The words of the Cavallino after the Hyperpole
Second row for Ferrari 499P #51 and #50 in the Hyperpole of the 24 hours of Le Mans which saw the championship-leading Porsche #6 outmaneuver the two Cadillacs on the gong (the Cadillac #2 climbs to seventh position due to the five-place penalty to be served for the accident caused by Earl Bamber at Spa).
The Ferraris had the chance to replicate the pole of a year ago, but the red flag caused by Vanthoor’s BMW going off the track did not have good timing for the 499Ps who were at the top of their performance in the second run at preparation level of the second set of new tires. Below are the words of the drivers involved in the Hyperpole and the Endurance managers of the Scuderia di Maranello.
Antonio Fuoco: “It was a very tough Hyperpole. As a team we did our best to exploit the potential of our 499Ps. It seems that some competitors are stronger than us overallbut we are aware that the 24 Hours of Le Mans will be a long race, in which various components will play a key role, including the experience that we drivers and the entire team have gained over the last few months.”
Alessandro Pier Guidi: “We knew that in Hyperpole we could suffer in terms of performance compared to some competitors. We weren’t very lucky with the red flag which affected the tire preparation in an attempt to improve in the final phase, but I think our objective was to qualify in the first two rows, to reduce the risks at the start, and we achieved it. The race? I am confident and I believe that we will be able to do well also thanks to the fact that we will be able to count on the experience gained in 2023. I believe that we have what it takes to have a good 24 Hours of Le Mans.”
Antonello Coletta: “At the end of the Hyperpole we find ourselves where we thought we would be, compared to the competition, and we must consider that an opponent like Toyota did not participate in this session, otherwise I believe it would have been another protagonist in the challenge for the top positions.
The result we obtained does not surprise us and we are satisfied with the work we have done. Now we look at the race which will be long and, as per Le Mans tradition, with numerous difficulties and variables to take into consideration. The reliability of our 499Ps and teamwork will be two essential components to do well in the most eagerly awaited race of the year.”
Ferdinando Cannizzo: “We are very satisfied with the result achieved in Hyperpole. We knew we had little chance of aiming for pole positionHowever, we gave our all and made very aggressive choices. Alessandro and Antonio (Pier Guidi and Fuoco, Ed.) did an excellent job. It’s a shame for the red flag that affected the result, in particular of the 499P number 50 with which the strategy was more aggressive in terms of fuel on board: Antonio was preparing for the flying lap when the flag was shown. Looking at the race we are aware that it will not be easy given that the pace shown by some opponents is remarkable. We will therefore have to do everything perfectly.”
: “Some teams are stronger than us” – News){kind=link}