Historic hat-trick and total domination for Ferrari in Qatar: “The best way to start the championship”

This is what you might call a successful start to the season! Friday, Ferrari achieved the feat of placing his three 499Ps on the three steps of the podium at the finish of the 1812km of Qatar. A simply historic result for the Prancing Horse: in addition to the first victory (outsideLe Mans) of the official team in WEC, this is the first time that the Italian team has achieved a hat-trick in the WEC, a very rare score since the creation of the championship (five hat-tricks since 2012, the last being that obtained by Porsche in Qatar, in 2024). An indisputable hat-trick as Ferrari's domination was evident throughout the weekend in Losail.

The day after the pole position obtained by the Ferrari n°51, it was the Ferrari n°50 that reclaimed the victory laurels after ten hours of racing in Qatar. A perfectly executed round by the trio Fuoco – Molina – Nielsen, who took their second success after the triumph at the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year. However, this victory was not easy for the crew n°50: after an excellent start and a 2nd place at the end of the first lap, Antonio Fuoco was caught by the BMW n°15 of Dries Vanthoor and lost several positions after only one hour of racing. Nevertheless, the pace of the 499P was such that it only took a few laps to see the n°50 back at the front.

Frozen positions at the finish at Ferrari

At the end of the race, with different tyre strategies, the three Ferraris found themselves in a three-way fight for victory, with Antonio Fuoco leading ahead of a pressing Robert Kubica and Alessandro Pier Guidi. The driver of the #50 took back the lead after the final pit stop by opting for a triple stint with his tyres, in order to lose as little time as possible in the pits. A choice that paid off, allowing him to narrowly win ahead of the two sister cars, with positions frozen in the last ten minutes of the race by the Ferrari command, according to the admission of Batti Pregliasco, manager of the AF Corse team.

“Doing a triple stint on the left-hand tire was quite difficult, but I think we managed it very well. It was the only thing we had to do to gain a position against the sister car, the #83, and it worked well, Antonio Fuoco confided at the finish of the race. It wasn't easy today. It was quite intense trying to manage the tyres. But it worked well and getting the top three positions for the team is a historic result. For the rest of the season we will try to continue this momentum and that starts at the next race. I want to thank the team for all the work done during the winter. We came here with a very good preparation. I think we showed that the work we did during the winter worked very well."

A winter preparation that has borne fruit for Ferrari which, after two victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the last two years, is now aiming for two world titles in WEC. “We arrived here very well prepared,” added Miguel Molina. “The winter has been intense and difficult for everyone in Maranello and for us as drivers, [with] the tests and the simulator. At the end of the day, we have a goal, our goal. This first race in Qatar is the best way to start, to be at the top of the championship from the beginning.” With 66 points in the Constructors' Championship and the 38 points of victory for the No. 50 crew, Ferrari could not have dreamed of a better start to its quest.

ALSO READ > Ferrari scores a hat-trick at the 1812 km of Qatar