So close yet so far last year…sorry, back in January…the #3 Kessel Racing Ferrari of Michael Broniszewski, Philipp Peter and Daniel Zampieri was busy showing the field how it’s done as the 12hr endurance race…well, technically it’s two six hour races (yep, it is a little complicated)…reached the halfway point.
Among the early favourites for victory (alongside inaugural winners AF Corse and United Autosports), the Kessel Racing team found themselves out of synch with most of the GT3 category runners thanks to an early pitstop and an early safety car period.
Despite valiant attempts by polesitters AF Waltrip, the #1 AF Corse Ferrari and the Autorlando Porsche 997 to throw their respective spanners in the works, faultless running helped launch the Kessel 458 Italia up the field and into the hot seat.
Also on a charge was the Avelon Formula Wolf car, which – at the hands of lead driver Ivan Bellarosa – had been hunting down the Kessel Racing #3 prancing horse in an early dice for third.
The Wolf car, having avoided issues that befell its sister #46 entry lies fourth, remains last of the runners on the lead lap. Stephane Sarrazin, Nicolas Minassian and Enzo Potolicchio in the second AF Corse machine line up just in front in third for the second half of the endurance event.