Full Ferrari
There Ferrari is definitely ready to start the 2024 WEC season with the official presentation of the three pilots who will make up the crew of the 499P 'private' of the team AF Corsewho will take to the track with the Hypercar #83. After the recent communication from the Maranello team regarding the appointment of those who will sit on the official cars #50 and #51, AF Corse has also revealed its trio.
Shwartzman and Ye promoted
Just over a month before the first seasonal event, scheduled for 24 and 25 February with the Prologue in Qatar, the team has confirmed the former Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica, already announced in December and reigning world champion in the LMP2 class. There will also be other players alongside the Pole Robert Shwartzmantest driver of Red in Formula 1, and Yifei Ye. While the Russian-Israeli boasts the success obtained in last year's 3 Hours of Barcelona in the GT World Challenge Europe – Endurance Cup, with AF Corse, the Chinese driver had triumphed in the Asian and European Le Mans Series (LMP2 class), in both cases in 2021.
The first words of Coletta
These are the first declarations of the drivers who will compete in the next championship, not before those of Antonio ColettaHead of WEC for Ferrari: “We are pleased to give our official drivers the opportunity to participate in the entire FIA WEC season with the Ferrari 499P number 83 of the AF Corse team. Yifei has made his name in recent seasons by winning two titles in endurance racing. Now he will be able to test himself in the top category of the world championship with a Ferrari Hypercar. Robert, however, will be able to continue his journey with a new challenge after a successful 2023 season which saw him win in Barcelona with the 296 GT3 and adapt brilliantly to the 499P during the rookie tests in Bahrain.”
New challenge for Shwartzman
Emotions for Shwartzmanwho thus commented on the approach to his debut in the WEC: “I am very happy to participate in the FIA WEC with the AF Corse Ferrari 499P together with two teammates like Robert and Yifei. Let's start with confidence and ambition. Confidence in the work we will be able to do together with the team, ambition for the results we want to achieve this year. We will have little time and many things to focus on, but I will give my all to adapt as quickly as possible to the car, the team and everything that will happen. I am confident that the season will be positive and I am really motivated to collect good results, with the ambition of winning the world title. However, there is one race that I look forward to in a special way and that is the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It's a race that has always been in my dreams and I will do everything I can to try to conquer it, I will give my all to do it.”
The new entry
In conclusion, the statements of Ye, making his debut with Ferrari: “It is a real privilege to be one of the three drivers of the #83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P. This team has achieved numerous successes in the most prestigious endurance championships and I am delighted to be able to debut as an official Ferrari driver in the FIA WEC and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Last year the level of the starters was already very high, this year with 19 cars in the Hypercar class it will be even higher but, in light of the team's performances in 2023, I have no doubt that we will be immediately competitive. Together with my teammates we have great experience and speed. I can't wait to have a first taste of the 499P and start the preparation work for the season now upon us, but I'm sure that we will immediately be ready to fight for victories and podiums right from the first appointment in Qatar.”
#Corse #Shwartzman #Kubica #FormulaPassion
