From Tashkent to Sepang, Antonio Fuoco's winning journey

Beginner in Asian Le Mans In the AF Corse Series, Cetilar Racing got off to a flying start, with the #47 Oreca 07 winning both four-hour races held this weekend, both of which were marked by rain showers. The second race of the weekend even had to be red-flagged with fifteen minutes remaining due to the particularly heavy downpours that hit the Sepang circuit.

At the wheel at the end of the race, Antonio Fuoco is no stranger to driving in the rain, having notably won the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans in the rain with his Classic Ferrari for sale 499P. However, while rain showers are common in Asia at this time of year, the Italian had never driven his Oreca in the rain before taking the wheel in a race! This was due in particular to a rather comical unforeseen event that occurred during the weekend…

The third-place finisher in the last world championshipEndurance He was indeed expected this Friday in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, for the FIA ​​awards ceremony. This event is mandatory for drivers and crews finishing in the top three of an FIA World Championship. After participating in Thursday's private tests with his teammates Roberto Lacorta and Charles Milesi, Fuoco departed from Kuala Lumpur airport for Uzbekistan, a 7.5-hour flight away. He therefore missed Friday's tests, which were partly conducted on a wet track, before returning on Saturday for the race, where his stint was unaffected by the rain. The 29-year-old driver admitted he wasn't entirely confident before starting his stint, but that everything ultimately went well!

“Roberto and Charles made sure the car was at the front, and when I took to the track in the rain I was a little scared because it was my very first time; I didn’t know what to expect. I had a good feeling, so I want to thank the team with whom we had a very good weekend.”

Towards the end of the race, Fuoco also had to contend with a very heavy downpour that hit while the race was neutralized due to two cars going off into the gravel. During the first three laps behind the safety car, drivers were unable to return to the pits. It was then that the rain began to pour, and race control had no choice but to bring out the red flag. A decision that didn't surprise or bother Fuoco: "Everything was under control, but I was a little scared because I could see the clouds and then the rain coming, and it rained very hard so I was hoping for a red flag and that's what happened!"

His teammate Charles Milesi drove in the first downpour, while also having to conserve as much fuel as possible due to a slightly different strategy: “The conditions weren’t ideal when I took the wheel, but I managed to control the situation and extend the gap, even though I had to conserve fuel because we pitted earlier than the competition. So, managing both fuel and the gap was crucial, but I think it was the right decision in the end. We had good pace, both in the wet and the dry; it’s a good start to the ALMS season. Time for a break, and we’ll see what Dubai has in store for us.”

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