Rob Bell admitted that his debut in the Sebring Twelve Hours had been one of the toughest races of his career after the Le Mans Series GT2 champion finished seventh in his first appearance in the Florida event.
Bell, who took the Le Mans Series crown last season while driving the Virgo Motorsport
Ferrari 430, joined Dominik Farnbacher and Dirk Muller in the similar car of the Tafel Racing team, which was making its debut running the Italian machine.
While hopes were high of a good result in the ALMS season opener, the trio hit trouble after just half an hour when debris on track led to damage to the front splitter and radiator on the car, which led to the Ferrari losing 31 laps in the pits.
Further pitstops to finish the repair work dropped the team further down the order and it was an uphill battle for Bell and his partners but they battled on to the finish in seventh place in class, having matched the pace of the leaders for long periods.
“It was a very tough race, probably the toughest that I've experienced, especially after our early race problems which left us knowing that the best we could do would be to race for ALMS points,” Bell said. “After only an hour we were playing catch up and doing a double stint in the heat of Sebring was very difficult. Being in the car for around two and a quarter hours is a real challenge. On a positive note, we were able to put in good lap times, similar to the GT2 class leaders, and I really enjoyed the whole event.
“The win was there to be taken in Sebring, especially after the class leaders crashed out, but our early problems put us out of contention. I'm pleased we reached the chequered flag and Tafel Racing were able to take away championship points at the start of the season. For me, it's back to Europe now.”
