Difficult debut for 499Ps in Qatar

The Ferrari – AF Corse team finished round one of the FIA World Endurance Championship with eighth and 14th 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.

The AF Corse team’s 499P crossed the chequered flag in fifth after completing 334 laps, with the Prancing Horse official drivers Yifei Ye and Robert Shwartzman – both making their World Endurance Championship debuts with the Maranello manufacturer – with Robert Kubica. With this result, the yellow liveried Ferrari Hypercar took second place in the FIA World Cup for Hypercar Teams standings, and the three drivers celebrated by climbing the podium. The result earned the number 83 crew 15 points for the Drivers’ standings and 27 points for the FIA World Cup for Hypercar Teams.

As predicted ahead of the event, the race at the Middle Eastern track proved tricky for the AF Corse Ferrari team’s hypercars. The contacts suffered, which constrained the mechanics to recall the 499Ps to the pits for the necessary work, and the penalties incurred for several errors undermined the official crews’ chances of contending for the top positions despite Molina and Calado’s excellent start.

The Ferrari – AF Corse team left Qatar with sixt points in the Drivers’ and 12 in the Manufacturers’ standings. The FIA WEC will be back in the spotlight on 21 April at the Autodromo Enzo and Dino Ferrari in Imola with the 6 Hours, the season’s second race.