Comments ahead of the 6 Hours of Portimão

Round two of the FIA World Endurance Championship 2023 at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão features two Ferrari 499Ps in the top Hypercar class. The Ferrari – AF Corse team arrives in the Algarve after a positive debut at Sebring, where the number 50 car of Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen claimed third, and teammates Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi took seventh in the number 51. Here are the drivers’ comments ahead of the 6 Hours that will kick off on Sunday 16 April, at 12 p.m. (local time) at the Portuguese track. 

Antonio Fuoco, #50 499P driver: “Expectations are high after the pole position and third place in the Sebring race. We will also try our best in Portugal, where we will work to get the most out of our Hypercar. Portimão is a highly technical track that challenges the tyres. Tyre management will be a key factor considering the temperatures we will encounter. As the crew of 499P number 50, I believe we are doing a good job as part of a team effort where the group shares the same goals. We will try to continue along this path in Portugal too”. 

Miguel Molina, #50 499P driver: “At Sebring, we achieved an excellent result that boosted our confidence. However, at Portimão, we start again with humility, knowing there is still much work to do to keep improving. We will follow this direction by staying focused and avoiding any mistakes on a track I like very much. It is a technical track with some challenging points, such as the last turn, where traffic could provide an additional element of difficulty”. 

Nicklas Nielsen, #50 499P driver: “We come to Portimão confident about the race at a track where we organised successful tests in the run-up to the season. We have a good starting point, although the race conditions differ from the test ones. It will be interesting to see the progress we have made. Like Sebring was at the beginning, the Portuguese track is very demanding for the cars. The goal will be to complete a race with no problems while continuing to make progress”. 

Alessandro Pier Guidi, #51 499P driver: “I like Portimão a lot. It is in third place on my FIA WEC calendar podium after Spa and Le Mans. The track is medium-fast, attractive and fun to drive in the Hypercar. There are many “blind” spots, with combined braking, a feature that makes this track challenging for drivers and cars. After Sebring, the team’s goal will be to finish on the podium again. Maybe this time, we in the 499P number 51 will achieve that. Our opponents? Right now, I think Toyota is favourite. We have to work to close the gap and take a further step forward in the Portuguese race”. 

James Calado, #51 499P driver: “The track is very challenging, considering the continual ups and downs and a few “blind” corners, but at the same time, it is fun to drive. The last sector of Portimão is the most difficult, with a final turn that we tackle almost at full throttle. Tyre management, particularly on the left side, will be one of the main keys to doing well in the 6 Hours in Portugal. After the first race in America, in the second weekend we will try to achieve a better result with our Hypercar. We are confident”. 

Antonio Giovinazzi, #51 499P driver: “The trickiest spots at Portimão? Turn 1, which is really fast, and the penultimate turn, which is very long and ‘slippery’ and requires extreme driving precision before entering the main straight. After an excellent start for Ferrari at Sebring, in Portugal the goals are to continue to improve without repeating the mistakes of the debut and try to put maximum pressure on Toyota, who, as we saw in America, is currently favourite”. 

Antonello Coletta, Head of Attività Sportive GT: “After the excellent debut in America, we come to Portimão to continue on our path of evolution of the car and its management. We want to pursue this path with patience and humility, knowing we are only at the beginning of a long and complex sporting chapter. Obviously, we go to Portugal to achieve the best possible result on a highly demanding and challenging track for the car, particularly regarding reliability, a variable we will need to factor in”.

Ferdinando Cannizzo, Head of GT and Sports Race Cars: “During the 6 Hours of Portimão, the first focus will be on reliability, a crucial aspect for our Hypercar as it is still a new car, which is a key factor for the race result. We also hope to take a step forward in terms of competitiveness compared to Sebring, where we gained a positive result. We are working hard to reduce the gap with our main competitors”.