By Carlo Platella
Just under 12 months ago James Calado won the Centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans teamed with Alessandro Pier Guidi and Antonio Giovinazzi, at the wheel of the Ferrari 499P making its debut in the French marathon. The one in France remains the only victory for the Maranello Hypercar, which also boasts three pole positions plus the two canceled in both the last editions of the 6 hours of Spa. Yet, the greatest strength of the current 499P is the race pace, a precious weapon in view of the upcoming 24 hours of Le Mans. FormulaPassion he spoke about it directly with Calado a few days before the most important race of the season.
So James, a season of ups and downs so far. The car seemed very competitive, but the results were not as hoped…
“On paper it looks like it was a disaster. However, if you look at the performances and circumstances of the last two races, we were by far the strongest. At Spa we would have won, it was out of our control, and at Imola we were in the lead too. In terms of competitiveness we are in good shape and this is the main positive aspect in view of Le Mans”
What do you think is the biggest strength of the 499P?
“I would say that the race pace is excellent, we have always done well in the second stint. It’s good, because it was an area we had to work on last year. However, the team has optimized the car and we drivers have also learned a lot in one year about tire management. In the race we are stronger, while in qualifying we obtained pole positions with the #50. I would say that we have several strengths.”
Looking at Imola, one would think that even passing over curbs is another quality of the car…
“The curbs have never been a problem in Imola, but for me the biggest strong point is the race pace. We proved it. We have improved in many areas and the car is more pleasant to drive.”
One of your direct opponents this year is Porsche, with which you had some spectacular duels even at the time of the GTEs. How do you experience this dualism with them?
“It’s nice to have this rivalry, especially now that the overall victory is on the line, even at Le Mans. We always have mutual respect. In general, the arrival of new manufacturers this year and the quantity of cars on the track is really pleasing, because a victory with so many rivals has even more value.”
Arrive at the 24 Hours of Le Mans as reigning winners. Does this increase your self-confidence or is it a source of pressure?
“None of the two. I treat it like any other race. Obviously it is the most important event of the year, but the 2023 edition belongs to the past now. We will try to do the best job we can. As riders and team, however, we are in good shape and experience also counts for a lot. If you consider all these things, we are in a good position to achieve a good result.”
One of the novelties for this year’s edition is the abolition of heaters to preheat the tyres. Several of your colleagues say they are against this rule…
“What matters is that it’s the same for everyone, everyone will leave the pit lane with cold tyres. It’s up to us to optimize, perhaps not take too many risks, but at least it’s like this for everyone. There are some rules however that should be changed and made the same for everyone, but I won’t go into details. However, this is not the rule I am most worried about.”
Precisely because of the risk of accidents at the start with cold tyres, how important will it be to start from the front?
“It’s a huge race. It’s not just about pace, but also about experience. You have to be in a position to be able to fight at the end. Overtaking is easier at Le Mans than elsewhere, because the straights are longer. I don’t think the qualifying position will be vital, but it will always be important to be among the top positions.”
Already in Spa you demonstrated that you can come back from the bottom…
“Yes, at Spa we were strong and had good speed on the straight. In general, however, the pace was good. Tire degradation was very high for everyone, so choosing a point to overtake was quite easy. In Imola, however, it was impossible.”
Also in Belgium we witnessed a serious accident between a Hypercar and a GT3. What contributes to these episodes?
“The GTEs were much faster than the GT3s, so the speed difference with the Hypercars was smaller and therefore easier to manage. We swoop into the GT3s much quicker now, especially when cornering, and sometimes that can catch you by surprise. Several drivers find it difficult to adapt.”
Spa also saw a new crowd record for a WEC race outside of Le Mans. What do you think of the good times Endurance is experiencing?
“The league is healthy. He has attracted several manufacturers, including us, to compete at the highest level. The races are close and offer a great spectacle to the spectators. At every race we break a new audience record. The atmosphere is changing, people like to watch the races”.
Do you also notice it from the requests for photos and autographs?
“We get a lot of attention now, especially after Le Mans. In Italy they give us a lot of attention, not only on the track, but also when you’re doing a simple lap. It’s nice, because we feel the support of the fans. It gives us the right motivation.”
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