Roberto Lacorte, Giorgio Sernagiotto and Antonio Fuoco completed a memorable weekend in Algarve to secure the first ever FIA WEC victory in the LMGTE Am class for team Cetilar Racing at their second race in the #47 Ferrari 488 GTE run by AF Corse.
The 8 Hour of Portimão triumph rewards the all made in Italy squad after years of efforts and lets the Cetilar Racing trio – that claimed the third position in the 6H Spa-Francorchamps opener last May – to take the championship lead with 53 total points over the 35 of the Ferrari crew formed by Giancarlo Fisichella, Francesco Castellacci and Thomas Flohr.
Lacorte, Sernagiotto and Fuoco finished the Portuguese race in fine style, after the first one set a sensational third quickest time in the Saturday’s qualifying.
Fuoco took the chequered flag at the end of a full intense action with just 5.830 seconds ahead of the Riccardo Pera’s Porsche, after Lacorte drove in the first stint keeping away from troubles and remaining closed to the front-runners, as Sernagiotto had a great pace taking the lead during the sixth hour.
“It’s very difficult to explain our feelings,” Roberto Lacorte commented. “We certainly deserved this victory as well as all the people of the Cetilar Racing program. It was a hard-fought victory and we didn’t make any mistake.”
“I’m thinking we are the same people of the last year and we have the same motivations,” Giorgio Sernagiotto reflected. “I’m really happy. We also take the championship lead. ‘Robi’ [Lacorte] is the top among Bronze drivers! ‘Tony Fire’ [Fuoco] is a high-class racer and I am a fast Silver driver too.”
“It was a very positive weekend. The car was fine since the practice. Roberto had a great qualifying session and topped the Bronze drives in his first stint,” Antonio Fuoco explained. “Everything was under control. The team had a perfect strategy and made perfect pit-stops. We are all happy, but have to continue to pust hard. The season is yet long”.
The next race of the FIA WEC Championship is just a month away with round three taking place at the home track in Monza over the weekend of 16/18 July.
Source. Cetilar Racing
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