One of the Gulf 12 Hours most successful teams, Kessel Racing, returns with two Ferrari 296 GT3 aiming to add yet another race victory in the region’s most prestigious GT endurance race.
Kessel Racing has four overall wins to its name as well as four class victories, and brought MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi to the race in 2019 and 2021, when he was third overall and first in class.
For the 2024 edition on 15 December, Kessel Racing enters the #11 car with Murat Cuhadaroglu, who raced with them in the Ferrari Challenge, the Italians David Fumanelli, Giorgio Roda and Davide Rigon.
The #74 Ferrari will be driven by the third-placed champions of the Michelin Le Mans Cup, Andrew Gilbert and Fran Rueda, who will be joined by Tanart Sathienthirakul. The 31-year-old Thai driver started his motorsport career in 2006 and has raced both Formula and GT cars. The 2024 Gulf 12 Hours takes place at its spiritual home of Yas Marina Circuit, the venue for Formula 1’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
This year, the race will break new ground with a new two-part race format, starting with an eight-hour endurance race and finishing – after a two-hour break – with a four-hour sprint to the chequered flag.
In keeping with the event’s focus on gentleman drivers, new driver line-up rules ensure at least one Bronze or Silver driver will be part of every participating crew, bringing another unique element to an international race of the Gulf 12 Hours calibre.