AF Corse
Encyclopedia
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
auto racing
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
team founded by former racing driver Amato Ferrari
Amato Ferrari
Amato Ferrari is an Italian former auto racing driver. After competing in national events in Italy and Great Britain, he retired from racing in 1994 at the relatively young age of 28. Staying in motor sport, he switched to the management side of the sport. He is currently team principal of his own...
in 2002 in Piacenza
Piacenza
Piacenza is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Piacenza...
. Strongly linked to the Maserati
Maserati
Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
and Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
brands, AF Corse currently competes in the Le Mans Series
Le Mans Series
The Le Mans Series is a European sports car racing endurance series based around the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and run by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . The series was originally named the Le Mans Endurance Series, but changed its name prior to the 2006 season...
and International GT Open
International GT Open
The International GT Open is a grand tourer-style sports car racing founded in 2006 by the Spanish GT Sport Organización. It is a spin-off of the Spanish GT Championship, and uses a similar format, except its races are held internationally.-Format:...
, and are currently four-time champions of the GT2 class of the former FIA GT Championship
FIA GT Championship
The FIA GT Championship was a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation at the behest of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The championship was mostly concentrated in Europe, but throughout the years has visited other continents including Asia and South...
. The team has also entered cars under the Advanced Engineering name.
History
In 1995, Amato Ferrari (no relation to the family of Enzo FerrariEnzo Ferrari
Enzo Anselmo Ferrari Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian race car driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari car manufacturer...
and his Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
car company) retired from driving and chose to concentrate on team management, initially entering the Italian Superturismo Championship
Italian Superturismo Championship
The Italian Superturismo Championship was Italy's national motorsport series for touring cars. It was established in 1987 and its drivers' title has been held by such notable drivers as Le Mans winner Emanuele Pirro and two-time Champ Car champion Alex Zanardi.-History:Established in 1987 the...
. Following the series' demise in 1999, Ferrari launched a new team known as AF Corse, named for his initials. The team turned to sports car racing
Sports car racing
Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
, and within a year was contracted by Maserati
Maserati
Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
. AF Corse was tasked with the development, maintenance, and transport of the Trofeo Cup, a one-make series
One-design
One-Design is a racing method where all vehicles or boats have identical or very similar designs or models. It is also known as Spec series. It is heavily used in sailboat racing. All competitors in a race are then judged based on a single start time...
based on the Maserati Coupé
Maserati Coupe
The Maserati Coupé and Spyder are grand tourers produced by Italian automaker Maserati from 2001 to 2007. They have now been replaced by the GranTurismo. The two nameplates refer to the four-seater coupé and two-seater roadster versions, respectively. Both models were based on the 3200 GT, ...
. The company would continue in this position until 2005.
During 2004, Maserati approached AF Corse about running their latest development in sports car racing: the new Maserati MC12
Maserati MC12
The Maserati MC12 is a two-seater sports car produced by Italian car maker Maserati to allow a racing variant to compete in the FIA GT Championship. The car entered production in 2004 with 30 cars produced...
for the international FIA GT Championship
FIA GT Championship
The FIA GT Championship was a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation at the behest of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The championship was mostly concentrated in Europe, but throughout the years has visited other continents including Asia and South...
. The team aided Maserati in testing and developing the car before running the two new racers in their home event at Imola
2004 FIA GT Imola 500 km
The 2004 FIA GT Imola 500 km was the eighth round the 2004 FIA GT Championship season. It took place at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Italy, on September 5, 2004....
. Drivers Fabrizio de Simone, Andrea Bertolini
Andrea Bertolini
Andrea Bertolini is an Italian race car driver currently driving for Swiss Team in the Superstars Series. He is the official test driver of the Maserati factory....
, Mika Salo
Mika Salo
Mika Juhani Salo is a Finnish racing driver. He competed in Formula One between and . His best ranking was 10th in the world championship in 1999. He also won the GT2 class in the 2008 and 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans....
, and Johnny Herbert
Johnny Herbert
John Paul Herbert is a British racing driver from England. He competed in Formula One, winning three races, and also in sports cars winning the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1991 driving a Mazda 787B...
were all be assigned to the team, eventually earning AF Corse two victories before the season ended. Once the development of the MC12 was satisfied, the company returned to running the Trofeo Cup, as well as running a Maserati Light in the 2005 Italian GT Championship
Italian GT Championship
The Italian GT Championship is an Italian sports car series founded in 2003 and organized by the Automobile Club d'Italia and the Commissione Sportiva Automobilistica Italiana . It replaced a previous supercar-based championship which ran from 1992 until 2002 when it was folded due to a lack of...
