Winning at Imola in a Ferrari, “a dream come true”

It was necessary to go back to the centenary edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2023 to regain a victory in WEC of the Ferrari 499P No. 51. It was their teammates in the No. 50 car who won at La Sarthe last year and at the season opener in Qatar last February. Antonio Giovinazzi, Alessandro Pier Guidi, and James Calado had to bite the bullet until they won this weekend at Imola, after a well-executed weekend. Giovinazzi took pole position, and Pier Guidi crossed the finish line as the winner, in front of a crowd who supported the Prancing Horse.

No “revenge” in 2024

Of course, memories of the 2024 edition of the 6 Hours of Imola also resurfaced. The three Ferraris had scored a hat-trick in qualifying before suffering a downpour during the race and losing everything. A fiasco that doesn't make this 2025 success a revenge. For the three drivers and their entire team, all that remains is the immense joy of offering such a gift to the Tifosi.

"I wouldn't say this victory has a taste of revenge. It's mainly for all the people in the stands who came to support us.", explained Alessandro Pier Guidi. "They deserve it, and so do we. We came very close several times in 2024, but we couldn't quite pull it off. Winning at home against the Tifosi is a dream come true. We had to wait after last year, but now we've finally done it."

Same story with Antonio Giovinazzi: "It's fantastic, thank you all, the whole weekend was incredible, we were always at the front. My teammates and I deserve this after a difficult start in Qatar. Thanks to the team for all the work and to the Tifosi who gave us a great atmosphere for three days."

Calado also at home

Finally, the third member of the crew, James Calado, is the only one not Italian. However, as a Ferrari driver for over ten years now, he is perhaps the most Italian of British drivers! This is reason enough to welcome this triumph as a home victory for him. Especially since the WEC has not visited Great Britain for several years now.

“Thank you to the Tifosi, it’s incredible, and it’s been a long time since our last victory at Le Mans in 2023! The team did a great job, the strategy was perfect and the car was a joy to drive. I’m delighted to win on home soil, at home in Italy!”

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