Following the resumption of the European Le Mans Series, Miguel Molina heads to the United States for Lone Star Le Mans. The Ferrari factory driver will target a triumphant return at round six of the FIA World Endurance Championship, where he will get back behind the wheel of the #50 Ferrari – AF Corse’s Ferrari 499P. The target will be clear at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin: to take the Prancing Horse closer to the manufacturers’ title.
Miguel Molina returns to the FIA World Endurance Championship this week after a challenging race last time in São Paulo. Just before the summer break, the Spanish driver and his teammates Antonio Fuoco and Nicklas Nielsen endured a tricky weekend where they eventually salvaged a valuable point.
« São Paulo was really challenging. The weekend didn’t go our way, but now that we’re back after the summer break, we are ready with a positive mindset. Our mission is to move forward, which is the most important thing. It’s all about staying positive and approaching the race in the best possible way. »
Inaugurated in 2012, the Circuit of the Americas offers a distinctly different challenge from Interlagos. At 5.513 km long, it combines a series of fast corners in the first sector with more technical sections, two long straights and heavy braking zones. According to the Catalan native, who finished third there last year, this layout could suit the Ferrari 499P quite nicely.
« Racing in America is always special. The fans are very close to the action, and you can feel their passion for motorsport. It will be my second race in America this year after Daytona, so I’m excited to return. I’ve always felt at home in Austin. We finished on the podium there last year, and I’m really looking forward to it. The track itself is a mix of high-speed and low-speed corners. That balance is essential because we know high-speed sections suit our car quite well, so hopefully we can be more competitive than we were in Interlagos. »
On this track, which has become bumpy over the years, the drivers’ fitness will also be put to the test with the stifling summer heat in Texas: « The biggest challenge will be the heat. It was a big factor last year, so we’ll do our best to manage it and keep ourselves cool throughout the race. »
Whilst Ferrari retained its championship lead in Brazil, the competition closed in and the #50 trio are tackling the next race as a crucial stage as the campaign enters the final stretch. Miguel Molina and his teammates are fired up and have a clear goal: to consolidate Ferrari’s lead in the manufacturers’ championship.
« For us, the key is to have a strong race and focus on the Manufacturers’ title, which has been Ferrari’s priority from the very beginning. We lost a bit of our lead in Interlagos, so now it’s time to step up. Both cars need to finish well. We still have three important races to go, and the target is to get the job done as soon as possible. Consistency and strong results are what matter, so it’s important to have a solid race in Austin. »
Aside from the tracks, Miguel Molina also took advantage of the summer break to unveil a personal project that had been a long-time pet project: ROGO Motorsport Agency, his own driver agency, which he is developing in parallel with his racing career.
« ROGO Motorsport Agency has been in the works for a long time, and it’s finally ready to go. I am so proud of what we’ve achieved so far with my partners Aleix Alcaraz and Dani Torrente. The response from people, the motorsport world and the media has been very positive. Of course, we need to take small steps at first to build our credibility, but I’m thrilled and proud to start officially this agency based on our values. »
The action begins in Texas on Friday with two free practice sessions (11:30 am and 4 pm local time). A third session will take place on Saturday morning before qualifying (3:40–3:52 pm), followed by Hyperpole (4-4:10 pm). The six-hour race, known as Lone Star Le Mans, starts on Sunday at 1 pm local time (GMT-5), or 8 pm across Europe.
Blanca de Foronda,