Coming back to racing in a Ferrari after many years is not just a great pleasure, but a great honour...

Former Ferrari F1 team drivers, Jean Alesi and Giancarlo Fisichella have announced that they will be teaming up with the AF Corse team to take on the 2010 international Le Mans Series. Like last year, the team will be running the F430 GTC from Ferrari, which has been successful in the 'Granturismo' series.

AF Corse is an Italian racing team, founded by former-race driver Ameto Ferrari. Surprisingly, his name is just a coincidence - He isn't actually related to Enzo Ferrari or the Ferrari company in any way. The team does have strong links with Maserati and Ferrari though, which can be put down to the team's Italian home-town of Piacenza. In 2004, Maserati approached the team to assist with the development of the MC-12 race car. 

For 2010, AF Course will be running three F430 GTCs in the international LMS. Along side the the two F1 drivers, team 'veterans' Gianmaria Bruni and Toni Vilander will be driving, as well as three new team drivers. Luis Perez Companc and Matias Russo from Argentina and the Brazilian Jaime Melo, who already has a well known reputation for GT Motorsports.

After signing up as the third driver for the 2010 Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro F1 team, Fisichella seemed very happy to be in this position, and earlier said: 'I'm very happy that I can participate in the AF Corse's programme and I hope that I can give back the trust they have in me. Obviously I would have taken the opportunity to race in the Formula, if it had been under the right circumstances, but it didn't happen. I'm happy to be part of the Ferrari family as a third driver. I can't wait to test the F430 GTC to get ready for the début at Paul Ricard on 11 April.

Jean Alesi, who left the team in 1995 following his first win, also said: 'Coming back to racing in a Ferrari after many years is not just a great pleasure, but a great honour. I can't wait to get behind the wheel of a car I've already tested in Fiorano a couple of months ago. I want to thank Amato Ferrari for the opportunity and I hope I can deliver a great show to our fans.'