Driver comments at the end of the 6 Hours of Paul Ricard

The opening round of the 2025 GT World Challenge Europe – Endurance Cup ended with a win and a third place in the Bronze Cup for the number 74 and number 8 Ferrari 296 GT3 cars fielded by Kessel Racing. In the same category, the number 52 car fielded by AF Corse – Franchamps Motors took tenth, while the team also secured 15th and 16th places overall with the Pro crews in the number 51 and number 50 cars. Here are the comments collected at Le Castellet.

Alessio Rovera, 296 GT3 #51, AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors: “We knew it would be tough to be in contention for the top positions here at Paul Ricard, but the team did an excellent job, particularly with the strategy, which allowed us to make up several positions early on and still deliver a performance we can consider reasonably positive.”

Vincent Abril, 296 GT3 #51, AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors: “We can’t be satisfied with the final result, but the team worked really well on the strategy front, which saw us break into the top six in the early stages. That said, in this race we didn’t really have the chance to chase anything truly significant.”

Arthur Leclerc, 296 GT3 #51, AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors: “It was a very difficult 6 Hours. Early on we were unlucky, missing the opportunity to make a pit stop during the Full Course Yellow and losing a few places as a result. All weekend we struggled and we knew we couldn’t be in the fight for the win. We’ll turn the page and already focus on the next round at Monza where we’ll aim for a better result.”

Andrea Bertolini, 296 GT3 #52, AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors: “It was a tough weekend during which we tried to make the most of what we had, but it was clear from the outset that we were lacking in overall performance. Our approach, however, remains the same: we’ll keep working with the aim of doing better in the future. Monza, host of the second round of the championship, shares some similarities with Paul Ricard. Nevertheless, we look ahead with confidence to our ‘home’ race where we’ll do everything we can to chase a stronger result.”

Conrad Laursen, 296 GT3 #74, Kessel Racing: “I’m really happy with this win. The team did an outstanding job here at Paul Ricard. Despite contact early in the race, we did well to recover positions and push in every stint to climb the order. In the final stages, we managed the car superbly and brought home a great result.”

Dustin Blatter, 296 GT3 #74, Kessel Racing: “It could have been a race to forget without the team’s great strategy and the driving from Dennis Marschall and Conrad Laursen. I believe this win is the result of a great team effort – with a little help from luck.”

Dennis Marschall, 296 GT3 #74, Kessel Racing: “This was one of the most exciting races of my career. On the opening lap we spun after contact but managed to keep going. We climbed up to the lead but then had to serve a penalty and lost ground. In the end, we got back to the front thanks also to the pit stop strategy, and in the final stint we fought hard to secure the win.”

David Fumanelli, 296 GT3 #8, Kessel Racing: “It was an incredible race. Last year we won this same event, and this year we’ve confirmed our place on the podium despite a tough start to the race.”

Nicolò Rosi, #8, Kessel Racing: “This podium is the result of the team’s great work preparing the car in the best possible condition. I also want to thank my coaches for the great patience they’ve shown with me.”

Niccolò Schirò, #8, Kessel Racing: “We all did our part in the best possible way. The strategy developed by the team paid off. We stayed strong and never gave up, even when everything seemed to be going against us.”