GT3 Le Mans Cup 2016 Season Review - Basov and Shaytar fight back to victory

Maranello, 28 December 2016 - Ferrari and SMP Racing with Aleksey Basov and Victor Shaytar resumed their glorious partnership in 2016 to mount an attack on the first edition of the GT3 Le Mans Cup. In 2015 the team and the Russian drivers won the GTE-Am title in the World Endurance Championship and decided to focus elsewhere in 2016. After missing the first round at Imola a Ferrari in SMP Racing colours once again poked its head out onto the GT scene to compete in the new championship. Basov and Shaytar were quick to impose themselves, triumphing at Le Mans, Spielberg and then at Spa-Francorchamps. Second place at Estoril would have been enough to clinch the title with the 488. The Teams’ title was missed because the car was only registered under the SMP Racing banner from Spielberg.   The other Ferrari teams. The championship also saw other Ferrari customer teams prominent. AF Corse won with Basov and Shaytar at Le Mans, and boasted Francesco Castellacci and Thomas Flohr, Mads Rasmussen and Filipe Barreiros among the top 10 drivers, while Scuderia Villorba Corse came fifth in the standings, with Steve Hiesse and Cedric Mezard. Classic&Modern Racing came seventh, and BMS Scuderia Italia tenth with Luigi Lucchini and Matteo Cressoni.