We met Robert Shwartzman and Yifei Ye in Imola with AF Corse: a rookie season but big goals – MOW

Mthere is now very little to the 6h of Imola, the Italian stage of the World Endurance Championship, and in the paddock there is an air of curiosity and desire to get on the track, with a timetable that saw the 110 drivers on Thursday divided between commitments with journalists and the affection of the fans, who arrived at the Enzo e Dino Ferrari racetrack in Imola well in advance. Among the fan favorites, which in Italy they usually have their hearts divided between Ferrari and Valentino Rossi no matter what when it comes to motorsport, there is also the 499P number 83, the one driven by Robert Kubica, Robert Shwartzman and Yifei Ye, who told us their emotions at the start of the weekend, ready for this new challenge. After a year full of satisfactions for the Maranello team, which capitalized on its potential with the two 499Ps deployed in 2023, the third car has arrived, again entrusted to AF Corsethe team that has been racing in the top series on covered wheels with Ferrari for some time, to begin increasing the number of Prancing Horse prototypes on the track.

In fact, from 2024, there are not only the iconic red 499Ps, the 50 of Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen and the 51 of Alessandro Pier Guidi, Antonio Giovinazzi and James Calado, and also the yellow one, unofficial because it is not running for the team’s points, but which has already shown that it really has a lot of potential. Ferrari’s choice to put the two youngest drivers on their roster behind the wheel, alongside an experienced driver like Robert Kubica, tells even more about the desire to see this project grow, with two crystal-clear talents ready to give their all. “It’s an honor to race in a world championship like the WEC together with Ferrari, it really makes me so proud and motivates me” Yifei Ye told us. The Chinese is the latest addition to the Ferrari driver scene after growing up together with Porsche, with which he debuted in the WEC in 2023 at the wheel of Jota Sports’ LMDh. “Our debut went well, our goals are obviously realistic but we want to get as high as possible to learn as best we can for the future.” Ye continued. “Being part of this young generation of riders is a responsibility. We must convey the true values ​​of this sport and, given that Ferrari is very followed, we must do it in the most correct way by letting all our passion pass through” added Shwartzman.

THEThe first round in Qatar saw the three climb onto the podium of the Team Trophy, the one dedicated to customer teams and “unofficial” cars racing in the Hypercar class. Indeed from this year the entry list not only sees two cars per team, but manufacturers who also field up to five prototypes, as in the case of Porsche, and who find themselves fighting for a dedicated ranking, where Ferrari number 83 is currently third, thanks to the excellent result achieved in the 1812 KM of Qatar. “The first race went well, we tried to do our best and we actually can’t be dissatisfied. What is certain is that debuting in a championship like the WEC is not easy, there is a lot of competitivenessbut we are trying to learn as much as we can” said Shwartzman, who comes to the wheel of the 499P after a career focused mainly on single-seaters until last year, when he raced in the GT World Challenge at the wheel of the Ferrari 296 GT3.

When the two Ferrari drivers are asked about their relationship with each other and with Robert Kubica they both smile, because they got along really well. “Kubica is a very wise driver, you can immediately see his experience. He is teaching us a lot, just don’t make him angry because then he goes wild! Yifei on the other hand is the opposite, he is very calm but once he gets on the track he transforms, he is really very fast. I, on the other hand, am halfway between the two, let’s say the balance” Shwartzman told us. “Finding the right teammates in endurance racing is difficult, also because you have to put everyone’s needs on the same level and as a rider it’s not easy, but with Robert and Yifei I was very lucky. And then we got along right away, as if it were destiny!”. All three on this topic are sure: as a trio they work very well. Only Ye has something to say: “The only thing I would change about my teammates is the name, since they are both called Robert and sometimes it is difficult to understand, even for example when we talk on the radio”.

This weekend the three will find themselves on the Imola track for the first time, which many see as a real challenge for this category which needs a lot of space for overtaking and lapping and which can be chaotic on every occasion. But the beauty of endurance is precisely this and the 6h of Imola will certainly have a lot to tell. “We can’t do a real preview, because there are still too many uncertainties, such as the weather. It will certainly be difficult to interpret the traffic, because between 19 Hypercars and 18 GT3s it will not be at all easy to manage overtaking and lapping. What is certain, however, is that we will try to give our best” concluded Shwartzman. The conditions for doing well are certainly there Ferrari certainly has a third striker to bet on: now it’s the track’s turn, it’s time to turn on the championship.