The 2024 Fanatec GT Europe grid is filling up fast following last week's Prologue at Circuit Paul Ricard, with Ferrari squads AF Corse and Emil Frey Racing both announcing line-ups.
Multiple title winner AF Corse will once again run a pair of Pro cars in the Endurance Cup. Its #51 will be piloted by an all-Italian trio of factory drivers, with Alessandro Pier Guidi, Davide Rigon and Alessio Rovera sharing the controls of the Francorchamps Motors-backed 296 GT3.
Pier Guidi is a two-time Endurance champion and returns to the series for a first full campaign since 2021. Rigon is among the most experienced drivers in Fanatec GT Europe history, counting more than 40 Eundurance appearences since 2012, while Rovera will hope to carry on from his race-winning conclusion to 2023.
The sister #71 machine features an all-new line-up of Thomas Neubauer, Vince Abril and David Vidales. A recently signed factory driver, Neubauer has competed in Fanatec GT Europe since 2019 with Mercedes-AMG, Lexus, Audi and BMW. Abril is a new addition to AF Corse's driver roster and returns to the top tier of GT3 racing following past stints as a factory driver at Bentley and Mercedes-AMG, while Vidales has also joined AF Corse after graduating from single-seaters.
Amato Ferrari's team will also field its familiar #52 Ferrari at Endurance Cup races for the father-son duo of Louis and Jef Machiels and the highly experienced Andrea Bertolini. Louis will thus extend his record number of Endurance starts, which currently stands at 57. The line-ups for AF Corse's Sprint entries are yet to be finalised.
What has been confirmed is that Emil Frey will once again run two Pro cars in the short-format championship. Continuing the Swiss squad's reputation for stable driver line-ups, three of the four remain in situ from last term. In the #14, Konsta Lappalainen is set for his fourth campaign with Emil Frey Racing. The Finn will partner new signing Ben Green, who made his Fanatec GT Europe debut in last season's Endurance finale at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
In the #69, Thierry Vermeulen stays for a second campaign alongside Emil Frey Racing veteran Giacomo Altoè, who lines up for his sixth season with the squad. With his experience and the growing confidence that Vermeulen showed late in 2023, this crew could be a factor at the front this term.
Several teams named line-ups before the Prologue, while a handful of others confirmed their plans during the event. However there are still seats to be filled, including multiple cars at Sprint Cup champions Tresor Attempto Racing and at fellow Audi stalwart Saintéloc Racing. The season begins with an Endurance Cup race at Circuit Paul Ricard on 5–7 April.