Historic Ferrari win at COTA

The Lone Star Le Mans, round six of the 2024 FIA WEC, saw victory for the Prancing Horse as AF Corse’s 499P number 83, crewed by official Ferrari drivers Yifei Ye, Robert Shwartzman, alongside Robert Kubica, took the win. It was a day to remember for the Italian manufacturer, further embellished by a third-place finish for the 499P number 50 crew of Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, and Nicklas Nielsen—the winners of the last 24 Hours of Le Mans.

For the first time in history, Ferrari won two world championship races on the same day, writing a new page in the story of the company founded in Maranello in 1947. The victory at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in the United States came just hours after Scuderia Ferrari’s triumph at the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix at Monza on 1 September with Charles Leclerc.

However, the 6 Hours at COTA in Texas proved unfortunate for Hypercar number 51, which started from pole position but had to retire due to damage from a collision.

The figures. The 499P number 83 achieved its first overall victory at the 6 Hours of COTA, with Ye, Shwartzman, and Kubica also securing the top spot on the FIA World Cup for Hypercar Teams podium. This marks their fifth podium finish, including their victory at the 6 Hours of Imola, all this season.

Today’s triumph brings Ferrari’s total wins in the FIA WEC Hypercar class to three, following their successes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2023 and 2024.

The race. At the start, Giovinazzi, driving the number 51 499P, maintained first position ahead of Kubica in the number 83, while Molina, starting fifth in the number 50 car (both from the official Ferrari – AF Corse team), moved up to third. The three Ferraris dominated the first 90 minutes, demonstrating excellent pace and benefiting from flawless team strategies.

The episode. However, the fortunes of the 499P number 51, driven by Pier Guidi, Calado, and Giovinazzi, changed in the second hour when a collision with a Lexus during lapping—while Giovinazzi was at the wheel—caused damage to a rim and subsequently to the driveline. The damage then led to the car’s withdrawal.

The finale. Meanwhile, Ferraris number 83 and 50 continued to battle for the top positions throughout the race, particularly in the final stages, where they challenged Toyota number 7, which had to serve a drive-through penalty 45 minutes before the end.

At the chequered flag, Shwartzman crossed the finish line first in the Giallo Modena-liveried Ferrari, capping off a perfect day for the AF Corse team. Antonio Fuoco, driving in the final stints after excellent work by Nicklas Nielsen at mid-race, secured third place, completing a triumphant day for Ferrari.

The standings. With the results in America, Ferrari consolidates its third position in the Manufacturers‘ standings, taking itself 19 points behind Toyota; in the Drivers’ standings Fuoco-Molina-Nielsen reduce the gap to the leaders to 12. AF Corse moves into second position in the standings for independent teams.