The other car fielded by the official Ferrari – AF Corse team – number 50 of Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen – retired from the third round of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship due to an electronic issue.

As expected. Ferrari arrived at the most eagerly anticipated round of the season with the awareness, from the outset, that the 24 Hours would be an uphill challenge for the Maranello crews. A prediction that was confirmed during the race, with the Ferraris never in a position to fight for victory or a podium finish on a circuit where power along the long straights and the ability to accelerate quickly out of the chicanes and technical sections play a key role.

Nevertheless, determined to extract the maximum from the potential available for this race, the drivers and all members of the group took to the track with commitment and determination, trying different solutions in terms of strategy and tyre choice, seeking to maximise the result in a race that is often decisive for the championship.

From this point of view, the fifth place achieved by the best of the 499Ps, previously always on the podium at Le Mans, represents a result that goes beyond the mere standings position.

The race. The excellent work carried out by the team in defining strategies and executing procedures enabled the number 51 and 83 crews to occupy positions inside the Top 5 during the closing stages of the race.

Prancing Horse official drivers Ye and Hanson, together with Kubica, winners at Le Mans one year ago and authors of an error-free performance, classified the yellow-liveried 499P in seventh position.

Pier Guidi, Calado and Giovinazzi, the reigning Drivers’ World Champions, made the most of the potential at their disposal, crossing the line in fifth place and therefore securing 20 points for the world manufacturers’ championship standings.

The race of Fuoco, Molina and Nielsen had been compromised during the early stages of the night, shortly after midnight, when the car returned to the garage for the replacement of the fire extinguisher, rejoining the race eight laps down. Subsequently, the race of the trio that won the 2024 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans came to an end on Sunday morning due to an electronic issue that forced them to retire.

Next up. The championship returns to the spotlight in Brazil for the fourth round of the season, the São Paulo 6 Hours, on 12 July.

Nicklas Nielsen, 499P #50: “It was a difficult race. It is certainly not the result we wanted, but we cannot change what happened and now we have to focus on the rest of the championship and try to score as many points as possible. I’m pleased to see that the number 51 car managed to finish in fifth place, but for us it was very difficult having to bring the car back to the garage quite early during the night, and that heavily compromised our race.”

James Calado, 499P #51: “We were hopeful and I’m disappointed, but in reality I should be satisfied because we knew we would struggle in terms of race pace. We did everything possible. We finished fifth, but there is still a lot of work to do. We need to keep working hard, stay positive and see what we can do in Brazil, which is another difficult circuit for us.”

Yifei Ye, 499P #83: “It is a little disappointing to finish the race only in seventh place after winning last year, but even before arriving here we knew it would be a very difficult weekend. In the race we fought hard. The team executed everything very well. We made no mistakes and received virtually no penalties. I still believe we had a clean race, and that is what matters. We can be proud of that and now we have to focus on the rest of the season.”

Antonello Coletta, Global Head of Endurance and Corse Clienti: “We start by congratulating our rivals who deserved the win at the end of a race that confirmed our expectations, as stated in the build-up. We knew we couldn’t fight for victory but despite that we didn’t let ourselves be discouraged – on the contrary, we sought further motivation to optimise everything that was within our control. Stepping off the Le Mans podium after having been on it, with all our crews, for three years in a row doesn’t make us happy, and we are aware that we didn’t have the perfect race we had set out to achieve. However, we gave our all and we have very little to reproach ourselves for. This result is an incentive to return as quickly as possible to the positions that matter.”

Ferdinando Cannizzo, Head of Endurance Race Cars: “We lost the race, but we proved that we are a team, and that is the most important thing. We knew from the outset that it would be very difficult, almost impossible, to be competitive. Unfortunately, after the opening laps, that became very clear. We continued right to the finish with dignity and in keeping with the values of the Prancing Horse, which is the most important thing for us. Ferrari is this team, and I hope we will have the opportunity to demonstrate what we are capable of. The championship is not over yet, even though after this race it will be a very difficult challenge.”