Miguel Molina returned to the FIA World Endurance Championship this weekend for the 6 Hours of São Paulo. On the Interlagos circuit, the Spaniard and his teammates Antonio Fuoco and Nicklas Nielsen had a tough race in the #50 Ferrari 499P. Despite a complicated performance as expected before the race, the crew nevertheless scored another valuable point for Ferrari in the Manufacturers’ Championship.
Back in Brazil a month after the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Miguel Molina tacked the race marking the start of the second half of the season determined to get back into the title race. Despite productive free practice sessions, the Ferrari – AF Corse team quickly realised the magnitude of the challenge that awaited them at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace.
Put to the test on the Brazilian track, the Ferrari 499Ps had a challenging qualifying session. Behind the wheel of the #50 car, Antonio Fuoco set his best time of 1m23.759s relatively early in the session. Provisionally sixth, he couldn’t improve on his last few laps, hampered by traffic, and had to settle for a place on the seventh row.
Fourteenth on the grid, the #50 Ferrari was entrusted to Miguel Molina for the start. Cautious in the pack to avoid the hazards of the opening lap, the Spaniard quickly found himself stuck in heavy traffic on the short, twisty track, unable to fully harness the potential of his car. After a frustrating first stint, he managed to make further progress in his second, moving into the top ten before handing over to Nicklas Nielsen after nearly two hours.
« The São Paulo race was tough from the very beginning. Early on, I was stuck in traffic and couldn’t move forward. The pace wasn’t quite where we wanted it to be, but I did feel comfortable in the car. I pushed as hard as I could to keep us in contention. As we started far back on the grid, we did everything we could to make up positions, aiming to stay in the top 10. »
Despite the difficulties expected before arriving in Brazil, the Maranello-based manufacturer continued to implement a sensible strategy to gain positions and optimise its opportunities. Unfortunately, the crew had to make an unscheduled pit stop to replace a damaged rear section of the bodywork following contact with a GT in the third hour. This setback further complicated an already challenging race.
« We executed a good strategy to gain track position, and Nicklas did a solid job in his stint. At one point, we were in clean air, and it was looking promising for a top ten. Unfortunately, a GT car ran into Nicklas, causing rear-end damage to our car, and we were immediately ordered to pit to mend it. We still don’t understand why we were required to stop. It wasn’t a fair decision in our view, as the car was completely safe, and we had no issues, so it compromised our race for sure. »
Antonio Fuoco then took over for a double stint in the final two hours. Fifteenth, when he took to the track, the Italian closed the gap before finishing the race in 12th place. Despite this frustrating performance, the #50 crew scored another valuable point for Ferrari, which remains at the top of the Manufacturers‘ standings with three races remaining.
« It wasn’t the result we hoped for, but these are the challenges of endurance racing. What matters is that we still scored points for the Manufacturers’ Championship, which is hugely important for Ferrari. Now it’s time to reset, get some rest, and come back stronger at the next round at COTA, where we’ll be determined to keep our lead in the world championship standings. »
This race in South America also marked the end of a series of four races in less than a month for Miguel Molina, with the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 24 Hours of Spa, the 4 Hours of Imola and the 6 Hours of São Paulo. Already committed to ten races this season, the Ferrari factory driver will enjoy a well-deserved break before returning to the track at the 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (21-24 August) in the European Le Mans Series, before heading to Austin (5-7 September) for the next round of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
6 Hours of São Paulo : 1. Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA #12… 12. Ferrari – AF Corse #50…
FIA Hypercar World Endurance Drivers’ Championship : 1. Calado / Giovinazzi / Pier Guidi 105 points… 4. Fuoco / Molina / Nielsen 57 points…
FIA Hypercar World Endurance Manufacturers’ Championship : 1. Ferrari 175 points ; 2. Cadillac 120 points ; 3. Porsche 111 points…
Blanca de Foronda,