Ferrari still has "steps to go to compete for titles"

Two wins in a row at the 24 Hours of Le Mans Ferrari, and that's almost it. Apart from a victory in Austin with the third 499P, the Italian manufacturer has not been able to achieve any other successes in WECThe Prancing Horse firm was in a position to win at Imola and Spa-Francorchamps, but a strategic error in Italy and a racing incident in Belgium decided otherwise.

« We regret the incident at Imola, where we missed the opportunity to bring immense joy to the fans, starting from first, second and third positions in front of an incredible crowd, expresses Antonello Coletta, global head of Ferrari Endurance and Corsica Clienti, in comments relayed by the WEC website. Unfortunately, we made a mistake in choosing when to pit for a tire change, and we paid the price. This team has always learned from its mistakes, though, and I'm sure they'll come back even stronger. »

« We achieved good results, even if we won less than we could have done, adds the Italian. The car was very competitive in Imola, Spa and Le Mans, in Austin and also in Bahrain, although on some circuits we had more difficulties. We consider ourselves the "moral" winners of the 6 Hours of Spa, where we were leading the race before a red flag that put us in a bad position. »

Despite this lack of success in the other rounds of the 2024 season, Coletta draws up " Overall, the championship has had a very positive outcome. The season has seen an increase not only in the number of competitors but also in the quality, so third place in the constructors’ standings and second place in the drivers’ standings were really positive results. We have seen the development of the team, which was particularly noticeable in difficult moments, and leading for almost the entire eight hours in Bahrain confirmed the improved competitiveness of our car and crew – a solid foundation to build on in 2025. »

For the next WEC season, which will start on February 28 with the 1812 km of Qatar, the Italian manufacturer will aim for the world title among constructors, even if Ferdinando Cannizzo, head of Ferrari's endurance racing cars, admits " that there are still steps to take to compete for the titles. »

In 2025, the two Ferraris #50 and #51 will continue with unchanged crews. On the #83 side, Phil Hanson will replace Robert Shwartzman who left for Prema in IndyCar.

ALSO READ > Cadillac and JOTA, positive first contacts: “We are already on the same wavelength”