In a thrilling display of speed and skill, Spanish driver Albert Costa expertly maneuvered his #81 DragonSpeed Ferrari 296 GT3 to clinch the pole position in the GTD PRO competition. His remarkable lap time of 1:59.131 asserted the dominance of his Ferrari, overshadowing the performances of Lauren Heinrich, driving the #77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3R, and Neil Verhagen, behind the wheel of the #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 Evo, who secured the second and third positions respectively.
Yet, in an unexpected twist, the swiftest lap time came from the GTD category, where Alessandro Pier Guidi showcased his driving prowess in another Ferrari, a #21 model from AF Corse. Pier Guidi, with a similarly impressive lap time of 1:59.131, secured the pole position for the Italian team in the 20-car field, once again demonstrating Ferrari’s supremacy in the racing world.
In the GTD category, Kenton Koch gave a commendable performance to secure second position with Korthoff Motorsports and Mercedes. Jack Hawksworth, representing Lexus and Vasser Sullivan, claimed the third spot. Hawksworth, despite a valiant effort, fell short by almost four-tenths of a second against Ferrari factory driver Pier Guidi, who maintained a consistent pace throughout the session in his #21 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3.
The competition was cutthroat, with Koch barely outpacing Hawksworth by a mere 0.005 seconds. Phil Ellis, driving the #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, took the fourth spot, albeit well over half a second behind the leading Pier Guidi. In fifth place was Lorenzo Patrese, piloting the #47 Cetilar Racing Ferrari, who trailed his compatriot on the class pole by 0.917 seconds.
The events at Sebring have undeniably cemented Ferrari’s position at the pole in both the GTD Pro and GTD categories. The relentless performance of both Albert Costa and Alessandro Pier Guidi exemplifies the power and precision that Ferrari brings to the racing circuit, setting a high standard for the competition to follow.
