Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

Global
Race report

AF Corse's Kobayashi debut with a podium on the 6 Hours of Silverstone

Former Sauber F1 driver Kamui Kobayashi, driving the N°71 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia GT2, had a successful debut on WEC.

#71 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia: Kamui Kobayashi, Toni Vilander

#71 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia: Kamui Kobayashi, Toni Vilander

Daniel James Smith

SILVERSTONE – Kamui Kobayashi celebrated his debut race in the N°71 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 with a podium finish in association with Toni Vilander (FIN).

#71 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia: Kamui Kobayashi, Toni Vilander
#71 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia: Kamui Kobayashi, Toni Vilander

Photo by: Daniel James Smith

The pair came second in the GTE Pro category of the 6 Hours of Silverstone, round one of the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship, and they immediately felt at ease with the car and their technical staff.

Giancarlo Fisichella and Gianmaria Bruni (N°51 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia GT2) were fifth in the GTE Pro class at the chequered flag.

The Italians’ result did not reflect the true potential of their package due to a number of unlucky incidents which affected their race.

Ferrari also finished on the podium in the GTE Am category thanks to the third place secured by Enzo Potolicchio, Philippe Peter and Rui Aguas in the N°81 AF Corse run 8 Star Motorsport 458 Italia GT2.

The trio was even second in the class until the penultimate lap when the N°50 Corvette hit the 458 Italia from behind.

Thanks to extremely quick repairs in the pits, the team enabled the car to continue and collect a top-three result. Jack Gerber, Marco Cioci and Matt Griffin were eighth in GTE Am in the N°61 AF Corse Ferrari.

Their race was troubled by a collision with an LMP1 prototype which crashed into its front-right wing. The team’s technicians managed to repair the N°61 458 which re-joined the race after just 30 minutes in its garage.

AF Corse

Be part of Motorsport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Stunning Strakka stung by back marker at Silverstone
Next article Mücke starts into the season with a class win in Silverstone

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

Global