari


No. 91 - CRS Racing	No. 94 - AF Corse
Copyright Ferrari	Copyright Ferrari


No. 95 - AF Corse	No. 96 - AF Corse
Copyright Ferrari	Copyright Ferrari

Spa 2010 - Gallery

No	Driver	Ferrari	S/N	Team	Result
89	Dominik Farnbacher Allan Simonsen	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGTC 2630	Hankook - Team Farnbacher	29. overall/ 10. in class LMGT2

90	Pierre Ehret Phil Quaife Pierre Kaffer	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGTC 2612	CRS Racing	38. overall/ 15. in class LMGT2

91	Andrew Kirkaldy Tim Mullen	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGTC 2618	CRS Racing	24. overall/ 6. in class LMGT2

94	Luis Perez Companc Matias Russo	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGTC 2624	AF Corse	30. overall/ 11. in class LMGT2

95	Giancarlo Fisichella Toni Vilander Jean Alesi	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGT 2464	AF Corse	20. overall/ 3. in class LMGT2

96	Gianmaria Bruni Jaime Melo	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGTC 2626	AF Corse	19. overall/ 2. in class LMGT2

Round 3: 1000 km Algarve

Circuit	Algarve
Date	17.07.2010
Laps	215
Distance	1.000,825 km / 622,017 miles

LMS – Ferrari one-two at Parco Algarve
Source: Ferrari

Maranello, 18 July 2010 – Jaime Melo and Gimmi Bruni took the GT2 class win at the wheel of one of the three AF Corse Ferraris entered in the Algarve 1000 km, the first night race of the Le Mans Series, held at the Portuguese Parco Algarve circuit. The impressive duo made the most of starting from the pole position secured with a great lap the previous morning and crossed the line ahead of the other F430 driven by Giancarlo Fisichella, Jean Alesi and Toni Vilander and the Porsche 997 of Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz. “It was a good race,” commented Fisichella once it was over. “We had some problems at the pit stop and lost valuable seconds because the radio was not working properly, but in the final laps, when we were lying third, Vilander managed to pass the Porsche and get us onto the second step of the podium.” The Roman driver leaves Portimao with 52 points in the Drivers’ classification, as do his team-mates, which puts them second, just ten lengths behind Lieb and Lietz, while Ferrari is now up to 106 points in the Constructors’, only three points behind Porsche. A long one month break now follows, before the fourth round in this prestigious series, which takes place over the weekend of 22 August at the Hungaroring in Hungary.

LMS – Ferrari dominates Portimao qualifying
Source: Ferrari

Maranello, 17 July 2010 – There are thirty two cars entered in the third round of the Le Mans Series, a 1000 km race lasting seven hours, which gets underway today at the Portimao circuit in Portugal.

This morning, the Ferraris dominated qualifying, taking the top three places on the grid. It was confirmation of the result in the third and final free practice session, with two of the three cars entered by the AF Corse team from Piacenza, Italy, heading the GT2 category, crewed by Jaime Melo-Gimmi Bruni and Giancarlo Fisichella-Jean Alesi-Toni Vilander. Third went to another F430 entered by British team, CRS Racing, driven by Andrew Kirkaldy-Tim Mullen.

Giancarlo Fisichella, back from a special one-off participation in the fourth round of the American Le Mans Series, last weekend at Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City, seems to have a good feel for the Portuguese track. “The circuit is really nice and I feel particularly comfortable driving here and so far the results bear that out. We are hoping for a good race, the weather is good and everything seems to be in place for us to do well.”


No. 89 - Hankook - Team Farnbacher	No. 90 - CRS Racing
Copyright Ferrari	Copyright Ferrari


No. 91 - CRS Racing	No. 94 - AF Corse
Copyright Ferrari	Copyright Ferrari


No. 95 - AF Corse	No. 96 - AF Corse
Copyright Ferrari	Copyright Ferrari

Algarve 2010 - Gallery

No	Driver	Ferrari	S/N	Team	Result
89	Dominik Farnbacher Allan Simonsen	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGTC 2630	Hankook - Team Farnbacher	14. overall/ 7. in class LMGT2

90	Pierre Ehret Phil Quaife Pierre Kaffer	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGTC 2612	CRS Racing	18. overall/ 11. in class LMGT2

91	Andrew Kirkaldy Tim Mullen	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGTC 2618	CRS Racing	15. overall/ 8. in class LMGT2

94	Luis Perez Companc Matias Russo	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGTC 2624	AF Corse	13. overall/ 6. in class LMGT2

