Dealer
Becoming world champion is a dream come true for Calado
Tom Magnay 0 Comments
James Calado is the new GT FIA World Endurance Drivers’ Champion, after winning the LMGTE Pro class in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
The 28-year old Cardiff-based driver shared the #51 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE with Alessandro Pier Guidi. The two put on a magnificent performance all season and clinched the title at the final 6 Hours of Bahrain. Calado/Pier Guidi finished the WEC season on 153 points, eight points clear of Frederic Makowiecki and Richard Lietz in the #91 Porsche. Andy Priaulx and Harry Tincknell finished third, just two and a half points further behind, in the #67 Ford GT.
Whilst this was Pier Guidi’s first year as an official Ferrari driver, it was Calado’s fourth season with the Maranello brand, having started racing in car #71 as David Rigon’s team-mate in 2014. The world champions secured the title at the end of an almost perfect season that, after a bad result in the Le Mans 24 Hours, saw them climb up the standings with wins at the Nurburgring, Austin and Fuji.
Calado and Pier Guidi led the GTE Pro category in Bahrain, but backed off towards the latter stages of the day-night race, safe in the knowledge that finishing second in the last race would be enough to secure them the title.
"Being able to call myself a world champion is something I've always dreamed of," said Calado.
