Antonello Coletta (Ferrari Attività Sportive GT) : « Fight for the win in Sebring »

How did you feel during the Ferrari Finali Mondiali?

It was a wonderful weekend, full of passion. We opened a new chapter in the great book of Ferrari history. Seeing the LMH drive on the track in front of all the tifosi and colleagues from Maranello was really something very special. What's more, it was alongside the 296 GT3, because although everyone is talking about the 499P, the 296 GT3 also made its first public appearance.

Quite a challenge isn't it ?

We designed two completely new cars in parallel in a very short space of time. It was an incredible effort for the team and I have to thank everyone because they all achieved something extraordinary. And the atmosphere in the team is excellent. Without that, we wouldn't be where we are today.

But the hardest part is yet to come...

Certainly, because our intention is to be competitive with our two cars as from next year, i.e. from the 24 Hours of Daytona for the 296 GT3 (28-29 January) and the 1000 miles of Sebring (17 March) for the 499P.

What do you think of this 499P?

It's very elegant but also aggressive. I think our teams, in collaboration with the styling departement, have done an incredible job.

Are you happy with the tests so far?

We are approaching this Hypercar challenge with a lot of humility, especially as we are the last ones to take to the track, only last July. We will be up against Toyota, who have an incredible amount of experience. But on our side, we are working like crazy to solve all the problems we are likely to encounter. After four months of hard work, we are where we thought we would be, and I think that's very positive. It's not the best possible situation, but it's not a bad at all. We still have a few months to work on, there's still a long way to go, but we're doing everything we can to live up to the brand's past.

Why running two 499Ps at the same time in tests?

Precisely for this reason, to speed up development. As I said, the car only hit the track for the first time in July, so all the kilometres are important and with two cars we double them. And I am convinced today that it was the best decision. Especially because if you have a problem with one car, you can continue to gather information with the second one.

Do you hope to be able to test at Sebring before the opening round of the WEC?

Sebring is definitely not the easiest circuit to start racing, also because we have to ship the equipment to the US relatively early and therefore end our testing. But it's the same for everyone. It's up to us to make sure that we are in a position to fight with our competitors with dignity, and even to fight for the win. To answer your question, we have that in mind, but will we be able to do it? I'm not sure.

Are you surprised by the excitement around the 499P project?

On the night of the presentation, I can tell you that I saw people crying. The emotion was unique. Endurance is important for the tifosi, but also for our customers. Their loyalty via endurance racing is also what has made our history. We are back in the top class after 50 years of absence and everyone has thanked us. During the night, I received countless messages. So you have to believe that what we have done is really extraordinary (Laughs).

What can you tell us regarding the drivers ?

At the end of 2022-beginning of 2023, you will know our two crews. But they will only be drivers already under contract to Ferrari. We are lucky enough not to have to go out and recruit.