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    FERRARI HYPERCAR

    6 Hours of Fuji

    15 September 2024
    Ferrari 499P - 6H of Fuji 2024
    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.
    Ferrari ninth at 6 Hours of Fuji

    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.

    Ferrari 499P - 6H of Fuji 2024
    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. 

    Ferrari 499P - 6H of Fuji 2024
    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.
    Ferrari 499P - 6H of Fuji 2024
    Ferrari – AF Corse
    9POSITION
    FASTEST LAP1:31.660
    PIT STOP6
    LAPS213
    TOTAL TIME6:01:30.070
    GAP FROM LEADER57.874
    AVARAGE SPEED161.3 KM/H
    TOP SPEED316.7
    Ferrari – AF Corse
    RET.POSITION
    FASTEST LAP1:32.078
    PIT STOP6
    LAPS168
    TOTAL TIME4:57:07.348
    GAP FROM LEADER-
    AVARAGE SPEED154.7 KM/H
    TOP SPEED318.6 KM/H
    AF Corse
    12POSITION
    FASTEST LAP1:31.284
    PIT STOP10
    LAPS211
    TOTAL TIME6:00:53.018
    GAP FROM LEADER2 Laps
    AVARAGE SPEED160.0
    TOP SPEED317.6

    My first stint went pretty well.

    In the second, we knew maintaining that pace would be difficult, but it turned out to be more challenging than we expected. The same thing happened to Antonio (Fuoco) in the end. We struggled today, gaining a few positions initially and then losing them towards the end.
    We managed to resume, but the car was damaged, and we were no longer competitive until we retired. Mathematically, our teammates could still win the title, although it won’t be easy. We’ll do everything we can to support them.
    We did everything in our power to challenge for the podium, and falling short leaves a bitter taste. It was frustrating to see cars involved in the lap two incident, which heavily affected the race for Ferraris 51 and 83, return to contention for the top positions. However, we found some consolation in the 296 LMGT3’s first WEC win, thanks to a powerful performance by Thomas Flohr, Francesco Castellacci, and our own Davide Rigon. This victory is a fitting reward for the tremendous effort the guys at Maranello and the AF Corse team put into achieving this result.
    However, the team executed a flawless strategy, allowing number 51 to attempt to make up for the lost time and helping the 499P number 50’s crew move up the standings and secure a podium position. Unfortunately, the conditions didn’t allow us to hold those positions, and the advantage gained through our strategy was nullified by the final Safety Car. We are deeply disappointed, as today’s result seriously jeopardises our chances of winning the Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ World Championships.
      The Fuji International Speedway is one of the most famous and popular in Japan, the first to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix in the Land of the Rising Sun.
      6 Hours of Fuji 2023

      The Fuji International Speedway is one of the most famous and popular in Japan, the first to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix in the Land of the Rising Sun. The architect Hermann Tilke redesigned the track in 2003, increasing its overall length to 4,563 metres from the 4,359 metres of the version that hosted FIA World Sportscar Championship races from 1982 to 1988. Fuji includes one of the longest straights in the world, at over 1.5 km. Despite this feature, the track is marked by a sequence of fast turns alternating with slower but highly technical ones. The 300 R is among the most important and should be tackled at high speed. The circuit, in the province of Shizuoka, boasts a unique setting, with Mount Fuji - one of Japan’s sacred peaks - providing the background to many sections of the track.

      Turns
      • LocationOyamaJapan
      • Turns16
      • Circuit Length4 563 km

      The Bahrain International Circuit, also called “Sakhir” is located in Sakhir, on the outskirts of Manama, the capital of Bahrain.

      The official name of the Fuji circuit is the Fuji International Speedway and takes its name from the mountain on whose slopes it is located.

      Originally designed to host Nascar-type races in Japan, the layout, after a change of ownership, was converted into a road circuit and was inaugurated in 1965.

      The original track measured 5,999 meters and was raced clockwise, with the 1.5-kilometre starting straight in the elevated section. The end of the straight entered into a very high speed banked curve known as "Dalichi" which proved to be highly dangerous, so much so, that initially the direction of travel was reversed, before later being eliminated completely, thereby reducing the track to 4,359 metres. After a radical restructuring, the circuit was reopened in 2005. The current version measures 4,563 metres. Over the years, a shorter track, plus another one for drifting have been added.

      Apart from its position at the foot of Japan's most famous mountain – Mount Fuji – the circuit is characterized by the presence of one of the longest straights in motorsport, at 1,475 metres, as well as for the climate. In fact, the wet and rainy climate typical of the area, often prove to be a decisive factor in the races.

      For the first time this season, the Ferrari 499Ps failed to mount the FIA World Endurance Championship podium, finishing fourth and fifth in the 6 Hours of Fuji, respectively, with the trio of Fuoco-Molina-Nielsen and Pier Guidi-Calado-Giovinazzi. 

      Discover more
      499P is the name of the Le Mans Hypercar with which Ferrari has taken on the top class of the FIA WEC World Endurance Championship.