The remarkable victory of the Ferrari 499P at the Centenary edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans was commemorated at the Autosport Awards gala night, acknowledging the June 10-11 triumph as the ‘Moment of the Year’.
Ferrari’s return to the top class of the FIA WEC and the technological and sporting challenge won by the Ferrari - AF Corse team led the judges to choose the triumph seized by Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi on the La Sarthe track in the number 51 Hypercar, allowing Ferrari to boast its 10th overall win in the world’s most renowned endurance race. The choice of that historic achievement was intended to serve as the focal point and celebration of an intense and spectacular motorsport season.
Accepting the award presented by Zak Brown were Antonello Coletta and James Calado. “It is a privilege to receive this prestigious award,” began Coletta, Global Head of Endurance and Corse Clienti. “It was a race at the same time romantic and full of tension. To return to the top class after 50 years and win the Centennial edition, surely the most important in Le Mans history, was something truly unique. There was no shortage of tension in the final few minutes when the No. 51 car didn’t want to restart, but we managed it and we won. The last time the Prancing Horse won the overall standings, our founder Enzo Ferrari was still with us, so it is a source of great pride to have managed to bring this triumph back to Maranello.”
“It was a fantastic achievement, obtained thanks to the work of all the men and women of Ferrari,” echoed James Calado, a three-time world champion in LMGTE Pro with Ferrari. “The project was conceived in just a few months and, despite uncertainties in the run-up to the race, we still managed to secure the victory. There were initial doubts about even making it to the finish line, given that in the previous endurance tests, we had never completed a full 24 hours without encountering significant issues. It’s a dream come true.”