95	Giancarlo Fisichella Toni Vilander Jean Alesi	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGT 2464	AF Corse	9. overall/ 2. in class LMGT2

96	Gianmaria Bruni Jaime Melo	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGTC 2626	AF Corse	7. overall/ 1. in class LMGT2

Round 4: Hungaroring

Circuit	Hungaroring
Date	22.08.2010
Laps	206
Distance	902,486 km / 560,899 miles

LMS – Ferrari second in Budapest
Source: Ferrari

Maranello, 23 August 2010 – Over this past weekend, the Budapest circuit hosted the Hungaroring 1000 Km, the famous endurance race and fourth round of the Le Mans Series. Of the six F430 GT2 cars competing at the Magyar track, the best result came courtesy of the British CRS Racing team, whose crew of Andrew Kirkald and Tim Mullen took a great second place, just nine seconds off winners Marc Lieb-Richard Lietz (Team Felbermayr Proton.)

This meant the AF Corse team left Hungary with less than it expected: the crew of Giancarlo Fisichella-Jean Alesi-Toni Vilander made a great start, holding the class lead for over two hours, but a technical problem during a pit stop saw their chances of victory compromised and they had to settle for fourth place, finishing behind the Porsche 997 GT3 driven by Patrick Pilet-Raymond Narac. The crew of Alvaro Barba and GT2 debutant Alvaro Parente, crossed the line fifth, while the Italian team’s third Ferrari, driven by Luis Perez Companc and Matias Russo came home in eighth place. Close behind them came the only Ferrari entered by the German Hankook Team Farnbacher and the other CRS Racing car of Pierre Ehret-Phil Quaife, who finished tenth and twelfth respectively.

The Le Mans Series competitors will be back in action over the weekend of 12 September, at Silverstone circuit, to tackle the final round of the series. Giancarlo Fisichella, Jean Alesi and Toni Vilander will be trying to get back on top, looking to snatch the prize from the Team Felbermayr Proton crew of Marc Lieb-Richard Lietz, who currently have a fifteen point lead in both classifications.

LMS – Hungaroring 1000 Km
Source: Ferrari

The Hungaroring 1000 Kms, the famous endurance race and this year, the fourth round of the Le Mans Series, has just finished.

After six hours of racing, top honours in the GT2 class went to the crew of Marc Lieb-Richard Lietz (Team Felbermayr Proton), who finished just 9 seconds ahead of the Ferrari F430 GT2, driven by Andrew Kirkaldy-Tim Mullen, upholding the honour of the British CRS Racing team. Third place on the podium went to another Ferrari, that of Patrick Pillet-Raymond Narac (Imsa Performance Matmut.)

The AF Corse car, crewed by Giancarlo Fisichella-Jean Alesi-Toni Vilander came home fourth, ahead of team-mates, Alvaro Barba-Alvaro Parente. The third AF Corse car, in the hands of Luis Perez Compac-Matias Russo was eighth, with the F430 GT2 driven by Dominik Farnbacker and Allan Simonsen for Hankook Team Farnbacher tenth, while twelfth place awaited the CRS Racing crew of Pierre Ehret-Phil Quaife.

LMS – In action in Budapest
Source: Ferrari

Maranello, 18 August 2010 – This coming weekend, the Budapest circuit hosts the Hungaroring 1000 Km, a well known endurance race, which this year is being staged for the first time as a round of the Le Mans Series. The fourth round of the series, which sees no less than thirty nine cars entered, features the GT2 class debut of the Portuguese driver, Alvaro Parente, at the wheel of one of three AF Corse team Ferraris. Parente, the current leader of the Spanish Grand Touring championship is paired with Alvaro Barba, while the two other F430 GT2 cars are entrusted to Giancarlo Fisichella-Jean Alesi-Toni Vilander and Luis Perez Companc-Matias Russo. Other Ferraris on track include the crews of Pierre Ehret-Phil Quaife and Andrew Kirkaldy-Tim Mullen, representing the British CRS Racing team, while Dominik Farnbacher and Allan Simonsen will be at the wheel of the one car entered by the German Hankook Team Farnbacher. The event gets underway on Saturday 21 August at 12.30, with the first free practice session, while Sunday sees qualifying take place at 9.45, prior to the start of the six hour race at 16.00.


