WEC | 1812 km of Qatar – Beyond victory: significance of Ferrari’s stellar performance. Qatar delivered a stellar performance from Ferrari in the WEC.

The 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship opened with a Ferrari 499P sweep of the podium at the 1812 km of Qatar. In some ways, it was a throwback to the days of the International Championship for Makes, reminiscent of the 1972 1000 km of the Österreichring, where four Maranello-built 312PBs occupied the top four positions. The winning car was the number 50, driven by Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, and Nicklas Nielsen.

Second place went to the number 83 AF Corse entry, piloted by Robert Kubica, Ye Yifei, and Philip Hanson. Kubica had to defend against a late charge from Alessandro Pier Guidi, who ultimately finished third, bringing the number 51 car to the podium. That car, which Antonio Giovinazzi had qualified on pole, was also shared with James Calado.

Despite the impression that he had settled for third, Pier Guidi played a crucial role in Ferrari’s historic day. However, as extraordinary as the Qatar 1-2-3 was, it was not the first in WEC history—Audi achieved the feat in 2012 (at Spa-Francorchamps and Le Mans), and Porsche did so in Qatar in 2024 before Ferrari’s turn.

Beyond victory
Beyond the win itself—and all the strategic complexities of the ten-hour race—another key takeaway emerged from Ferrari’s battle with the other manufacturers, both in the LMH and LMDh classes.

Since the 499P LMH entered the WEC in 2023, excluding its two consecutive Le Mans 24 Hours victories, the Losail race marked its fourth (or second) triumph. Last season, Ferrari also claimed victory in Austin, but in the Middle East, another aspect came to light.

In 2024, Ferrari’s Hypercars often struggled with tire management. However, in Doha, both the qualifying performance—despite the low track temperatures—and the race consistency suggest promising progress.

The significance of this success was evident right from the start. With a 499P leading, Nielsen moved the number 50 car into second place by overtaking Kevin Magnussen’s BMW M Hybrid V8.

Over the course of 318 laps, race positions shifted, but beyond the track action, the 1812 km of Qatar will be remembered as a symbolically important milestone.