6 Hours of Rome 2013

Maranello, 18 November – Yesterday’s Rome 6 Hours, held at the Piero Taruffi Circuit at Vallelunga, ended with an all-Ferrari podium. The “classic” that brings the Italian GT season to a close saw victory go to the AF Corse 458 GT2, crewed by Andrea Bertolini, Marco Cioci and Piergiuseppe Perazzini, who crossed the line a lap ahead of the sister car in the hands of Matt Griffin and Duncan Cameron. The third step of the podium featured the Black Team 458 GT2, which saw Andrea Palma, Lorenzo Case and Piero Necchi takes turns at the wheel. The race began on a damp track, but already, after less than half an hour, the surface was practically dry and everyone pitted to switch tyres, with the exception of Rui Aguas in the third AF Corse 458 GT2, who had started on dry tyres. The Portuguese had managed to build up a lead that reached a minutes and twenty seconds over second place, but after a few laps following a switch of driver, came disaster when Lucas Nasrat lost control at the Esses and ended up in the barriers and out of the race. The race was neutralised as a result and the lead passed to the crew of Bertolini-Cioco-Perazzini who stayed there pretty much uninterrupted until the very end. In the second part of the race, Matt Griffin starred, with a series of quick laps which saw him move up to second at the finish. Yesterday’s win was the eighth outright victory for a Ferrari in this race, the fourth in a row. It was a full house for Marco Cioci and Piergiuseppe Perazzini, both victorious in 2006 with the Maserati MC12 and before that with the 430 GT2 (2008) and then with the 458 GT2 (2011 and 2013) while for AF Corse it was a hat trick (2010, 2011 and 2013.)