At the end of a disastrous race marked by the worst overall result for the 499P since its arrival in competition, Ferrari prefers to only remember the positive, highlighting the fact that The team scored valuable points, which puts it mathematically in contention for the constructors’ and drivers’ titles.
Precious in the absence of being numerous since the n°50 leaves with only two units in its pocket. A meager result certainly, but it is still double the dowry pocketed at home by Toyota Gazoo Racing. If the trio Fuoco / Molina / Nielsen passed under the checkered flag in 9th place, the n°51 was forced to retire due to an ERS problem after 168 laps. As for the n°83, found guilty of a pile-up ⬇️ of which the n°51 was one of the many collateral victims, it was given a 30” Stop & Go from which it never recovered.
In short, on Sunday evening, the noodles were somewhat difficult to digest in the Italian clan. Unfortunately, we are not in the habit of commenting on such a result, lamented Antonello Coletta, director of the Endurance and Corse Clienti poles at Ferrari. Moreover, at the end of a race during which strategy, pit stops, tire management and on-track performance of the drivers are to be commended. »
Because yes, for a while, the winner of the 92nd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans gave an illusion, with a total of 22 laps led. We did everything in our power to fight for the podium, and not being able to achieve it leaves a bitter taste in our mouths, he continues. It was frustrating to see the cars involved in the second lap incident, which heavily affected the race of the #51 and #83. »
And Ferdinando Cannizzo, technical manager of the Endurance programs, continued: “ We knew the race would be difficult, but it became even more so after the collision and the damage to the floor of the #51. However, the team implemented a flawless strategy that allowed the #51 to make up for lost time and the #50 to move up the standings to claim a podium place. Unfortunately, the conditions did not allow us to hold on to these positions, and the advantage gained through our strategy was cancelled out by the final safety car intervention. We are deeply disappointed, as today’s result seriously compromises our chances of winning the Constructors’ and Drivers’ World Championships. »
And for good reason, the winners of the 24 Hours of Le Mans are now 35 points behind the trio Lotterer / Estre / Vanthoor, and Ferrari respectively 27 and 17 behind Porsche and Toyota. Given the points scale at the 8 Hours of Bahrain (respectively 38, 27 and 17 points for the first three without counting the pole), the Italian clan no longer has its destiny in its own hands…
