Cassidy joins AF Corse for 2022 WEC GTE Am campaign

Cassidy will drive the #54 Ferrari 488 GTE alongside Thomas Flohr and Francesco Castellacci, replacing ex-Formula 1 driver Giancarlo Fisichella in the team’s line-up.

The announcement follows the Kiwi’s one-off DTM outing with AF Corse at the Norisring last year and opens the path for a potential Le Mans Hypercar drive with Ferrari in 2023.

The 2017 SUPER GT and 2019 Super Formula champion had been targeting a Le Mans 24 Hours seat for several years, but all his previous attempts to race in WEC’s blue riband event had come to a naught due to scheduling conflicts or travel restrictions.

The 27-year-old was provisionally listed on the entry list for last year’s rescheduled Le Mans event with the HubAuto Corse team in a Porsche 911 RSR-19, but was ultimately unable to take part in the race due to a clash with the Berlin Formula E finale.

Cassidy’s new WEC commitments will come on top of his current deal with Envision Racing in FE, where he is racing for a second season alongside Dutch driver Robin Frijns.

#83 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo: François Perrodo, Nicklas Nielsen, Alessio Rovera

Photo by: Ferrari

It is unclear if Fisichella will remain with AF Corse and Ferrari in some capacity after being replaced by Cassidy in GTE Am.

AF Corse’s second GTE Am entry, now carrying #21, will be driven by Simon Mann, Christoph Ulrich and Toni Vilander.

As previously announced, drivers of the title-winning #83 Ferrari GTE will move up to the LMP2 ranks with AF Corse in a deal bankrolled by Francois Perrodo.

Perrodo will again be joined by factory Ferrari drivers Nicklas Nielsen and Alessio Rovera in an Oreca 07 entered in the Pro/Am subdivision.

The 2022 WEC season is due to begin on 18 March with the 1000 Miles of Sebring. Le Mans will return to its usual June slot, subject to the pandemic, after being postponed to August in the last two years.