Marco Cioci

Marco Cioci (born 26 September 1975 in Rome) is an Italian racing driver. A long-term Ferrari factory driver, he found success predominantly in the LMGTE Am class, but famously won the inaugural FIA WEC race, the 2012 12 Hours of Sebring, in LMGTE Pro. He is also the most decorated driver at the 6 Hours of Vallelunga with six overall wins.

In 2021, together with Giancarlo Fisichella, Cioci founded Top Gun by Pro Racing, a racing school aiming to help young karting drivers on their step up to cars.

Career

Cioci began his racing career in 1995, racing sporadically in junior formulae until 2003, making appearances in Formula Palmer Audi, Euro Formula 3000 and Infiniti Pro Series. Having made his sportscar debut in 2004 for Megadrive in the Italian GT Championship, Cioci then raced part-time in the 2005 FIA GT Championship for GPC Sport, as well as finishing third in the Mil Milhas Brasil the same year for Racing Box. Cioci then won the 1000 km of Nürburgring in GT2 and the 6 Hours of Vallelunga overall the following year, before scoring a lone podium at the 1000 km of Valencia in 2007 in his maiden full-time campaign in the Le Mans Series. Cioci then won the International GT Open GTS title in 2008, before scoring five wins in Italian GT the following year to secure runner-up honors in GT2.

Joining AF Corse for 2010, another race winning campaign in Italian GT ensued in which he won twice and ended the year fifth in the GT2 standings, a year in which he also finished third in the GT2 class of the 24 Hours of Spa for the same team. Remaining with AF Corse the following year, Cioci embarked on his maiden campaign in the Le Mans Series' LMGTE Am class, taking three podiums and ending the year runner-up in points. During 2011, Cioci also raced with the team at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as well as taking his second overall win at the 6 Hours of Vallelunga. Primarily racing in the Blancpain Endurance Series and the European Le Mans Series in 2012, Cioci found more success in the latter, scoring two podiums and finishing runner-up in the LMGTE Am class. During 2012, Cioci also made select starts in the FIA World Endurance Championship for the same team, winning the 12 Hours of Sebring in LMGTE Pro and the 6 Hours of Silverstone in LMGTE Am.

Cioci remained with AF Corse for 2013, as he competed full-time in both the FIA World Endurance Championship and the European Le Mans Series. In the former, Cioci finished third at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, helping him end the year 12th in LMGTE Am, whereas in the latter, Cioci scored podiums at Imola and the Hungaroring en route to a fourth-place points finish in LMGTE. During 2013, Cioci also won the 6 Hours of Vallelunga, as well as finishing second at the Gulf 12 Hours, which he won its first segment, and the Dubai 24 Hour. Remaining with AF Corse for 2014, Cioci raced full-time in the European Le Mans Series, whilst also competing in select rounds of the FIA World Endurance Championship. In ELMS, Cioci scored a lone podium at Estoril to secure sixth in the LMGTE standings, whereas in the latter, Cioci won the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps and finished third at the 24 Hours of Le Mans to end the year sixth in LMGTE Am. During 2014, Cioci also won the 6 Hours of Vallelunga overall and the 24 Hours of Spa in Pro-Am for the same team, as well as racing in select rounds of the United SportsCar Championship for Spirit of Race in GTD.