.
AF Corse returned to the FIA GT Championship in 2006. This time however they would be running the latest Ferrari offering, the Ferrari F430
Ferrari F430
The Ferrari F430 is a sports car that was produced by the Italian automaker Ferrari from 2004 to 2009, as a successor to the 360. It debuted at the 2004 Paris Motor Show...
, as well as competing in the series' lower category, the GT2 class. Salo was retained in the driving line-up, while newcomers Rui Águas, Jaime Melo
Jaime Melo
Jaime Melo, also known as Jaime Melo, Jr. , is a Brazilian auto racing driver best known for his success in grand tourers as Ferrari driver. In 2006 he won the FIA GT Championship in the GT2 class driving for AF Corse and the next year he did the same at the American Le Mans Series for Risi...
, and Matteo Bobbi
Matteo Bobbi
Matteo Bobbi is an Italian racing driver with experience in several motor sport categories, including three years as a Minardi test driver in Formula One....
completed the standard line-up. Victory was earned in the teams debut at Silverstone
2006 FIA GT Tourist Trophy
The 2006 FIA GT RAC Tourist Trophy was the first race for the 2006 FIA GT Championship season. It took place on May 7, 2006 at Silverstone Circuit.-Official results:...
, and another two were earned over the season, including at the Spa 24 Hours
Spa 24 Hours
The Total 24 Hours of Spa is an endurance racing event held annually in Belgium at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Conceived by Jules de Their and Henri Langlois Van Ophem just one year after the first 24 Hours of Le Mans, the race was run under the auspices of the Royal Automobile Club Belgium...
. AF Corse won the class championship, beating fellow Ferrari competitor Scuderia Ecosse. The company retained their connection to Maserati however, entering a trio of cars in the new FIA GT3 European Championship
FIA GT3 European Championship
The FIA GT3 European Championship is a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation and regulated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . It is a championship derived from the international FIA GT1 World Championship, but meant to provide competition for more...
.
As defending champions, AF Corse remained in the FIA GT Championship in 2007, although much on the team changed. While the Ferrari F430s remained, all new drivers were introduced to the team. Dirk Müller, Toni Vilander
Toni Vilander
Toni Markus Vilander is a Finnish race car driver who competed in the GP2 Series in 2005. He was also GT2 class champion of the FIA GT Championship in 2007 and 2008.-Career:...
, Gianmaria Bruni
Gianmaria Bruni
Gianmaria "Gimmi" Bruni is an Italian racing driver who in 2004 drove in Formula One with the Minardi team, and is now racing in the Le Mans Series and Intercontinental Le Mans Cup....
, and Stephane Ortelli
Stéphane Ortelli
Stéphane Ortelli is a Monagasque motor racing driver who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in . He also won the GT1 Class at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2005, driving for Aston Martin.-2008 Monza Le Mans Series crash:...
took over driving duties for the season, while Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
announced their full sponsorship of the squad. The two cars dominated the 2007 season
2007 FIA GT Championship season
The 2007 FIA GT Championship season was the 11th season of FIA GT Championship. It was a series for Grand Touring style cars broken into two classes based on power and manufacturer involvement, called GT1 and GT2. Invitational G2 and G3 classes were also allowed to participate, but did not count...
, winning nine of the ten events on the schedule and wrapping up another championship.
For 2008, AF Corse expands to a three car team in the GT2 class. Vilander and Bruni are retained in the lead car, while Biagi returns to the squad to be joined by Christian Montanari in the second entry. The third car will be run under the Advanced Engineering name, with Argentinians
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
Matías Russo
Matías Russo
Matías Russo Paraná Entre Ríos, is an Argentine racing driver.He has run in different series, with major success in FIA GT Championship....
and Luís Pérez Companc
Luís Pérez Companc
Luís Pérez Companc is a rally driver. Alongside co-driver José María Volta, he is a regular competitor in the World Rally Championship...
.
