Podium for VR46 Ferrari in Abu Dhabi Gulf 12 Hours

The revised VR46 Ferrari line-up of MotoGP rider Luca Marini, Alessio Salucci and Valentino Rossi's last-minute replacement David Cleto Fumanelli have finished third overall and second in class at the Gulf 12 Hours.

Rossi withdrew from this weekend's event, which should have been his first race appearance since retiring from MotoGP, after close contact with a person who tested positive for Covid 19.

Starting fourth on the grid on average lap times, the revised VR46 line-up trio finished the opening 6 Hour day race in fifth overall. They were among a four-car group fighting for second in the Pro Am category, one lap down on the class-leading #66 2 Seas Motorsport Mercedes.

That fight continued in the early part of the following 6 Hour night race, with professional racer Fumanelli – fastest in his qualifying session on Friday – closing on the #88 SPS Mercedes holding the final podium place.

But a technical problem with the floor of the #66 car, still a comfortable second overall behind the sister #1 Pro-class Mercedes that dominated both races, forced a pit stop.

Time lost during the repairs allowed both the #88 and #46 cars to move ahead and finish 1-2 in the Pro-Am class and complete the overall podium positions.

It was the second time the VR46 team has finished on the Gulf 12 Hours rostrum, having won the Pro-Am class and finished third overall on their 2019 debut. VR46 then finished second in class, but missed out on the overall podium in fourth at last year's race in Bahrain.

While Rossi is yet to announce his precise 2022 sportscar racing plans, Marini and Salucci's attention now turns towards the Sepang MotoGP tests. The Shakedown, for which Marini's VR46 Ducati team-mate Marco Bezzecchi is eligible as a rookie, starts at the end of this month, followed a few days later by the Official test.