In 2015, Cioci stayed with AF Corse for a dual campaign in the Blancpain Endurance Series and the GTC class of the European Le Mans Series. Finishing 23rd in the Pro-Am standings of the former, Cioci found more success in ELMS, scoring a lone win at Estoril and a podium at Imola en route to a fourth-place points finish. Continuing with AF Corse for 2016, Cioci stayed in ELMS, scoring a second-place finish at the Red Bull Ring as he ended the year eighth in the LMGTE points, as well as racing in select rounds of International GT Open in the Pro-Am class. At the end of the year, Cioci competed in the 2016–17 Asian Le Mans Series for Spirit of Race in the GT class, winning at Zhuhai to end the season seventh in points. The following year, Cioci raced for Kaspersky Motorsport in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup and for AF Corse in International GT Open. In the former, Cioci scored a best result of fourth at Monza and picked up further points at the 24 Hours of Spa by leading the six hour mark and being third at the halfway mark. Racing in Pro-Am in GT Open meanwhile, Cioci took a lone class win at Spa and took three further podiums to end the season fourth in Pro-Am. During 2017, Cioci also finished second at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and scored his sixth overall win at the 6 Hours of Vallelunga. At the end of the year, Cioci joined FIST-Team AAI to race in select rounds of the 2017–18 Asian Le Mans Series, winning at Fuji and finishing third at Buriram to take sixth in the GT points.

In 2018, Cioci joined Luzich Racing to race full-time in International GT Open and the GT3 class of the Le Mans Cup for AF Corse. In GT Open, Cioci scored wins at the Hungaroring and Silverstone en route to a ninth-place points finish, whereas in the latter, Cioci won race one at Le Mans and scored three more podiums to end the season fourth in the GT3 points. During 2018, Cioci also made one-off appearances in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup and the 24H Proto Series. The following year, Cioci joined Easy Race to compete in the Italian GT Endurance Championship, scoring a lone podium at Monza to secure fifth in the GT3 standings. In 2020, Cioci made a one-off appearance in the Italian GT Endurance Championship at Vallelunga.

