Ferrari leaves Japan with a ninth-place finish for the 499P number 50, secured by Fuoco, Molina, and Nielsen. However, Pier Guidi, Calado, and Giovinazzi, in the Ferrari – AF Corse “sister” car, number 51, had an unfortunate 6 Hours of Fuji, being forced to retire.
AF Corse’s Ferrari number 83, driven by Ye, Shwartzman, and Kubica, finished in 12th place. Here are the comments following the seventh and penultimate round of the FIA WEC 2024.
Nicklas Nielsen, 499P #50: “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.”
James Calado, 499P #51: “Unfortunately, the lap one collision compromised our race. 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.”
Antonello Coletta, Global Head of Endurance and Corse Clienti: “Unfortunately, we’re not accustomed to commenting on such a result, given the car’s potential and after witnessing a race where strategy, pit operations, tyre management, and the drivers’ on-track performance were flawless. 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.”
Ferdinando Cannizzo, Head of Endurance Race Cars: “We knew the race would be challenging, but it became even more difficult after the collision at the start and the damage to the underbody of the 499P number 51, which compromised its performance. 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.”