WEC | Ferrari: versatile 499P, the innovations will not be revolutions

At Ferrari, the focus is firmly on the 24h of Le Mans, which in 20 days will mark the return of the 499P to the Circuit de la Sarthe, one year after the triumph achieved in 2023.

The fourth event of the FIA ​​World Endurance Championship has a very high value for the men from Maranello, eager not only to defend the success of the last edition, but also to give a turning point to a season which up to now has shown excellent performances, but false results for the level of the Prancing Horse’s Hypercars.

There are plenty of irons in the fire and at Fiorano the three 499Ps – the official #50 and #51, plus the private #83 of AF Corse – carried out the Shakedown last week to check that everything was in order, before being shipped to France, and Engineer Ferdinando Cannizzo (Head of Ferrari’s Endurance cars) told in this exclusive interview with Motorsport.com how these last days of excitement and preparations are being experienced in the Emilian region.

Ferdinando, are you satisfied with this first part of the season in terms of performance?
“Absolutely yes, the car is performing very well, but I must also say the team. The 499P showed a great improvement compared to last year, thanks to what we learned in 2023 and the many opportunities we took advantage of during the winter to carry out tests This gave us the opportunity to grow in all areas and understand the behavior in terms of tyres, controls, set-up and engine.”

The 499P is proving to be very versatile…
“The results seen so far confirm that we are ready to prepare the car and make it perform well on very different tracks, such as Imola and Spa; on both we were competitive, especially in Emilia Romagna, which has particular characteristics where we had suffered a bit ‘ last year like the slow curves. Instead we went very well and it was a big step forward, so we can be very happy.”

Now we go to the 24h of Le Mans, which you won last year; do you think you are favourites?
“In reality we cannot say because this year the competition is much closer, especially among the Hypercars, and the number of cars on the track is very high. I believe that for everyone, not just for us, it will be a very difficult challenge where we will have to try to avoid errors and problems within 24 hours; anything can happen”.

#50 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, Nicklas Nielsen

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

What will the approach be like as reigning winners?
“In 2023 we were rookies and we approached the race without pressure, now we will have to be good at managing them given the success achieved and the expectations. We are working as a team to try to get to Le Mans in the same way, without feeling pressure and doing everything as best we can to obtain the best possible result.”

As mentioned, the 499P is now competitive on different tracks; does this put you in a better position than last year at Le Mans?
“In terms of performance, yes, but at Le Mans now everyone will want to beat us, also because last year they didn’t expect us to be so fast and in contention for victory. The goal is to be at the same level as in 2023, but to do better , because we are Ferrari and we cannot be satisfied, we will try, but we are also aware that it will be a much, much more difficult challenge.”

There won’t be tire pre-heating systems, but from a degradation point of view you’re managing it well now; do you feel advantaged in this respect?
“On the outgoing lap I think we manage to warm up the tires very well, but at Le Mans it will certainly be a complicated aspect to manage, especially at night because it is not an abrasive circuit and the temperatures could be low. However, in 2023 we are went well, then it’s clear that a lot will also depend on the weather, we saw what happened last year and we know that anything can happen. Let’s say that I would prefer a race without upsets or surprises from the weather…”

#50 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, Nicklas Nielsen

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

Will it be possible to use more soft tires compared to last year? Maybe Saturday evening or Sunday morning…
“A lot will depend on the weather and track conditions. Last year we managed to manage all the compounds well, switching to the rain ones at the right time and then returning to the slicks, using both the soft and medium tyres. We have acquired the right knowledge to knowing which choices to make at various moments and conditions of the race”.

Last year you mounted the mediums more…
“I think the difference between the tires wasn’t that large, so a lot depended on how they were managed during the stints. In some moments you had to push harder at the start and try to keep them at the end, these are all variables that will be seen over the course of the season. work, so at the moment it’s difficult to say how many and which tires we will use the most.”

Now the stints are shorter, will this affect the strategy?
“Definitely yes, so we will have to be good at adapting to situations.”

Last year you had some concerns about reliability, but now the 499P has proven to be very solid; are you confident?
“We certainly showed excellent stability from this point of view, but in a 24-hour race the reliability aspect cannot be overlooked. Let’s remember that the car has not changed since 2023, apart from a few small modifications, such as the addition of the central spotlights specific for the 24h. Sometimes you are betrayed by stupid things, so every single detail must be kept an eye on and prepared in the best possible way with the utmost attention and care”.

#83 AF Corse, Ferrari 499P: Yifei Ye, Robert Kubica, Robert Shwartzman

Photo by: Francesco Corghi

This year the Hypercars have grown in numbers; do you think it will be a three-way battle with Toyota and Porsche, or can others also join the fight?
“I believe that everyone can be part of the fight and I hope so. The goal is to be as consistent as possible to be in a good position on Sunday morning, but I believe that every brand can be in the game.”

Do you plan to introduce updates using the ‘Evo-Jokers’ in the second part of the season?
“We are working on some changes and the goal is to bring them before the end of the season, but we still don’t know when and where. They won’t be big changes, but we want to try to improve performance and some aspects.”