The motivations of the Ferrari-AF Corse drivers are very high on the eve of the 2024 season of the FIA World Endurance Championship, ready to open its doors in Qatar with the Prologue tests this weekend and the 1812 Km next weekend.
Confirmed at the wheel of the official 499Ps entered in the Hypercar Class are Antonio Fuoco/Miguel Molina/Nicklas Nielsen (#50) and Alessandro Pier Guidi/James Calado/Antonio Giovinazzi (#51), who worked hard together with the team during the winter of Maranello to improve.
At its debut in 2023, the Prancing Horse prototype missed the podium only on one occasion and took home two Pole Positions with Fuoco and the Le Mans victory of the #51, so it is clear that the bar will have to be raised in given the new commitment, as the Calabrian immediately underlines.
#51 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P of Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi
Photo by: Ferrari
“2023 went down as an excellent season which ended in third place in the Drivers' standings – says Fuoco, poleman at Sebring and Le Mans last year – We look to the imminent start of the new championship with the ambition of doing our best which means trying to win the world title and returning to Le Mans determined to compete for success in the most famous 24 Hours in the world.”
Molina, on the other hand, has clearer ideas than 12 months ago: “Expectations for 2024 are high because we are starting from a 2023 season, our debut, in which we achieved excellent results. During the winter we prepared ourselves as best we could by working together to improve our areas of expertise and to analyze the weak points found last year”.
“I hope to start the championship ahead of the group, we are aware that compared to last year everything will be more challenging also due to the arrival of many new brands, but I think we are well prepared, we have a year of experience and I believe this is one of the keys for this season”.
“One of the strong points of the 499P already in the first year was its reliability and I believe that we must be happy with what we managed to do and I believe that this aspect will be an important key in 2024 too. I am quite confident because at the debut We have suffered from serious problems and I hope that will be the case again this year, with improvements in performance.”
“I think that experience is important and personally I feel ready, also because I have been in this adventure for a couple of years. Sometimes I had the impression of immediately understanding how to manage situations. My personal goal is to improve in performance , which were already good last year. But we have to continue to work on it and for Qatar I would say that we are ready, we just have to start again from the good work done at the end of 2023, when we finished third in the championship.”
Miguel Molina, Ferrari AF Corse
Photo by: Ferrari
Nielsen is galvanized by the contract renewal, as the Dane himself, a product of the Ferrari Challenge, is keen to underline: “I believe that one of the most important things we learned in the first season with the 499P was the behavior of the car in general, but obviously when you show up in a championship with a new car, you have a lot of things to learn. But we did it quickly and it's something that will be useful to us this season.”
“The goal for 2024 is to take a step forward compared to last year. Obviously we are aware that it will not be a simple undertaking, also due to the entry of new manufacturers into the Hypercar Class. It will therefore be a great challenge for all of us and, at the same time, there will be no shortage of motivation to push us to do our best.”
“I am also very proud to have renewed my contract with Ferrari and driving the 499P again is something I am very proud of and something I really wanted. This gives me further energy and drive ahead of the new season.”
Nicklas Nielsen, Ferrari AF Corse
Photo by: Ferrari
Moving on to the other side of the garage, it is inevitable that expectations are higher when talking about the car that was historically the first to pass under the checkered flag of la Sarthe in June 2023.
The whole crew feels a particular energy given by that feat, but also the awareness that to aim for the much coveted title they will have to beat really tough rivals.
“We are on the eve of a new championship, we come from the success of Le Mans which certainly gives us extra motivation, knowing that we have done something unrepeatable in the short term if we consider that it was the Centenary race and that we will have to wait another 100 years for face another one!”, smiles Pier Guidi, but as always very lucid in analyzing the current situation and what awaits him.
“We start very motivated, but on the other hand we also know that it will be a longer series, with 8 races and new tracks. This is a positive aspect because it gives you a few more chances to recover in case of unlucky episodes in the race.”
“The calendar includes tracks on which we have never raced with Hypercars, such as Lusail, Imola, Austin and San Paolo, where there will be no shortage of unknowns, in particular because we have no absolute references on our performances and those of our rivals.”
“Whoever is better at finding the right performance and speed on the new circuits will have a great advantage, so we will have to take advantage of the possibility of using the simulator in the best way and also the tests we will carry out.”
“For Ferrari the objective is always to win the championship and try to repeat the success of Le Mans; statistically it is difficult to achieve both, but when you set out on a challenge the objective to set is the maximum one, especially if you race as a brand like Maranello.”
“We can't hide, we want to win. However, we know that it's not easy because there are many other well-prepared rivals, in greater numbers than in 2023, but the objective is always and only one: to be the best.”
Alessandro Pier Guidi, Ferrari AF Corse
Photo by: Ferrari
In fact, Calado is not hiding at all, who after the many great successes achieved with the GTs is now firmly aiming for the Hypercar summit.
“I have been racing for this fantastic team and brand for 10 years, and for me it is certainly a great achievement; it is clear that for 2024 my goal is to win both titles. It would be really nice to become Champion in the Queen of Endurance category”, he admits English.
“We won Le Mans in 2023 so my goal for the season that is about to begin is to fight for the World Championship, even more than the 24h! To try to achieve these results it is necessary to work hard, with dedication and the desire to prepare every aspect down to the smallest detail all together, as a team, to always try to achieve the best possible performance. I want to win and I will do everything I can to do it.”
“The challenge will be tougher due to the new brands entering the championship, but I see it as a very positive thing and I think it's great that there are more manufacturers competing. Personally, I'm not afraid of anyone in particular, we'll simply have to do our best as team and what will be, will be. I believe that Ferrari has the best package, the best group of people and the best lineup of drivers, we just have to give everything.”
James Calado, Ferrari AF Corse
Photo by: Ferrari
Finally, this is Giovinazzi's second year with the 499P and this new career as an endurance driver is becoming more and more interesting and beautiful for someone who grew up with single-seaters.
“The results achieved in 2023 should certainly not be forgotten, such as the victory at the Centenary 24 Hours of Le Mans, a historic result for the team and Ferrari. Now the time has come to focus on the future, this year new rival manufacturers will arrive and the competition will be higher”, underlines the Apulian.
“We must take last year's good results as additional motivation to do even better, bringing home more victories, poles and podiums. The 2024 objectives are ambitious: I would like to win again at Le Mans, even if I know it will be difficult because it is a very long race and full of unknowns, but we will definitely try!”
“We will also try to win the world title which would be an extraordinary achievement for Ferrari. Last year we achieved an exceptional feat at the 24 Hours, now we will try to do even better by fighting for the championship victory.”
Antonio Giovinazzi, Ferrari AF Corse
Photo by: Ferrari
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