Ferrari Achieves Historic Sweep at Qatar 1812km Race

The No. 50 Ferrari 499P secured a historic victory at the Qatar 1812km race, marking Ferrari’s first overall podium sweep in a major endurance race since 1972. The triumph extends their lead in the FIA World Endurance Championship. BMW, Porsche, and Alpine each faced various challenges during the race, with BMW’s Kevin Magnussen reflecting positively on his debut, while Iron Lynx struggled significantly. The next race is scheduled for April 18-20 at Imola.

The No. 50 Ferrari 499P achieved victory at the 1812km race in Qatar, marking Ferrari’s fourth overall win in FIA World Endurance and their first with a factory car outside the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The triumphant driver trio of Antonio Fuoco, Nicklas Nielsen, and Miguel Molina celebrated their second victory since last year at La Sarthe.

Ferrari’s success extended to securing the first three places on the overall podium, a historic achievement that highlighted their dominance, with Ferrari leading 309 out of 318 laps. This podium sweep is a first for Ferrari in endurance racing since 1972.

James Calado, racing for the No. 51 Ferrari, recounted the challenges of recovering to third after facing penalties that pushed them down the rankings. He expressed optimism for future races, stating that the team had demonstrated their pace despite difficult communication during the race.

After claiming pole position, Ferrari amassed 66 points in the manufacturers’ standings, leading with a 31-point advantage over BMW, who finished fourth and seventh. This is the first time Ferrari has led in the Hypercar manufacturers’ standings since the introduction of the 499P project.

Kevin Magnussen, a former Formula 1 driver, described his fourth-place finish on WEC debut with BMW as satisfactory, noting the superiority of the three Ferraris ahead. Magnussen remarked on the encouraging development since last year, highlighting their competitiveness over the course of the race.

Urs Kuratle, Porsche LMDh director, acknowledged Ferrari’s dominant performance, stating they were “in a different league”. The Porsche Penske Motorsport cars finished poorly, with significant issues impacting their race, leading to the worst result for Porsche in the Hypercar era.

Alpine faced difficulties, failing to score points like Aston Martin despite challenging conditions. Mick Schumacher mentioned the performance dropped significantly in colder temperatures, implying further analysis was necessary to identify underlying issues.

Aston Martin displayed promising pace with their Valkyrie debut, with team head Adam Carter acknowledging teething problems but remaining optimistic about future competitiveness during the season.

The TF Sport trio of Daniel Juncadella, Jonny Edgar, and Ben Keating contributed to Corvette’s victory, marking the fifth different manufacturer win since LMGT3’s inception. Juncadella and Edgar celebrated their first WEC victories, while Keating noted his continued success.

Despite not securing a win, McLaren recorded its best-ever LMGT3 finish with a second-place finish, while Lexus significantly improved its standing with a fourth-place result. The No. 78 Lexus RC F GT3 led numerous laps before incurring penalties that hampered its chances of victory.

Augusto Farfus expressed surprise at Team WRT’s podium finish with the BMW M4 GT3 EVO, crediting strategy and the absence of penalties for their unexpected success. Eduardo Barrichello from Racing Spirit of Leman emphasized maximizing their car’s speed despite a modest result.

Iron Lynx faced challenges, retiring after mechanical failures during their first outing, while United Autosports’ Sean Gelael earned the inaugural Goodyear Wingfoot Award based on fan voting.

The race included four safety car periods, causing the Qatar 1812km to finish 17 laps short of the total distance. The next race in the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship series will take place at the 6 Hours of Imola from April 18-20.

In summary, the Qatar Post-Race Notebook highlighted Ferrari’s historic podium sweep, marking a pivotal moment in their racing history. The performances of rival teams and drivers, including BMW, Porsche, and Alpine, were also discussed, emphasizing both challenges and progress. The upcoming 6 Hours of Imola promises further competitive excitement as the season continues.

Original Source: sportscar365.com