Spa-Francorchamps hosts round three of the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship, with the Ferrari-AF Corse team competing in the top class. Fuoco-Molina-Nielsen and Pier Guidi-Calado-Giovinazzi will drive 499Ps numbers 50 and 51, respectively. Here are the comments in the run-up to the race, which will get underway on Saturday, 11 May at 1 p.m. (local time).
Antonio Fuoco, 499P #50: “At Spa, we must seize every opportunity that presents itself during the race to secure a good result. We will have to be determined and focused to do our best, aware that the 6 Hours of Spa, besides being the last round before Le Mans, is a crucial test for us ahead of the championship. I like the Spa circuit very much and I have always felt at ease on this track with its special charm, especially because of the very fast corners that require absolute precision.”
Miguel Molina, 499P #50: “Spa is one of the tracks I like the most and I think the Belgian track is one of those where our 499P can best express its full potential. This 6 Hours is a very important race, not only because it is the last race before Le Mans, the most eagerly awaited event of the year, but also because we have the aim of getting back on the podium after a somewhat disappointing start to the season. I believe we can be in the fight for a top position in Belgium.”
Nicklas Nielsen, 499P #50: “There are several reasons why we come to Spa motivated to do well. First of all, last year we didn't finish the race with our 499P #50, so we come back to Belgium with the hope of getting a good result on a track that is unique in many ways. The track is very demanding and, for a driver, racing at Spa is always something unique. At the same time we know that the race will be long and that it could be affected by rain and cold temperatures. Because of these variables we will have to do our best to get a good result.”
Alessandro Pier Guidi, 499P #51: “After the results we got in Qatar and Imola we come to Spa knowing that we have to do everything perfectly, as drivers and as a team: the main aim this weekend will be to minimise mistakes and show our potential. Starting from this premise, our approach, as in every race, will have to be to get on the podium and be in the fight for the win. At Spa last year we got our first podium with the 499P #51: it was a big thrill and a good omen for Le Mans, where we produced a historic triumph the following month.”
James Calado, 499P #51: “The goal for the 6 Hours of Spa is to try and win a race that I expect will be hotly contested and tough. At Imola we showed our potential, despite an unexceptional result in the race, so if we can do everything right in Belgium I think we will have a good chance to prove our worth. Our philosophy is to approach each race doing our best: this is the spirit that we take to the track in Spa.”
Antonio Giovinazzi, 499P #51: “Our hope for the Spa 6 Hours is to redeem the result at Imola, where we didn't manage to climb the podium in front of our fans. I have some great memories of the race in Belgium last year when we showed our team’s worth and the potential of our crew. The weather, as usual, made the race even more tricky, and James did an extraordinary last lap that allowed us, for the first time this season, to climb the podium. The unforgettable emotions experienced at Spa last year fuel our desire to deliver another outstanding performance this year.”
Antonello Coletta, Global Head of Endurance and Corse Clienti: “We are back racing at Spa, on one of the most historic tracks in the World Championship, where last year, at the third round of the championship, we achieved a podium finish with the number 51 499P, which would later be the protagonist of the triumph at Le Mans.
Following the finale of the 6 Hours of Imola, where we fell short of the overall podium, our whole team is driven by a desire for redemption, so we come to Spa with a firm ambition of completing a flawless weekend, free of errors. In the twenty days between the Italian and Belgian rounds we have worked tirelessly and with humility to confirm our potential.”
Ferdinando Cannizzo, Head of Endurance Race Cars: “After the disappointment of Imola, we're eagerly looking forward to getting back on the track, understanding that the leg in the 6 Hours of Spa is of great importance to us.
We're aiming for a solid performance in Belgium by capitalising on the strengths of the 499P, which complement the turns and straights of the Ardennes circuit. However, the task ahead won't be simple, given both the fierce competitiveness of our rivals and the absence of the full range of compounds available to us this year, unlike in the 2023 season, which had enabled us to fully exploit the car’s potential and stage a great comeback to secure a podium finish in the finale. Expectations are high and we will need the utmost concentration to achieve the target. It promises to be a fiercely contested race, and as usual when racing at Spa, the spectators are unlikely to get bored.”