The countdown has ended. After Formula 1’s return to the track, the WEC is also ready to start its engines, with its first race scheduled to take place at the Sebring track next Friday 17 March.
The official race will therefore only take place in seven days, but fans of the series won’t have to wait long, in fact two test sessions will already take place tomorrow in the afternoon, and another two on Sunday.
The race that will kick off the season will be the 1000 miles of Sebring. Unlike Formula 1 or Indycar races which are calculated by laps, WEC races are calculated by time. The duration of the first appointment will be approximately 8 hours, with the arrival under the checkered flag in the night between Friday and Saturday. The high point of the 2023 calendar will then take place in June with the very famous 24 hours of Le Mans.
This year we will find 37 cars on the grid divided into three classes. 11 of these will be part of the premier Hypercar class where we will also see manufacturers such as Cadillac, Porsche, Toyota, Peugeot and, after 50 years, finally Ferrari will also return to the grid.
For its great return to the WEC, the Italian team has decided to entrust its two cars to exceptional drivers. Number #50 will be driven by Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nickkas Nielsen. While number #51 will be entrusted to Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi. The Italian driver, fresh from his experience with Alfa Romeo in Formula 1 and his year in Formula E is therefore ready for a new and exciting experience. Ahead of his debut he was interviewed by motorsport.com. Below are some of his comments:
Antonio Giovinazzi’s statements ahead of his WEC debut
For Antonio, Ferrari has always been his dream. The twenty-nine year old from Puglia said he was enthusiastic and proud to start this new adventure with a completely different car from a different series:
“It’s a new challenge for me and Ferrari, and I’m very proud. My first word was wow. I found myself in front of a wonderful Maranello prototype, something that hasn’t been seen for half a century. This will be a moment destined to enter in the history of Ferrari and for me it will be a great honor”. – Antonio Giovinazzi said.
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