FF Corse steps up to GT3 Le Mans Cup

The British FF Corse Ferrari squad will graduate to the international arena in the new Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup next year.

FF Corse has become the first team to commit to the series run by the Automobile Club de l'Quest and will field a new Ferrari 488 GT3 for a driver lineup, including former European Le Mans Series GTE champion Johnny Mowlem.

Ferrari specialist FF Corse is moving up to the series, which is made up of five races on the ELMS undercard and a support event at the Le Mans 24 Hours, from domestic-level GT racing. The team retained its Britcar Endurance Series title with Calum Lockie and David Mason and won the GT Cup in Britain with Charlie Hollings and Wayne Marrs this year, as well as competing in the British GT Championship.

"The ACO's GT3 Cup sounds fantastic, especially with a race on the card at Le Mans," said team boss Anthony Cheshire, who set up FF Corse in 2009. "We have aspirations to do the 24 Hours one day, but we want to take it one step at a time – this is perfect move in that direction for us."

Mowlem will drive in the ELMS support series together with amateur driver Ivor Dunbar, who also has ambitions to race at Le Mans.

"I've already done quite a bit of testing and racing with FF Corse this year and I can see that they are an incredibly accomplished team with a lot of ambition," Mowlem said. "My job will be to bring my experience both in and out of the car to help them and Ivor, in particular, achieve their goal of being invited to compete at Le Mans."

Mowlem and Dunbar contested one round of the GT Cup and one Britcar race in 2015 in an FF-run Ferarri 458 Challenge car and will move up to a GT3-spec 458 Italia at this month's Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi. They will be joined by Hollings for the two six-hour races that make up the Gulf 12 Hours at the Yas Marina circuit on Dec. 11.

FF Corse is also looking at making a full-season assault on the European Ferrari Challenge in 2016.

Originally on Autosport.com