After returning to the WEC in 2023, competing at the top level of endurance racing after 50 years of absence, Ferrari has once again triumphed in the pinnacle of motorsport, recently securing the WEC World Championship. This winning choice, championed by Ferrari president John Elkann and Ferrari Endurance & Corse Clienti Global Head Antonello Coletta, has been rewarded with three consecutive victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and, as mentioned, the double World Championship for drivers and constructors in 2025. This achievement not only brought immense joy but also ended a 53-year wait for the Prancing Horse in endurance racing, highlighting the value of this milestone, made possible by a top-level team and the efforts of drivers Antonio Giovinazzi, James Calado, and Alessandro Pier Guidi, who brought the 499P number 51 to the pinnacle of the sport.
Positive season review
During the Ferrari Finali Mondiali, we had the exclusive opportunity to speak with James Calado for the Italian website Formula1.it, discussing the season just concluded, the secrets behind this accomplishment, and the development of the Italian Hypercar. Considering the positions achieved in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships, the overall assessment is undeniably positive. “I would say the season went really well,” James Calado admitted. “The first part of the championship was much more solid than the second half. Towards the end, we faced several difficulties; not everything went as planned. This wasn’t so much due to our speed or form, but rather due to various circumstances that occurred in the later events. That’s racing. Despite everything, the goal at the start of the year was to hit all the targets we had set.”
The culmination of a journey
This review naturally includes a positive note on the growth of the 499P project, which became competitive immediately and achieved success ahead of schedule. “I wouldn’t be where I am now without a clear objective and the ambition to win,” the British driver stated. “Three years ago, the Ferrari 499P was a new car in a completely new category, the Hypercar class. It hasn’t been easy to grow and extract all the speed from the project over these years. But from the start, we demonstrated competitiveness (from the debut at Sebring in 2023) and enormous potential, which later allowed us to achieve extraordinary results, such as three consecutive Le Mans victories and becoming World Champions.”
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