Prancing Horse cars crossed the finish line first and second in the LMGTE Pro class at the 6 Hours of Fuji. The winners, James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi, consolidated their lead in the world championship standings with a twelve-point advantage over their pursuers. The 6 Hours of Fuji, the fifth and penultimate round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, also saw the Iron Dames finish second in the LMGTE Am. We heard from the podium finishers after the race
Antonello Coletta: “We are delighted with the one-two here at Fuji. It is strategic for the championship and comes at an important time. This result means we arrive on the eve of the final ever race in the LMGTE Pro facing a battle with Porsche, the other manufacturer which, like us, has participated in this world championship class since the first race. I want to emphasise the great team spirit, which again saw the number 52 488 GTE crew willing to help achieve the best possible team result. It is one of the most important attributes and one we will also focus on at the next race in Bahrain, where we will give everything to try to win the titles at stake”.
James Calado: “We enjoyed a great race with both cars, achieving a significant result for the drivers’ and constructors’ standings. At the start, I took first position by overtaking Estre. Then we ran a good race, always sporting, and managed the tyres as best as possible. Now our minds turn to the season finale at Bahrain, where, as always, it won’t be easy, but we will certainly give one hundred per cent as a team to secure our third world title”.
Alessandro Pier Guidi: “After three years, coming back to Japan and racing in front of so many fans was really exciting. Achieving first and second place for Ferrari is enormously important for the championship, where we have now also moved into top spot in the constructors’ standings. The key to success? I think the choice of tyres enabled us to be consistent throughout the stints”.
Miguel Molina: “We achieved the best possible result for the team. Our car’s second place earned us vital points. Bahrain? We aim to run our best race and fight for the constructors’ title”.
Michelle Gatting: “I was at the wheel for two stints: the first one was tricky because I had to think about tyre management, while I was able to push hard in the second. The car was perfect. After two second places, our goal in the immediate future is to win a race. Our race pace here in Japan was better than at Monza, so we will try to accomplish that in Bahrain”.