Griffin’s AF Corse team out of luck in Estoril

Cork driver Matt Griffin and his AF Corse team-mates, Briton Duncan Cameron and Italian Michele Rugolo, were out of luck in the 4 Hours of Estoril, the final round of the European Le Mans Series (ELMS).

Griffin and Cameron only required a top eight finish to win back to back titles in the LMGTE category and all looked well as they qualified their No. 55 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia ahead of their rivals, Andrea Bertolini, Viktor Shiatar and Sergey Zlobin in the No. 72 SMP Racing run Ferrari.

However, on the start line Cameron’s Ferrari was hit by another car and although he managed to get off the line, he limped back to the pits with broken suspension. Their rivals had completed about eight laps before Cameron re-joined the action. Even at the half way point of the race Griffin and Cameron were still on course for championship success as the SMP team were down in fourth place and needed to win. However, the AF Corse team lost more time when Griffin was forced to return to the pits as a problems with the wheel nuts caused some tyre and wheel damage. In the end the No. 72 SMP Ferrari took the LMGTE category victory to win the series.