There 6 Hours of Imola it showed us that Ferrari is fully fighting to be able to win races in the 2024 WEC. Only a strategic error prevented the Reds from at least getting on the podium in their home race, but the three 499Ps are ready to redeem themselves on the Spa-Francorchamps track, where they were competitive last year. The drivers proved confident on the eve of the Belgian event, which should adapt very well to the characteristics of the Maranello Hypercar. Here’s what the drivers of the official cars #50 and #51 said on the eve of the race.
Podium goal
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Spa is the last event before the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where Ferrari is called upon to defend the historic victory of 2023. “It’s a test of fundamental importance for us from a championship perspective,” he declared Antonio Fuoco, driver of #50. “I really like the Spa circuit and I have always felt at ease on this track with its special charm, in particular for the fast corners which force you to drive to perfection”, he added. “I believe it is one of the tracks where our 499P can best express its potential. Here we have thegoal of returning to the podium after a less than optimal start to the season, I believe we can fight for the top”, added his crewmate Miguel Molina. Nicklas Nielseninstead, emphasizes the importance of being ready to face variable conditions: “We know that the race will be long and it could be affected by rain and cold temperatures. Even for these variables we will have to do our best to obtain a good result,” he said.
You can’t go wrong anymore
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For the drivers of car #51 the start of the season was even more troubled, with a twelfth and seventh place which left them far behind in the standings. “After Qatar and Imola we are aware of having to do everything perfectly: the first objective of this weekend will be to reduce errors to a minimum. Like any race, the objective will be to aim for the podium and fight for victory. Last year the first podium for our crew came here in Spa, which was a good omen for the extraordinary success of Le Mans”, he declared Alessandro Pier Guidi. Ambitious goals also for James Caladowho added: “The goal is try to win a race that I expect to be hard-fought and difficult. In Imola we demonstrated our potential, despite the less than exceptional result, so if in Belgium we manage to do everything as best we can, we will be able to demonstrate our value.” Finally, for Antonio Giovinazzi Spa’s objective will be “redeem the result of Imola, where we failed to get on the podium in front of our fans. I have wonderful memories of last year’s race where we achieved our first podium, so the goal this year is to repeat that excellent performance.”
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Desire for redemption
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The desire to leave the disappointment of Imola behind is also great in the words of Antonello Colettaglobal head of Endurance and Corse Clienti: “We return to one of the most historic tracks of the World Championship where last year we achieved a podium with car 51. After Imola there is a great desire for redemption on behalf of the entire team, we present ourselves at Spa with the ambition of being able to give a good performance without making mistakes”. Words also reiterated by Ferdinando Cannizzohead of Endurance Cars: “After the disappointment of Imola, Spa represents an important stage for us. The goal is to get a good result by exploiting the characteristics of the 499P, which go well with curves and straights of the Ardennes circuit. Compared to 2023, we will not have the entire range of tire compounds available that allowed us to fully exploit the car’s potential and comeback to conquer the podium. We will need it maximum concentration to hit the targetthe race will be close and the public will hardly be bored”, he concluded.