Racing record Racing career summary SeasonSeriesTeamRacesWinsPolesF/LapsPodiumsPointsPosition 1995 EFDA Nations Cup Team Italy 1 0 0 0 0 5th 1996 Renault Clio Cup Italy ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 3rd2000 Formula Palmer Audi MotorSport Vision 20 0 0 0 0 161 14th Italian Formula 3000 Championship Traini Corse 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC2001 Euro Formula 3000 Championship Durango 8 0 0 0 0 1 16th 6 Hours of Vallelunga – SR1 1 1 0 1 1 1st 2002 Euro Formula 3000 Championship Victory Engineering 9 0 0 0 0 0 NC 2003 Infiniti Pro Series Sam Schmidt Motorsports 2 0 0 0 0 40 21st 2004 Italian GT Championship Megadrive 16 0 1 0 6 148 7th2005 FIA GT Championship - GT1 GPC Sport 2 0 0 0 0 3 32nd Mil Milhas Brasil Racing Box 1 0 0 0 1 3rd2006 FIA GT Championship - GT2 GPC Sport 1 0 0 0 0 6 20th Le Mans Series - GT2 2 1 1 0 1 10 9th Mil Milhas Brasil - GT1 1 0 0 0 0 9th FIA GT3 European Championship Racing Box 10 0 0 0 0 21 9th 6 Hours of Vallelunga 1 1 0 1 1 1st2007 Le Mans Series - GT1 Racing Box 5 0 0 0 1 20 7th International GT Open - GTA 2 0 0 0 0 ?? ??2008 International GT Open - GTS Twentytwo 14 6 7 5 9 711st International GT Open - GTA Advanced Engineering 2 0 0 0 0 3 29th 6 Hours of Vallelunga 1 1 0 1 1 1st Italian GT Championship - GT2 Megadrive ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 72 10th 2008–09 Speedcar Series Durango 2 0 0 0 0 0 21st2009 24H Series - A5 Duller Motorsport 1 1 0 0 0 1 ?? ?? International GT Open - Super GT Megadrive 16 0 0 0 3 45 6th Italian GT Championship - GT2 14 5 5 0 7 1312nd2010 24H Series - A6 De Lorenzi Racing 1 1 0 0 1 0 ?? ?? Italian GT Championship - GT2 AF Corse 13 2 1 1 6 110 5th Superstars GTSprint Series - GT2 2 1 1 0 1 31 10th Superstars GTSprint Series - GT3 Scuderia 22 2 0 0 0 0 42 5th 24 Hours of Spa - GT2 AF CorseALD Team Vitaphone 1 0 1 0 1 3rd Le Mans Series - LMP2 Racing Box 3 0 0 0 0 15 15th 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP2 1 0 0 0 0 DNF2011 Le Mans Series - LMGTE Am AF Corse 5 0 0 0 3 582nd Intercontinental Le Mans Cup - LMGTE Am 5 0 1 0 2 ?? ?? 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am 1 0 1 0 0 DNF Italian GT Championship - GT3 4 1 1 0 2 44 9th Blancpain Endurance Series - GT3 Pro-Am 1 0 0 0 1 19 14th 6 Hours of Vallelunga 1 1 0 0 1 1st 24 Hours of Dubai - A6 1 0 0 0 1 2nd2012 Gulf 12 Hours - GT3 AF Corse 1 1 0 0 1 1st FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE Pro 2 1 0 0 1 / / 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Pro 1 0 0 0 0 4th Blancpain Endurance Series - GT3 Pro-Am 5 0 0 0 0 0 NC FIA GT1 World Championship 1 0 0 0 0 8 21st European Le Mans Series - LMGTE Am 3 0 1 0 2 34 2nd Dubai 24 Hour - A6 1 0 0 0 0 DNF FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE Am AF Corse-WaltripAF Corse 3 1 0 0 1 / / Ferrari Challenge Europe - Trofeo Pirelli Motor Piacenza 2 1 2 0 1 26 14th2013 FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE Am AF Corse 7 0 0 0 1 53 12th 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am 1 0 0 0 1 3rd European Le Mans Series - LMGTE 5 0 0 0 2 63 4th Bathurst 12 Hour - A 1 0 0 0 0 7th 6 Hours of Vallelunga 1 1 0 0 1 1st Dubai 24 Hour - A6 1 0 0 0 0 2nd Blancpain Endurance Series - Pro-Am 1 0 0 0 0 17 23rd International GT Open - Super GT 1 0 0 0 0 3 18th Gulf 12 Hours - GT3 1 0 0 0 1 2nd International GTSprint Series Ferrari Motor Ukraine 2 1 0 0 2 38 25th2014 United SportsCar Championship - GTD Spirit of Race 3 0 0 0 0 19 86th FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE Am AF Corse 4 1 1 0 2 76 6th 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am 1 0 0 0 1 3rd European Le Mans Series - LMGTE 5 0 0 0 1 48 6th Bathurst 12 Hour - A 0 0 0 0 0 DNS Blancpain Endurance Series - Pro-Am 1 1 0 0 1 31 9th 6 Hours of Vallelunga 1 1 0 0 1 1st International GT Open - Super GT 1 0 0 0 0 ?? ?? Gulf 12 Hours - GT3 1 0 0 0 0 5th2015 United SportsCar Championship - GTD AF Corse 1 0 0 0 0 1 62nd European Le Mans Series - GTC 5 1 1 1 2 56 4th Blancpain Endurance Series - Pro-Am 5 0 0 0 0 12 23rd 2015–16 Asian Le Mans Series - GT Spirit of Race 1 0 0 0 0 10 17th2016 IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTDSpirit of Race 1 0 0 0 0 18 52nd European Le Mans Series - GTE AF Corse 6 0 0 0 1 50 8th International GT Open - Pro-Am 8 0 0 1 2 27 9th Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup - Pro-Am AT Racing 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC 2016–17 Asian Le Mans Series - GT Spirit of Race 4 1 1 0 1 38 7th2017 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup - Pro Kaspersky Motorsport 5 0 1 0 0 32 7th Intercontinental GT Challenge 1 0 1 0 0 0 NC FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE Am Spirit of Race 1 1 0 0 1 50 8th 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am 1 1 0 0 1 2nd International GT Open - Pro-Am AF Corse 12 1 0 1 4 59 4th 6 Hours of Vallelunga 1 1 0 0 1 1st Italian GT Championship - Super GT3 Pro Easy Race 4 1 0 0 2 41 16th 2017–18 Asian Le Mans Series - GT FIST-Team AAI 2 1 1 0 2 41 6th2018 24H Proto Series - P3 Spirit of Race 3 0 0 1 3 26 5th Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup - Pro-Am AF Corse 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC 24 Hours of Spa - Pro-Am 1 0 0 0 0 0 5th Le Mans Cup - GT3 6 1 1 0 4 78 4th International GT Open Luzich Racing 10 2 2 0 3 59 9th2019 Italian GT Endurance Championship - GT3 Easy Race 4 0 0 0 1 24 5th Italian GT Sprint Championship - GT3 Pro-Am AF Corse 2 0 0 0 0 18 9th 2020 Italian GT Endurance Championship - GT3 Pro-Am AF Corse 1 0 0 0 1 12 8thSources:

