The Ferrari 499P number 50, crewed by Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, and Nicklas Nielsen, finished ninth in the 6 Hours of Fuji, round seven of the FIA WEC 2024. The team secured valuable points, keeping them mathematically in contention for the Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ titles.
The other official Ferrari – AF Corse team Hypercar, number 51, with Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, and Antonio Giovinazzi, was involved in a collision on the second lap and did not finish the race.
At the Japanese event, AF Corse’s 499P number 83, driven by Yifei Ye, Robert Shwartzman, and Robert Kubica, crossed the line in 12th place.
The World Endurance Championship returns on 2 November in Bahrain for the season finale.
The race. Starting from 7th and 12th, Ferraris 50 and 51 opened strongly, with Molina and Giovinazzi finishing the first lap in 6th and 9th, respectively. With the team and drivers’ masterful pit stop timing and tyre management performance, the 499P number 50 was a contender for the top positions, even leading with Nielsen between the second and third hour.
In the final two hours, Fuoco worked to maximise his Hypercar's potential in a race that, as expected, proved challenging in terms of pace. At the chequered flag, the trio finished 57 seconds behind the winning Porsche number 6.
Early on, during braking at the first corner of lap two, a collision between Kubica in the 499P number 83 and a Porsche also impacted the 499P number 51. This car first hit the Alpine ahead and was then struck by the other Ferrari. Giovinazzi’s 499P had to pit to replace the front and rear bodywork, but aerodynamic damage to the right side prevented it from expressing its full potential.
After completing 168 laps, car no. 51 had to return to the garage due to an ERS electronic power control issue.
The situation: With only the 8 Hours of Bahrain (2nd November) remaining in the season, which awards 38 points to the winner, Ferrari is third in the Manufacturers’ standings with 134 points, 27 behind leaders Porsche. Fuoco, Molina, and Nielsen are second in the Drivers’ standings, with 115 points, 35 points off the top.