WEC | AF Corse with Yifei Ye and Shwartzman in his Ferrari 499P

AF Corse has completed its 2024 lineup with Yifei Ye and Robert Shwartzman at the wheel of the Ferrari 499P that it will field privately at the start of the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship.

The Piacenza team, which had already announced the hiring of Robert Kubica a few weeks ago, will now also be able to count on the contribution of two official drivers of the Prancing Horse, who had already been indicated for some time as possible candidates for the seat of the Maranello Hypercar #83.

Ye in fact signed a contract with the Emilian company before Christmas, freeing himself from Porsche Motorsport with which he has grown in recent seasons thanks to the support of the Asia Pacific branch, producing excellent performances at the wheel of the LMP2 prototypes and the 963 LMDh with which he made his debut last year. last year.

“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”, says the Chinese.

“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 team 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.”

Shwartzman has been in the Ferrari world for some time as he held the role of third and reserve driver for Formula 1, and having taken part in GT racing with the 296 GT3 in 2023, the year in which he also tested the 499P in the FIA ​​Rookie Tests WEC in Bahrain.

Photo by: Shameem Fahath

Robert Shwartzman, Ferrari AF Corse

“I am very happy to participate in the FIA ​​WEC with the AF Corse Ferrari 499P together with two teammates like Robert and Yifei”, says the Russian.

“We 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 to the car as quickly as possible, to 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 am looking forward to in a special way and that is the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It is a race which 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.”

With the Kubica/Ye/Shwartzman trio, AF Corse is aiming high in the Hypercar Class and in the related ranking reserved for customer teams competing privately in the World Championship.

“After two years in the FIA ​​WEC in the LMP2 class, crowned by the title in the 2023 season, I am very happy to be able to drive the AF Corse Ferrari 499P. I will share the car with Robert and Yifei, two very fast drivers, but the challenge will be very complicated in a very tough starting grid”, concludes Kubica.

Photo by: NM2255

Robert Kubica, Ferrari 499P

“We have all the conditions to do well, but we also have to make up a lot of ground, since all three of us have little experience behind the wheel of the 499P. It will be a difficult and demanding challenge, but at the same time very exciting.”

“We will have to try to keep our feet on the ground and do our best. Especially at the beginning of the season it will not be easy, but we will try to maximize our time on the track to accumulate valuable experience. I am happy to join AF Corse, a team that I have seen racing and winning for many years in many categories.”

Antonello Coletta, Global Head of Endurance and Corse Clienti: “We are very happy to be able to give our official drivers the opportunity to take part in the entire FIA ​​WEC season with the Ferrari 499P number 83 of the AF Corse team. In recent seasons Yifei has highlighted himself by obtaining two titles in endurance racing, and now he will be able to test himself in the top world championship category with a Ferrari Hypercar. Robert, however, will be able to continue his journey with a new challenge, after a positive 2023 season which saw him achieve success in Barcelona with the 296 GT3, and show an excellent adaptation to the 499P during the rookie tests in Bahrain.”