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    1812 km of Qatar

    28 February 2025
    The victory was secured by Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, and Nicklas Nielsen in the number 50 499P, crossing the line ahead of the number 83 car of AF Corse, driven by Yifei Ye, Robert Kubica, and Phil Hanson.
    The opening round of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship is set to go down in motorsport history and in the memories of fans, thanks to a Ferrari triple on the Lusail circuit, home to the 1812 KM of Qatar. The victory was secured by Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, and Nicklas Nielsen in the number 50 499P, crossing the line ahead of the number 83 car of AF Corse, driven by Yifei Ye, Robert Kubica, and Phil Hanson. Third place went to the other official Ferrari – AF Corse crew of Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, and Antonio Giovinazzi.
    The best possible start to the third season
    The Maranello manufacturer delivered the perfect race weekend, not only achieving an extraordinary result in the race but also setting the fastest lap over the course of the 10-hour competition – recorded by Pier Guidi – and securing pole position thanks to Giovinazzi. For Prancing Horse, this marked the best possible start to the third season featuring the Ferrari 499P in the top class of endurance racing.
    The victory was secured by Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, and Nicklas Nielsen in the number 50 499P, crossing the line ahead of the number 83 car of AF Corse, driven by Yifei Ye, Robert Kubica, and Phil Hanson.
    The race
    The 499P was the undisputed protagonist of the race. At the start, the number 51 car held the lead, while its sister car, the number 50, which had started third, immediately moved up to second place, setting the stage for a race that saw Ferrari dominate at the front of the field for its entire duration, with both cars consistently in command. The 499P’s potential, combined with the drivers’ performances, perfect tyre management, and flawless team strategy, allowed Ferrari to deliver a textbook race. Despite two drive-through penalties in the mid-section of the 1812 KM, which set back the Pier Guidi-Calado-Giovinazzi crew, they staged a perfect comeback, securing the best possible result at Lusail. As previously noted, Pier Guidi also set the fastest lap of the race with a 1’41’’259 on lap 141. Under the floodlights of Lusail, Fuoco brought the number 50 499P across the finish line, completing 318 laps, ahead of Kubica and Pier Guidi.
    Ferrari 499P - Qatar 2025
    The numbers
    Ferrari’s overall victory tally in the FIA WEC now stands at four. The Qatar result adds to the two unforgettable triumphs at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the official team (2023 with Pier Guidi-Calado-Giovinazzi and 2024 with Fuoco-Molina-Nielsen), and the first-place finish at COTA last year, where AF Corse secured victory with the number 83 499P driven by Ye-Shwartzman-Kubica.
    Ferrari 499P - Qatar 2025
    Historical precedents

    Ferrari concludes a race in the top class of endurance racing, with three cars in the leading positions, for the first time in 53 years. The last time on the honours list dates back to 1972, the penultimate season in which the Prancing Horse competed in the top category, before its return in 2023. That year, Ferrari locked out the front of the field in a round of the World Championship for Makes, securing the top four places.

    The achievement took place at the 1000 Kilometres of Österreichring, in Austria, with four crews at the wheel of the Ferrari 312 PB. The race, held on 25 June 1972 at the Spielberg circuit, saw Jacky Ickx and Brian Redman cross the finish line first, ahead of Helmut Marko and Carlos Pace, followed by Tim Schenken and Ronnie Peterson, with Arturo Merzario and Sandro Munari narrowly missing out on the podium in fourth.

    Also unforgettable was the one-two-three parade finish secured five years earlier at the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona, the opening round of the World Sportscar Championship where the Ferrari 330 P3/P4 of Lorenzo Bandini and Chris Amon were first past the chequered flag, finishing ahead of the 330 P4 of Mike Parkes and Ludovico Scarfiotti, and the 412 P of Pedro Rodriguez and Jean Guichet.

    Ferrari – AF Corse
    1POSITION
    FASTEST LAP1:41.536
    PIT STOP10
    LAPS318
    TOTAL TIME10:01:39.098
    GAP FROM LEADER-
    AVERAGE SPEED171.8 KM/H
    TOP SPEED306.8 KM/H
    Ferrari – AF Corse
    3POSITION
    FASTEST LAP1:41.259
    PIT STOP11
    LAPS318
    TOTAL TIME10:01:41.775
    GAP FROM LEADER2.677
    AVERAGE SPEED171.8 KM/H
    TOP SPEED308.6 KM/H
    AF Corse
    2POSITION
    FASTEST LAP1:41.339
    PIT STOP10
    LAPS318
    TOTAL TIME10:01:41.446
    GAP FROM LEADER2.348
    AVERAGE SPEED171.8 KM/H
    TOP SPEED308.6 KM/H

    First of all, I want to thank the entire team for the work done over the winter, which allowed us to arrive here in Qatar with great potential to exploit.

    We performed very well in the race, both in tyre management and strategy. What we achieved today, with three Ferraris in the top positions at the end of a World Endurance Championship race, will go down in history.
    After claiming success at Le Mans last year, we were determined to begin 2025 by showing our potential, because we have a major goal – to chase the world title for Ferrari. Scoring 38 points here in Qatar is undoubtedly ideal as we pursue this dream.
    The race was very tough, but I think we did everything in the best way possible, reclaiming the top step of the podium after our great Le Mans victory in 2024. We performed well in tyre management and in the choices made by the team, which allowed us to make the most of our 499P.
      COVER ART BY GIANMARCO VERONESI
      Discover
      The Lusail International Circuit is located near the town of the same name, situated 23 kilometres from Doha, Qatar.

      It was inaugurated in 2004 with a round of the MotoGP World Championship.

      The circuit spans 5.419 kilometres and is surrounded by artificial grass to minimise the flow of sand carried by the wind from the nearby desert.

      Since 2008, the circuit has been equipped with a lighting system that allows for night racing.

      In 2022, a project to modernise the facility began and it was completed a year later. The upgrades included a new race control centre, media centre, and tunnels for fan access. The green areas, pit boxes, seating capacity (now 40,000), and parking spaces have all been expanded.

      The layout of the track remained unchanged except for resurfacing the asphalt in 2023 and smoothing seven of the 16 existing kerbs (10 right-hand corners and 6 left-hand ones).

      Turns
      • LocationDohaQatar
      • Turns57
      • Circuit Length5 380 km
      The Ferrari – AF Corse team finished round one of the FIA World Endurance Championship with seventh and 13th place at the 1812 KM of Qatar. The result came courtesy of 499P numbers 50 and 51, crewed by Antonio Fuoco-Miguel Molina-Nicklas Nielsen and Alessandro Pier Guidi-James Calado-Antonio Giovinazzi, respectively.
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      Until 2021, it was called Losail International Circuit. The difference reflects an altered spelling of the name Lusail.

      The main straight measures 1,068 metres, offering ample overtaking opportunities.

      There are nearly 4,000 reflectors on 1,000 light poles, with LED lighting introduced in 2020 as part of sustainability efforts.

      It’s a tribute to the national day of this country, which is celebrated on 18 December.

      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 since the 2023 season – a name evoking the history of the Maranello manufacturer.

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