The second day of DSC’s visit to the 2024 edition of Ferrari’s Finali Mondiali was impacted by heavy rain throughout the afternoon. The torrential downpours brought the track action to a halt for an extended period, but did nothing to dampen the mood, nor the anticipation for tomorrow’s races and Ferrari Show.
Today’s schedule included the opportunity to gain more insight into the Corse Clienti programmes. Federica Santoro, the head of Ferrari’s XX and Monoposto Heritage programmes and Andrea Mladosic, the head of Ferrari Challenge and Corso Pilota, made themselves available to the media on hand.
This weekend is a particularly important one for the Sport Prototipi Clienti project with the 499P Modificata. 10 of them are on site this weekend in Imola – a staggering number – which according to Santoro is “the majority of the models that exist.” Only a couple of the cars in circulation are not present.
It’s been an extremely successful first year for the 499P Modificata. “We’ve done a good job to deliver these cars to a really select number of customers who are already a part of our other non-competitive programmes,” Santoro explained.
“It’s a complex car, so we need to take it slow with these drivers, make sure they learn how to drive it step by step. As part of this programme we make sure they have time with our official drivers and go through data to ensure they enjoy the experience. But in terms of pleasure, because it’s free of regulations, it’s really enjoyable car for the drivers.”
DSC asked whether or not Ferrari’s success at Le Mans with the 499P – and the Modificata – could open the door to expand this programme to offer race-spec FIA WEC Hypercars to customers in the future, in a similar fashion to F1 Clienti.
“Right now we are focused on the experience of customers in this new project,” was Santoro’s response. “So I don’t know the next step will be.”
As for the 296 Challenge, it too has sold extremely well in its first year, with Mladosic confirming that roughly 240 of them have been built this year.
“It’s a generational leap compared to the 488 Challenge EVO,” he continued when asked about customer feedback. “We have 111 registered customers on the entry list here this week, and we are focused already on next year when we will launch the 296 Challenge in the UK, Japan and new Australasia regional series. We are absolutely happy and satisfied with this new car.”
As you’d expect, a number of Ferrari’s works drivers are present here at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, including the entire Ferrari AF Corse factory FIA WEC Hypercar roster.
The festivities to mark the back-to-back Le Mans wins for Ferrari start in earnest tomorrow, though all six have been soaking up the atmosphere and admiring the 499P display in the Ferrari Exhibition over the past two days.
“I haven’t focused on the other cars around them (in the exhibition)!” 2024 Le Mans winner Nicklas Nielsen laughed. “Coming here is always special, but it’s even more special when you can see the car you won Le Mans in. Having the two cars here is a very nice sight.”
For Nielsen and Thomas Neubauer – who also stopped by the press room during the day – Finali Mondiali is a particularly special event, as both drivers used Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli as a springboard to works driver status.
“The 488 Challenge car I drove was really good, it was so powerful and it’s a good car to work with before moving into GT3 racing,” Neubauer told DSC.
“Ferrari Challenge is a good place to learn, even in the Pro category. It’s not as big as the other categories, but even if you have only 10 drivers there are always at least six it seems who are really fast.
“And then you come to do a race like the Finali Mondiali and it’s good because you know all the Ferrari guys watch it, it’s like a World Cup, or Ferrari’s version of Macau.”
Neubauer, who became a Ferrari works driver back in January and has spent the season with AF Corse in GT World Challenge Europe, hasn’t yet firmed up his plans for next year, but expects his 2025 schedule won’t be too dissimilar to 2024 as he continues to adapt to the 296 GT3.
“I have done a lot of GT World Challenge so far,” he said, “but I need to discuss with Antonello (Coletta) what I will do next year. I expect to be somewhere near that, but I will see in the future.”
He did admit though, that he hopes to race IMSA again after his late call-up to race at Petit Le Mans with DragonSpeed earlier this month gave him a first taste of racing in North America.
“For me it was the first time properly racing in the US and IMSA, so I was really happy to go and see it,” he said. “In the end, I really loved it because it’s so different in Europe. I look forward to driving more in this championship and I hope I drive more in IMSA in the coming years.”
The Ferrari Challenge Finali Mondiali races kick off tomorrow’s programme of events, with all eyes on the headline 30-minute Trofeo Pirelli & Pirelli AM race at 11:40.
Giacomo Altoé will lead the field across the line, after steering his Pro class Emil Frey Racing 296 Challenge to pole position. In the rain-soaked, red-flagged, Trofeo Pirelli FM Qualifying his best time was a 1:52.009, set after trading fast times in the closing stages with Luca Ludwig.
The race action and Ferrari Show can be live-streamed tomorrow, for free, on the Ferrari YouTube channel (HERE). And with the forecast currently predicting more rain in the morning, the sprint races specifically are likely to be action-packed. You want want to miss them!
You can catch up with Part 1 of DSC’s Finali Mondiali diary series HERE
Images courtesy of Ferrari
