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    Ferrari Hypercar

    8 Hours of Bahrain

    4 November 2023

    2023 RACE REVIEW

    The last event in the 2023 FIA WEC closed with the Ferrari 499P number 50 third with the crew of Fuoco-Molina-Nielsen. The number 51 Hypercar driven by Pier Guidi-Calado-Giovinazzi finished three positions further back. With the points collected at the 8 Hours of Bahrain, the Maranello manufacturer concluded the extraordinary year of its return to the top class of endurance racing after half a century by taking second place in the Manufacturers’ championship, plus third and fourth place in the Drivers’ championship, respectively with Fuoco-Molina-Nielsen and Pier Guidi-Calado-Giovinazzi.
    Track Temp38.70ºCHour 1
    Air Temp31.40ºCHour 1
    Track Temp30.70ºCHour 8
    Air Temp27.70ºCHour 8
    • Ferrari - AF Corse#50A. FUOCO / M. MOLINA / N. NIELSEN
    • Race Result3
    • Fastest Lap1:51.512
    • Pit Stop7
    • Laps249
    • Total time8:03:01.594
    • Gap from leader1:36.286
    AVG SPEED
    TOP SPEED
    AVG SPEED
    TOP SPEED
    • Ferrari - AF Corse#51A. PIER GUIDI / J. CALADO / A. GIOVINAZZI
    • Race Result6
    • Fastest Lap1:51.300
    • Pit Stop7
    • Laps248
    • Total time8:01:38.259
    • Gap from leader1 lap
    AVG SPEED
    TOP SPEED
    AVG SPEED
    TOP SPEED
    “
    It was a positive season, with the team performing well in both qualifying and races, especially in the race of races, Le Mans.
    Obviously, there’s still work to be done to improve in the future, but we can only be satisfied. The Bahrain race? It wasn’t straightforward. We did our best, competing with the Porsches. Our excellent strategy allowed us to hold them off. I’m sorry for the collision with the 499P number 51. I got to turn 7 with more speed, finding Ale (Pier Guidi, Ed) in front. And I was worried about how he might move, so in doubt, I went right. It was a mistake, but the fact remains we’re very united as a team. We’ve already cleared the air, and now we all look to the future together.
    Antonio Fuoco
    499P #50 driver
    “
    I’m delighted with our excellent start here in Bahrain, moving up from fifth to second position.
    For the race, we set up with the middle and last hours in mind when the temperatures dropped, a choice that paid off. The season? There’s no doubt it was very positive as we were often in contention for the top positions. The entire team, from the drivers to the engineers to the mechanics, had a fantastic season in their debut year in this category.
    Miguel Molina
    499P #50 driver
    “
    I’m satisfied with my driving in a race that was by no means easy, just as it wasn’t easy to keep contending with the number 38 Porsche.
    Our car was excellent, although we couldn’t fight for the win. The season? A beautiful and positive year ends here in Sakhir because it wasn’t easy to construct a project like this from scratch. The entire team grew through the sporting journey we experienced. A fantastic journey that I look forward to continuing.
    Nicklas Nielsen
    499P #50 driver
    “
    We’d have preferred to end the season with a better finish in Bahrain, without a doubt,
    but looking back on this year, we have to be very satisfied, particularly with the victory at Le Mans, which went down in motor racing history and which as drivers filled us with indescribable excitement.
    Alessandro Pier Guidi
    499P #51 driver
    “
    The whole team did an outstanding job in this historic season for Ferrari.
    Race after race, we showed our great potential, learning more about our 499P and our capabilities. These are excellent foundations on which to look forward to next season.
    James Calado
    499P #51 driver
    “
    The 8 Hours was a tough race for us, but here in Bahrain, we ended a season of which we should be really proud.
    We won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, crowning a year that marked Ferrari’s return to the top endurance class. Now we’ll look to the future and find the motivation to be even stronger next year.
    Antonio Giovinazzi
    499P #51 driver
    “
    The 8 Hours of Bahrain marks the end of the 499P’s first World Endurance Championship season.
    I am very proud and happy with the results we’ve achieved, with the prestigious win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the six podiums, the two pole positions and the fastest lap again in France. This project took its first steps a year and a half ago and yet has given us great satisfaction that has repaid the team’s enormous efforts and sacrifices.
    Antonello Coletta
    Global Head of Endurance and Corse Clienti
    “
    It was a genuine pleasure to conclude this season with a podium in Bahrain, and we’re proud of what we’ve done.
    Throughout the year, we’ve continued to develop our 499P and finish every race with no particular problems, finishing on the podium every time except at Fuji. We won the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the first attempt, in the season of our return to the top class after fifty years. This result shows the value of the path we have taken. Now, we are already looking to the future to prepare for the 2024 season as well as possible.
    Ferdinando Cannizzo
    Head of Endurance Race Cars
      Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir
      8 Hours of Bahrain 2023

      First used by Formula 1 in 2004, the circuit boasts various hi-tech facilities, especially the VIP Tower, an eight-storey building from which guests can view the entire track. The circuit is 5.417 km long and a firm drivers' favourite, offering many places where they can pass their rivals.

      With a combination of fast and slow corners and an unusually long straight, the main difficulties are a lack of grip and tyre wear. The wind continually blows the desert sand onto the asphalt. To overcome this problem, the organisers have developed a bitumen with a very special grain that always ensures sufficient grip.

      8 Hours of Bahrain 2023
      Turns
      • LocationSakhirBahrain
      • Turns15
      • Circuit Length5 412 km

      499P is the name of the new Le Mans Hypercar with which Ferrari will tackle the FIA WEC in the top class from 2023, a name evoking the history of the Prancing Horse manufacturer.

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