The Fuji International Speedway hosts the sixth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship which sees the Ferrari - AF Corse team involved with the number 50 499P of Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen and the number 51 Hypercar courtesy of Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi.
Here are the drivers’ comments in the run-up to the endurance race on the 4.563-kilometre track that includes 16 turns, where, in 2022, in the LMGTE Pro class, Ferrari crews took first and second place respectively with Pier Guidi-Calado and Fuoco-Moliina behind the steering wheel of the AF Corse-run 488 GTEs.
The Ferrari Hypercars come to Japan with a total dry weight of 1076 kilograms (7 kg more than at Monza), a maximum power output of 505 kW (+8), a maximum stint energy of 898 MJ (+5), and all-wheel drive kicking in at 190 km/h.
Antonio Fuoco, 499P #50: “We arrive at Fuji making our 499P debut on a track where we haven’t had the chance to test yet. We will try to extend the streak of positive results, as a team, as our Hypercar has been on the podium in every round of the championship since the start of the season. The track? I have only raced there on one occasion – last year with the 488 GTE – when we finished second in LMGTE Pro, and I must admit that I like it a lot. I particularly like the last sector, which I think is a lot of fun to drive. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Japan? Apart from the fact that I think it is a really beautiful country, I would say the food: I am a big fan of sushi.”
Miguel Molina, 499P #50: “The objective for this 6 Hours will be the same as it is in every race: to fight for a top result that would mean valuable points towards the championship standings. I like this track because it includes a long straight that ends with a major braking section and very fast corners, so it offers several overtaking opportunities. It is also a track that reminds me of my first world champion triumph: that was the 2017 season when I took victory in the FIA WEC with the Ferrari 488 GTE shared alongside Thomas Flohr and Francesco Castellacci, in the LMGTE Am class: it was a big thrill.”
Nicklas Nielsen, 499P #50: “At this point in the season, with two races to go, the desire of our crew in the 499P number 50 remains to clinch at least one win: it would be great if it happened in Japan. I really like the Fuji track and I have always had fun on this circuit. The fondest memories? The results obtained in the 2019/20 season, the runner-up spot with the 488 GTE in the LMGTE Am class, and last year with François Perrodo and Alessio Rovera, the first place among the LMP2 prototypes in Pro Am. I am always happy to come back to Japan, an extraordinary country, of which I particularly appreciate Tokyo, which I consider a special city as it is very different from the daily European routine.”
Alessandro Pier Guidi, 499P #51: “The Fuji track represents something unique in the championship calendar as it alternates between a fast section – the first two sectors – and a very slow one – the final sector. From the point of view of the car’s set-up, you can opt for a medium-high load set-up, which guarantees better performance in the mixed section at the expense of speed, or vice versa at a medium-low load. In spite of the fact that it is not my favourite track, I have fond memories of Fuji in the LMGTE Pro class: apart from the triumph in 2022, the win in 2017 remains indelibly etched in my memory, at a race held in very demanding conditions, on the wet asphalt: it was a key race for the conquest of my first world title, with James (Calado, Ed.).”
James Calado, 499P #51: “I’m happy to be back at the wheel of the 499P after two months: there are a couple of races left in this season, we are third in the standings and we want to pick up some precious points, so the aim is to climb onto the podium in Japan. In 2022 at Fuji with Alessandro (Pier Guidi, Ed.) we clinched a win that would prove fundamental at the end of the year for winning the Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ titles in LMGTE Pro. I have wonderful memories of that weekend. What does Japan mean to me? I think Tokyo is a fantastic city and the people are very welcoming; a country where the passion for motorsport is as incredible as the affection they show towards us as Ferrari drivers”.
Antonio Giovinazzi, 499P #51: “We’re back at the wheel of the 499P two months after the Monza race with the aim of doing our best to undermine Toyota, who remain the main rivals in the championship. We still have two important races before the end of the year and we are determined to get the best possible results: the hope is to keep the championship challenge wide open until the final round in Bahrain. And Fuji? I know little about the track, where I competed in 2016 in an LMP2 prototype. It is an unusual track, fast in the first two sectors and very slow in the final one, so tyre management throughout the six hours will be important.”
Antonello Coletta, Global Head of Endurance and Corse Clienti: “The World Endurance Championship restarts at a track on which our Hypercar has never been tested: this will be the first opportunity, therefore, to test ourselves out on a demanding track at the 6 Hours of Fuji where the aim will be to continue the positive progress of our crews at the steering wheel of the 499Ps. This circuit forms part of the history of international motor racing and Ferrari has achieved memorable triumphs here: in addition to Prancing Horse’s first ever win on Japanese soil in 1970, with the 512 S driven by Moretti and Manfredini first across the line in the Fuji 200 Miles, I would also like to call to mind the five class wins with series-derived cars that we have achieved since the conception of the FIA WEC in 2012. Last year’s trip to Japan was a memorable one: with the 488 GTEs we sealed a first and a second place in LMGTE Pro, which were decisive at the end of the season for the Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ championships.”
Ferdinando Cannizzo, Head of Endurance Race Cars: “With just two races to the end of the season, only one result is needed to make up the points separating us from Toyota in the Manufacturers’ championship standings, but winning the 6 Hours of Fuji will be no easy task. On the Japanese track, we know we’re not the favourites, but we’re not discouraged at all and we’re looking to defy expectations. In these weeks, we’ve multiplied our efforts to determine the direction to guide our set-ups and strategies with the aim of closing the gap between us and our opponents. It’s clear that the weather too can play a decisive role, especially in the case of rain. We’re setting off from Maranello focused and ready to do our best in this penultimate challenge.”