The Texan circuit once again proves to be a friend of the 499Ps and rewards the number 50 crew of Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen, who ran at the front throughout the race and, in the closing stages, took advantage of a technical problem that forced the Toyota temporarily leading to retire.
The other car fielded by the official Ferrari – AF Corse team, driven by reigning World Drivers’ champions Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi, finished just outside the top-10 in 11th place. Starting from pole position, it was unlucky as the race unfolded, as was the number 83 499P of AF Corse entrusted to official Prancing Horse drivers Yifei Ye and Phil Hanson, together with Robert Kubica, which finished the six-hour race in 13th place, having been affected by some contacts in the early stages of the race.
The race. The Lone Star Le Mans saw the cars of the official Ferrari – AF Corse team play leading roles at the start, with Giovinazzi maintaining the lead for the first two hours, while Molina produced an excellent double stint that allowed him to climb the standings, even taking the lead of the race.
At the Italian driver’s second pit stop, the number 51 499P lost several seconds and places on returning to the track due to an issue, forcing Calado, who had just taken over, to stage a remarkable comeback.
Meanwhile, during the middle phase, several neutralisations shuffled the standings: factors that first affected the number 50 crew, with Nielsen and Fuoco taking turns at the wheel, before it was able to climb back to just off the podium, and, in the final two hours, the race of Pier Guidi-Calado-Giovinazzi, who found themselves outside the top ten.
After the final Virtual Safety Car, the race resumed with 45 minutes still to run and the gaps wiped out, with Nielsen in third place and Pier Guidi in 13th. The Danish driver first did well to overhaul Milesi, who was second at that point with Alpine, and then took advantage of the retirement of De Vries’ Toyota, securing the first win of the season.
The number 83 499P of Ye-Hanson-Kubica had a difficult race, having been forced to replace its front end following a contact shortly before the three-hour mark, and was only intermittently able to break into the top ten by taking advantage of the pit-stop cycle.
Numbers. The result in Austin gives the 499P its eighth victory since its competitive debut in 2023, the first of the year and the second at the Texan circuit after the one achieved in 2024 by Yifei Ye, Robert Shwartzman and Robert Kubica. The crew of the number 50 climbs to the top step of the podium for the third time, after doing so at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2024 and the Qatar 1812 Km in 2025.
Calendar. The next round will take place in Japan, home of the 6 Hours of Fuji (27 September), followed by the races scheduled in Barcelona (18 October) and Monza (8 November).
Antonio Fuoco, 499P #50: “Today the strategy was really difficult to manage, but the whole team did a great job and we were rewarded. I also want to congratulate Miguel and Nicklas for what they showed on the track, enabling us to secure a fantastic victory. We pushed from start to finish, even though at one point it seemed that the race was becoming really complicated for us. I am very happy with the result. We had been waiting to return to the top step of the podium for some time and finally we managed to do it.”
Miguel Molina, 499P #50: “We leave America with the 499P’s first win of the season, an excellent result for our crew and for Ferrari, which we achieved thanks to a perfect team effort. The points we have scored will be important for the World Manufacturers’ Championship standings. Now we look ahead to the next three races with confidence and belief in our capabilities.”
Nicklas Nielsen, 499P #50: “It was a really unpredictable race that we eventually managed to win by making the most of our car’s potential and doing an excellent job in terms of strategy and tyre management. It is fantastic to return to winning ways and bring home so many points for the World Championship standings.”
Alessandro Pier Guidi, 499P number 51: “A lot happened during this Lone Star Le Mans that was beyond our control, and luck was never on our side during the neutralisations. It is a shame to leave America with only the point scored for pole position. Now we look ahead, already thinking about the next round.”
James Calado, 499P number 51: “After a perfect start to the race, things became complicated and we were unable to secure a great result. After securing pole position, we certainly started with the ambition of achieving a better result.”
Antonio Giovinazzi, 499P number 51: “Congratulations to our teammates on the victory, which enabled Ferrari to score many points in the World Manufacturers’ Championship standings. Unfortunately, for our crew, after an excellent start, the race was an uphill battle all the way. Towards the end, we tried to recover with a more aggressive strategy, but the final Safety Car made the comeback attempt impossible.”
Antonello Coletta, Global Head of Endurance and Corse Clienti: “We secured our first win of the season at the end of a race full of drama and neutralisations. In the first three hours, victory seemed completely within our reach with the number 51 499P, then unfortunately there was an issue when restarting from the pit stop and from there the race became extremely complicated. In any case, also thanks to a little bit of luck, because Toyota was already close to victory even though it had only a small margin over the 50, in the end we achieved a great result at a track that has always seen us as protagonists, considering the three consecutive pole positions and the 2024 victory. We must be satisfied, it is proof that the team never gives up and we always try to bring home the best possible result.”
Ferdinando Cannizzo, Head of Endurance Race Cars: “We leave Austin with a great result for the team at the end of a complex and exciting Lone Star Le Mans. Our bad luck with the number 51 car was repaid with a bit of good fortune at the end of the race, but that is how endurance racing is – you have to be fast right up to the end. There were various situations that worked against us during the six hours, especially the neutralisations at the wrong moments, and the problem during the pit stop when an accidental error by Giovinazzi caused the car to shut down, making a reset necessary. In any case, we achieved a great victory, and we will bring home several areas for improvement to continue fighting for the championship right to the end.”
