Comments after qualifying at Sebring
Sebring 17 marzo 2023
An historical day opens a new era in the World Endurance Championship, with pole position taken by Antonio Fuoco at the end of a qualifying session disputed with emotion by the entire Ferrari - AF Corse team, which saw the second 499P, driven by Alessandro Pier Guidi, finish fourth. A day that repays the enormous efforts made by the team since the first shakedown of the Prancing Horse Le Mans Hypercar.
Antonio Fuoco, 499P #50: “Taking pole position is truly unbelievable. I want to thank the entire team involved here and at Maranello for the extraordinary effort of the last eight months. I am proud of all of them, and I can’t wait to compete. Tomorrow, we will set off from pole position and try to do our best, knowing that the race will be long and will run on a track like Sebring that is very demanding for the car. Given the high afternoon temperatures, tyre management will be a crucial factor in the race”.
Alessandro Pier Guidi, 499P #51: “I am delighted for the team. We achieved a pole position with one car and a second row with the other. It’s an excellent start to the season. We qualified first and immediately after the Toyotas, the benchmark in the Hypercar class. Our car’s performance is excellent, but we know the 1000 Miles of Sebring is a challenging race where reliability will be crucial”.
Antonello Coletta, Head of Ferrari GT Sporting Activities: “There are few occasions when an achievement can be called historic, but I think we can use this adjective here. The road is very long, and the race will be tough. But, today we want to celebrate this extraordinary qualifying performance because it repays the enormous sacrifices that the team, the drivers and the entire group have made over these very intense months. The result was possible thanks to the passion, dedication and spirit of belonging of a team that, first and foremost, is one big family”.
Ferdinando Cannizzo, Head of GT & Sports Race Cars: “Today, we wrote a beautiful page in the history of Ferrari. It’s an indescribable thrill for all of us, an unparalleled pleasure. We struggled to contain our excitement. This pole position and fourth place in qualifying repays the team for all its efforts and at the same time confirms the excellence of its work. However, we know that this is only the first small step and that we still have much to do and learn before we can fight for victory. From tomorrow, we will continue to prepare for the race with the same humility that has taken us so far”.