50 days after the seasonal debut in Qatar, which went down in the archives with a sixth and a 12th place for the Ferrari – AF Corse team with cars number 50 and 51 respectively, the official 499Ps appear on the Italian track for the 6 Hours of Imola to gain precious points for the Drivers' and Constructors' world rankings.
This is the objective of Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen, who share the Hypercar with the number 50 on the livery, and of Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi, protagonists of the world championship scene with the sister car number 51.
For the Prancing Horse Hypercars, as anticipated, the appointment represents the first official test on the ups and downs of the historic track, which is less than 90 kilometers from Maranello, named after “Enzo and Dino Ferrari” since 1988.
Furthermore, on the stage of the Italian event of the World Endurance Championship, there will be the 499P number 83 in Giallo Modena livery, entered by the AF Corse team, entrusted to the officials of the Maranello company Yifei Ye and Robert Shwartzman, together with Robert Kubica.
The crew finished the 1812 Km of Qatar in fourth place overall and climbed onto the second step of the podium in the FIA World Cup for Hypercar Teams, the ranking reserved for independent teams.
#51 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi
Photo by: Shameem Fahath
Facts and numbers
1953: the year of inauguration of the Imola plant
2007: the redevelopment and modernization work on the plant, which began in November 2006, ends in September
4,909: the length of the route in the current configuration (in kilometers)
21: the number of curves: 12 on the left, 9 on the right
3,505: the total length of the straights (in kilometers)
1972: Ferrari scores a double with 312 PBs at the Imola 500 Kilometers: first Arturo Merzario, second Jacky Ickx
1982: the first victory for Scuderia Ferrari in an F1 GP, on the occasion of the 2nd San Marino GP, obtained by Didier Pironi ahead of his teammate, Gilles Villeneuve
2022: the 499P is presented in Imola on the occasion of the Ferrari World Finals
Enzo and Dino: the plant, which since 1970 had been named after Dino Ferrari, has assumed its current name since 1988, following the death of the founder of the Maranello company
18: points in Ferrari's Constructors' standings
12: the points in the Drivers' classification of Fuoco-Molina-Nielsen
#50 FERRARI AF CORSE Ferrari 499P Hypercar of Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen
Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images
Comments from the protagonists
Antonio Fuoco: “Imola is a very important track for Ferrari and for an Italian driver like me. I am sure that we will breathe a particular atmosphere in this round of the World Endurance Championship: I hope to see the grandstands packed with many fans, to whom we would like to give so many emotions this weekend.”
“On a technical level, I expect a difficult race. With so many cars at the start, the differences in performance between Hypercar and LMGT3 will force us to carry out many overtakings and therefore manage traffic in the best possible way.”
“The design of the track is one of a kind and includes very particular curves, such as the 'Tosa' or the 'Acque Minerali', alternating with other curves that are tackled at high speed where the escape routes are narrow. We will have to be perfect in drives, trying to exploit the potential of our car without making mistakes.”
Miguel Molina: “Ferrari's 'home' race awaits us in Imola and we expect a weekend with a special flavor for the whole team and for us drivers. The objective is to be able to give the fans many emotions and to be able to celebrate with them a positive result.”
“In the weeks that passed between the debut in Qatar, which was certainly not easy for us, and the eve of this race we worked as best we could to be ready for the 6 Hours of Imola.”
Nicklas Nielsen: “Last year in the Italian race, in Monza, we finished second and under the podium the spectacle offered by the fans was impressive. Also in Imola, therefore, we hope to see so many people supporting us”.
“The race will be long, on an evocative but also complex track from a technical point of view. After our difficult debut in Qatar, we show up in Italy confident in the work we have done, despite knowing that the 6 Hours will not be easy “.
#50 Ferrari Af Corse Ferrari 499P: Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, Nicklas Nielsen, #51 Ferrari Af Corse Ferrari 499P: Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi
Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images
Alessandro Pier Guidi: “This year the Italian race of the World Endurance Championship represents something new, both in terms of track and calendar: it debuts in the FIA WEC Imola and we will compete in front of our fans not in the middle of summer and after the success at Le Mans, as happened last year in Monza, but in what represents the second round of the season”.
“I believe that we will see the public in the stands for big occasions and, also thinking of the fans, our objective will be to give them a good result, after a difficult debut for us in Qatar.”
“What do I think of the track? Imola is one of the most beautiful tracks to drive on, considering that it alternates fast corners with very slow ones: I really appreciate this variety, as well as the fact that the track is characterized by continuous ups and downs. There will be many cars on the track and the traffic will be considerable: it will therefore be essential to qualify well.”
James Calado: “Our debut in Qatar this season was not positive so we arrive at the 6 Hours of Imola with the aim of doing our best to win the most points for the championship.”
“Imola? I really like the track, it has a particular charm due to the continuous ups and downs, but at the same time it is a narrow track with few ideal points for overtaking: traffic management will be a key factor over the six hours “.
Antonio Giovinazzi: “Competing in Italy is always a unique experience for a Prancing Horse driver: for this reason I am sure that the 6 Hours of Imola will be a special test for our entire team. After the 1812 Km of Qatar, a race of little lucky for us, we show up at Imola with the aim of obtaining a positive result to celebrate with our fans.”
“Getting on the podium, in front of what I expect to be a large audience, would be a great achievement. Personally, I really like the Imola track, it's a track characterized by a lot of grip and medium-fast corners where it's fun to drive even with the prototypes.”
#50 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, Nicklas Nielsen
Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images
Antonello Coletta (Head of endurance racing and Ferrari customers): “Like every race held in Italy, the 6 Hours of Imola is an event with a particular flavor for Ferrari. After the debut in Qatar which was not very fortunate for us, we worked tirelessly for the Italian round of the World Endurance Championship”.
“At the weekend we expect many fans in the stands to support our crews: the crowd will be extraordinary and we hope to be able to give them many emotions.”
“The Enzo and Dino Ferrari Autodrome represents the history of Italian motor racing and, despite being new in the FIA WEC calendar, in past years it has already hosted unforgettable endurance races, among which I would like to mention the Imola 500 Kilometer valid for the Championship Italian Sport which in 1972 saw Ferrari score a double with the 312 PBs of Arturo Merzario and Jacky Ickx”.
“This year Imola welcomes the world championship stage and the public will be able to admire both the Ferrari 499Ps on the track, entered in the Hypercar class, and the two 296 LMGT3s participating in the series-derived cars category.”
Ferdinando Cannizzo (Head of Ferrari endurance cars): “After the painful and difficult test in Qatar, where we fought for positions far from the top, in Imola we want redemption and to return to fighting for the podium”.
“On the other hand, we know that the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, due to its layout and characteristics, is quite treacherous for the mechanics, in particular suspension and brakes, will require a dedicated setup and will certainly be complex for the definition of the strategy, also considering the numerous overtaking which will be anything but easy.”
“For these reasons, we paid particular attention to preparing for this race in the usual driving simulator sessions in Maranello, also benefiting from two track tests, in Portimão and Paul Ricard, where engineers, mechanics and drivers were able to train and experiment with the optimal set-ups suggested by the simulations”.
“We are confident that we can have a good race, hoping that many red flags with the Prancing Horse will be able to wave under the podium at the end of the race.”
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