Complete Italian/Euro Formula 3000 results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 DC Points 2000 Traini Corse VLL1 MUG IMO MNZ VLL2 DON PER MIS NC 0 2001 Durango VLL PER MNZ DON ZOL IMO NÜR VAL 16th 1 2002 Victory Engineering VLL NUR PER MNZ SPA DON BRN DIJ JER CAG NC 0

American open-wheel racing results (key) Infiniti Pro Series Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Rank Points 2003 Sam Schmidt Motorsports HMS PHXINDY PPIR KAN NSH MIS STL KTYCHI FON TXS21st40

Complete FIA GT Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete FIA GT3 European Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pos. Points 2006 Racing Box Dodge Viper Competition Coupe Dodge Viper 8.3 L V10 SIL1 SIL2 OSC1 OSC2 SPA1 SPA2 DIJ1 DIJ2 MUG1 MUG2 12th 21

Complete European Le Mans Series results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 2010 Racing Box Luca Pirri Piergiuseppe Perazzini Lola B08/80 LMP2 57 DNF DNF 2011 AF Corse Piergiuseppe Perazzini Seán Paul Breslin Ferrari F430 GTE GTEAm 188 DNF DNF 2012 AF Corse Olivier Beretta Andrea Bertolini Ferrari 458 Italia GTC GTEPro 326 22nd 4th 2013 AF Corse Jack Gerber Matt Griffin Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 GTE Am 305 27th3rd 2014 AF Corse Luis Pérez Companc Mirko Venturi Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 GTEAm 331 22nd 3rd 2017 Spirit of Race Duncan Cameron Aaron Scott Ferrari 488 GTE GTEAm 331 28th 2ndSources:

Complete GT World Challenge results GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Did not finish, but was classified as he had completed more than 90% of the race distance.

Complete Intercontinental Le Mans Cup results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Class Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Rank Points 2011 AF Corse LMGTE Am Ferrari F430 GTE Ferrari F136 GT 4.0 L V8 SEB SPA LMS IMO SIL ATL ZHU / /

Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete FIA GT1 World Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Pos Points 2012 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 NOGQR NOGCR ZOLQR ZOLCR NAVQR NAVQR SVKQR SVKCR ALGQR ALGCR SVKQR SVKCR MOSQR MOSCR NURQR NURCR DONQR DONCR 21st 4

Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Class Make Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Rank Points 2014 Spirit of Race GTD Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 Ferrari 4.5 L V8 DAY SEB LAG DET WGL MOS IMS ELK VIR COA PET 86th 19 2015 AF Corse GTD Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 Ferrari 4.5 L V8 DAY SEB LAG DET WGL LIM ELK VIR COA PET 62nd 1 2016 Spirit of Race GTD Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 Ferrari 4.5 L V8DAYSEBLGABELWGLMOSLIMELKVIRAUSPET 52nd 21

Complete Asian Le Mans Series results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete Le Mans Cup results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Class Chassis 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Rank Points 2018 AF Corse GT3 Ferrari 488 GT3 LEC MNZ LMS1 LMS2 RBR SPA ALG 4th 78