Starting in front, centering theHyperpole for the second consecutive year, and then try to give everything in the final phase, from Sunday morning onwards. This is the recipe for 24 Hours of Le Mans 2024 by Antonio Fuocoexpected protagonist together with Miguel Molina And Nicklas Nielsen behind the wheel of Ferrari 499P on the Circuit de la Sarthe. On the eve of the most important event on the calendar FIA World Endurance Championship we asked the Calabrian driver for a provisional assessment of the season, what are the points in which the team and the car have grown the most compared to a year ago and the secrets of his preparation in view of a marathon that every year puts men and equipment to the test.
Antonio, after the disappointment in Spa, how is the build-up to the 24 Hours of Le Mans going?
“It is the most important race of the year and we, as always, try to prepare as best we can for the Le Mans week, because it is not just a race weekend. We also carried out some preparation on the simulator, with the team technicians who prepared the car in Maranello. We try to do our best to arrive in the best conditions.”
In terms of preparation, for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, has anything changed compared to the other events of the FIA World Endurance Championship?
“I would say that the preparation throughout the year is always the same. Obviously there are some small differences regarding the 24 Hours of Le Mans, especially because the times are a bit out of sync during the race, so I always try to get used to more to what it will be as we get closer to the start of the competition. Let’s say that I try to do small simulations even before arriving at that weekend. It has now become a small routine for me, which I have already tested successfully over the years I saw.”
After the first three races of the championship, and on the eve of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, what is your partial assessment of the season, also compared to what the crew of the Ferrari 499P number 50 did?
“I think that in general it is a positive balance. In some circumstances we have not been very lucky, in others we have not been particularly competitive, such as at the 1812 km of Qatar. From the beginning of the season to today, however, we have taken a step forward , we have always improved and I think that is the most important thing. Now, as we all know, the most important race of the year arrives, where there are more points available, so it will be essential to be in the best conditions there to try to recover one. some points on the opponents”.
How much and in what ways have you grown compared to the success achieved by Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2023?
“Certainly, as a team, after a year from the start of the project, we have much more experience and this always allows us to improve. I think that, also with regards to race and tire management, we have made a big step forward compared to the 2023. This year the 24 Hours of Le Mans will be a little different because we will no longer have tire warmers for the tires. So, there too, we will start on cold tires and I think this is a very difficult point during the weekend. especially during the night it won’t be easy to manage with so many cars on the track. I think this edition will be a bit more like roulette.”
How important are individual details in a long race like the 24 Hours of Le Mans? Where can you win and where can you lose such a competition?
“A small mistake, a small mistake can cost you the race. Obviously, being such a long competition, you always try, in quotes, to survive until Sunday morning and then from then on to always give your best. However, in the past , we also saw some bad luck happen on the last lap, so you always have to keep your concentration very high and then, once you get to that point, also hope a little for luck.”
You are a Hyperpole specialist, how important is it to start in front of Le Mans?
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“Starting from the front always represents a small advantage for a driver. But a race like the 24 Hours of Le Mans is really long, there is a way to recover. Starting from the top positions gives the possibility of remaining a little calmer and, especially in the early hours, to stay away from trouble. So we will try to do our best there too, like last year, and then repeat ourselves in the race.”
 24 Hours of Le Mans 2024: objectives, growth, 499P){kind=link}