No. 89 - Hankook - Team Farnbacher	Jean Alesi
Copyright Ferrari	Copyright Ferrari


No. 91 - CRS Racing	No. 94 - AF Corse
Copyright Ferrari	Copyright Ferrari


No. 95 - AF Corse	No. 96 - AF Corse
Copyright Ferrari	Copyright Ferrari

Hungaroring 2010 - Gallery

No	Driver	Ferrari	S/N	Team	Result
89	Dominik Farnbacher Allan Simonsen	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGTC 2630	Hankook - Team Farnbacher	20. overall/ 10. in class LMGT2

90	Pierre Ehret Phil Quaife	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGTC 2612	CRS Racing	28. overall/ 12. in class LMGT2

91	Andrew Kirkaldy Tim Mullen	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGTC 2618	CRS Racing	11. overall/ 2. in class LMGT2

94	Luis Perez Companc Matias Russo	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGTC 2624	AF Corse	17. overall/ 8. in class LMGT2

95	Giancarlo Fisichella Toni Vilander Jean Alesi	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGT 2626	AF Corse	13. overall/ 4. in class LMGT2

96	Alvaro Barba Lopez Alvaro Parente	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGTC 2404	AF Corse	14. overall/ 5. in class LMGT2

Round 5: 1000 km Silverstone

Circuit	Silverstone
Date	12.09.2010
Laps	170
Distance	1001,470 km / 622,418 miles

LMS - Ferrari wins at Silverstone
Source: Ferrari

Maranello, 13 September 2010 - At the Silverstone 1000 km, the fifth and final round of the Le Mans Series, success in the GT2 class went to Jaime Melo and Gimmi Bruni, at the wheel of one of the three Ferraris entered by team AF Corse. Having started from fourth on the grid, the impressive pair skilfully worked their way to the front, keeping control until the end of the six-hour race. They came in ahead of the Porsche 997 of Richard Westbrook and Marco Holzer and the Aston Martin V8 of Robert Bell and Darren Turner. Despite an excellent start, the third F430 entrusted to the trio of Giancarlo Fisichella, Jean Alesi and Toni Vilander by the Piacenza-based team finished 12th. That was due to a driveshaft failure that cost the unfortunate team the advantage they'd earned in qualifying. The British round marked the start of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup 2010. The protagonists are scheduled to return to the track for the Petit Le Mans of Road Atlanta in the USA on the weekend of October 3.

LMS – Ferrari on the front row for the Silverstone 1000 Km
Source: Ferrari

Maranello, 11 September – The Ferrari of Giancarlo Fisichella, Jean Alesi and Toni Vilander will start second in class on the grid for the fifth and final round of the Le Mans Series, which takes place tomorrow at Silverstone circuit. The AF Corse F430 GT2 car set the second fastest time of 2.03.499 on the English track, thus putting the brilliant trio right behind the Aston Martin V8 of Robert Bell and Darren Turner (2.03.340) and ahead of the Porsche 997 of Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz (2.03.643.)

“We are going well, the car is fine and the results show that we immediately adapted to the revised part of the track,” commented Fisichella, once the session ended. “I have always liked this track and luckily it gradually dried out after the rain that fell in the morning. Tomorrow, the forecast is for a dry race and I hope we do well.” The Silverstone 1000Km kicks off the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup 2010, which next moves on to Road Atlanta in North America, for the Petit Le Mans and then to Zuhai, China for the Asian Le Mans Series.


No. 89 - Hankook - Team Farnbacher	No. 90- CRS Racing
Copyright Ferrari	Copyright Ferrari


No. 91 - CRS Racing	Team AF Corse
Copyright Ferrari	Copyright Ferrari


No. 95 - AF Corse	No. 96 - AF Corse
Copyright Ferrari	Copyright Ferrari

Silverstone 2010 - Gallery

No	Driver	Ferrari	S/N	Team	Result
89	Dominik Farnbacher Allan Simonsen	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGTC 2630	Hankook - Team Farnbacher	not classified

90	Pierre Ehret Phil Quaife Pierre Kaffer	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGTC 2612	CRS Racing	36. overall/ 13. in class LMGT2

91	Andrew Kirkaldy Tim Mullen	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGTC 2618	CRS Racing	26. overall/ 4. in class LMGT2

94	Luis Perez Companc Matias Russo	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGTC 2624	AF Corse	31. overall/ 9. in class LMGT2

95	Giancarlo Fisichella Toni Vilander Jean Alesi	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGT 2626	AF Corse	35. overall/ 12. in class LMGT2

96	Gianmaria Bruni Jaime Melo	F 430 GTC	F 131 EVOGTC 2404	AF Corse	23. overall/ 1. in class LMGT2