In 2010, the FIA GT Championship
FIA GT Championship
The FIA GT Championship was a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation at the behest of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The championship was mostly concentrated in Europe, but throughout the years has visited other continents including Asia and South...
was dissolved and two new championships were born from it. The GT1 class of the former series became the FIA GT1 World Championship
FIA GT1 World Championship
The FIA GT1 World Championship is a world championship sports car racing series developed by the SRO Group and regulated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . It features multiple grand tourer race cars based on production road cars and conforming with the GT1 regulations competing in...
while the GT2 class formed the FIA GT2 European Championship. The GT2 series was suspended due to lack of entries. As a result, the AF Corse team joined the Le Mans Series
Le Mans Series
The Le Mans Series is a European sports car racing endurance series based around the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and run by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . The series was originally named the Le Mans Endurance Series, but changed its name prior to the 2006 season...
. For the 2010 season
2010 Le Mans Series season
The 2010 Le Mans Series season was the seventh season of Automobile Club de l'Ouest's Le Mans Series. It featured five events between 11 April and 12 September 2010. For the first time in 2010, Formula Le Mans cars were run in a fifth class in the series, running alongside Le Mans Prototype cars...
, the team will field three Ferrari F430 GT2s for the series' GT2 class. Drivers Matías Russo
Matías Russo
Matías Russo Paraná Entre Ríos, is an Argentine racing driver.He has run in different series, with major success in FIA GT Championship....
and Luís Pérez Companc
Luís Pérez Companc
Luís Pérez Companc is a rally driver. Alongside co-driver José María Volta, he is a regular competitor in the World Rally Championship...
will campaign the #94 Ferrari with Toni Vilander
Toni Vilander
Toni Markus Vilander is a Finnish race car driver who competed in the GP2 Series in 2005. He was also GT2 class champion of the FIA GT Championship in 2007 and 2008.-Career:...
and former Grand Prix drivers Jean Alesi
Jean Alesi
Jean Alesi is a French racing driver of Italian origin. His Formula One career included spells at Tyrrell, Benetton, Sauber, Prost, Jordan and most notably Ferrari where he proved very popular among the tifosi...
& Giancarlo Fisichella
Giancarlo Fisichella
Giancarlo Fisichella , also known as Fisico, Giano or Fisi, is an Italian racing driver. He has driven in Formula One for Minardi, Jordan, Benetton, Sauber, Renault, Force India and Ferrari. Nowadays, he drives for AF Corse's GT2 Ferrari in various sportscar events...
in the #95. ALMS
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
regulars, with the Risi Competizione
Risi Competizione
Risi Competizione is an American auto racing team formed by Giuseppe Risi in 1997. Initially a partnership with Doyle Racing using the name Doyle-Risi Racing, Giuseppe Risi took full control of the project and it was rebranded with its current name in 2000...
team, Jaime Melo
Jaime Melo
Jaime Melo, also known as Jaime Melo, Jr. , is a Brazilian auto racing driver best known for his success in grand tourers as Ferrari driver. In 2006 he won the FIA GT Championship in the GT2 class driving for AF Corse and the next year he did the same at the American Le Mans Series for Risi...
and Gianmaria Bruni
Gianmaria Bruni
Gianmaria "Gimmi" Bruni is an Italian racing driver who in 2004 drove in Formula One with the Minardi team, and is now racing in the Le Mans Series and Intercontinental Le Mans Cup....
will drive the Ferrari #96.
The team also joined the International GT Open
International GT Open
The International GT Open is a grand tourer-style sports car racing founded in 2006 by the Spanish GT Sport Organización. It is a spin-off of the Spanish GT Championship, and uses a similar format, except its races are held internationally.-Format:...
for the 2010 season
2010 International GT Open season
The 2010 International GT Open season was the fifth season of the International GT Open. The season commenced on April 17 at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia and finished on October 31, at Circuit de Catalunya after 16 races held at eight meetings....
in the Super GT class, which is largely reminiscent of the GT2 rules in the Le Mans Series
Le Mans Series
The Le Mans Series is a European sports car racing endurance series based around the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and run by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . The series was originally named the Le Mans Endurance Series, but changed its name prior to the 2006 season...
. The team fields two Ferrari GT2 cars for drivers Jack Gerber & Rui Águas in the #6 car and Pierre Kaffer
Pierre Kaffer
Pierre Kaffer is a race driver from Germany, currently living in Switzerland.-Career:...
and Álvaro Barba
Álvaro Barba
Álvaro Barba López is a Spanish racing driver and brother to fellow racer Marco Barba.-Formula Junior and Spanish Formula Three:...
in the #8 Ferrari. AF Corse will also field a third Ferrari (#7) for the AT Racing team with drivers Alexander Talkanitsa and his son Alexander Talkanitsa, Jr.