At the Temple of Speed, the Prancing Horse returns to the spotlight in front of the Italian Tifosi with the two 499Ps fielded by the official Ferrari – AF Corse team and the one entered by the privateer team AF Corse. The Monza 6 Hours will start on Sunday 8 November at 11.00 a.m. (local time).
The race. Following the calendar change, with Barcelona replacing the round scheduled in Qatar and Monza hosting the season finale instead of Bahrain, as announced, the 499Ps will return to action for the second time this season on Italian soil.
The Ferraris arrive at the fast Lombardy circuit after securing one win in the current season, with Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen at Lone Star Le Mans, contested at COTA in September, and four further podium finishes: third places at Spa-Francorchamps and Barcelona with the same crew, and second places at Imola and São Paulo with the reigning world champions Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi, who have also secured the two pole positions achieved so far, in Italy and the United States of America.
The circuit. Inaugurated in 1922, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza is located within one of the largest enclosed parks in Europe and is the oldest permanent circuit still in operation in Italy. The traditional venue for the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix – which it has hosted every year since the World Championship was established in 1950, with the exception of 1980 – the circuit’s renown is also closely linked to endurance and GT racing. For the second time since the 499P’s competitive debut, the FIA WEC visits Monza following the 6 Hours contested in July 2023, less than a month after Ferrari’s historic victory at the Centenary 24 Hours of Le Mans with the number 51 499P.
The situation. In the Manufacturers’ standings, Ferrari lies third with 130 points, 82 behind the leaders; in the drivers’ standings, Fuoco-Molina-Nielsen are sixth on 69 points, Pier Guidi-Calado-Giovinazzi occupy eighth place with 59 points, and Ye-Hanson-Kubica 15th place with 41 points.
The Monza race will award 25 points to the winners, in addition to the point for pole position, and could therefore prove decisive both for the final position in the Manufacturers’ standings – the Maranello-based Marque can aspire to second place as its best result – and in the Drivers’ standings, with the number 50 crew still in contention for third place.
The programme. The first two free practice sessions, each lasting 90 minutes, will take place on Friday 6 November, starting at 10.30 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. respectively; on Saturday 7 November, following Free Practice 3 (10.30–11.30 a.m.), the Hypercars will contest Qualifying (from 3 p.m.) and Hyperpole (from 3.20 p.m.). The Monza 6 Hours will start on Sunday, 8 November at 11.00 a.m. (local times).
