Sam Bird and his AF Corse team-mate Davide Rigon overcame the odds to snatch a late-race GTE Pro podium as the Super Season of the World Endurance Championship opened with the Six Hours of Spa Francorchamps.

A challenging Balance of Performance (BoP) configuration meant that all the Ferrari 488 GTEs in the race were at a significant disadvantage to the Fords and Porsches, with little opportunity to attack and insufficient speed to defend with.

Despite this, the #71 car of Bird and Rigon managed to stay in contention thanks to strong performances by both drivers combined with intelligent strategy from the team, which made effective use of full-course yellow and safety car periods.

This left Rigon in a position to grab third with an overtake on the final corner of the penultimate lap, ensuring a positive start to a season that continues with the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 16-17. Sam will next be in action in the Formula E Berlin E-Prix on May 19.