Ferrari takes 499P pair to Barcelona for WEC's penultimate round with titles on the line
Ferrari's two 499P Hypercars head to a circuit the championship has never raced at, with the team's Manufacturers' and Drivers' title hopes riding on the result.
- 7th of the season (penultimate)
- Noon local time, Sunday 18 October
- 50 and 51
- No. 50 won the race, No. 51 took pole position
What Happened
Ferrari's two 499P Hypercars head to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the seventh and penultimate round of the FIA World Endurance Championship season, the 6 Hours of Barcelona, which starts at noon local time on Sunday 18 October. The Spanish circuit will host its first FIA WEC race. Ferrari also points to a new episode of its official YouTube channel series Full Access: The Red Line, focusing on last month's Lone Star Le Mans, where Ferrari - AF Corse's number 50 499P won the race and the team's number 51 car secured pole position at the Texan circuit.
Ferrari publishes the comments from its drivers and endurance management ahead of the 6 Hours of Barcelona from Maranello.
The 6 Hours of Barcelona starts at noon local time at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the seventh and penultimate round of the season.
“Barcelona is a new track for all of us, as we've never raced there in Hypercars, so we don't have much to go on. We've done everything we can in the Simulator to arrive in Spain with the best possible set-up for the circuit. After a difficult weekend in Japan, we'll aim to perform at our best and approach the final two races of the year with absolute determination.”
“Racing the 499P at Barcelona for Ferrari is something truly special to me, and I'm sure this round will have an extra emotional edge. With the crowd behind us, we'll be giving everything as a team to have the best race possible and leave Spain with as many championship points as we can, keeping our World Championship hopes alive until the final round at Monza.”
- Nicklas Nielsen, 499P #50: the team heads to Spain to put Fuji behind it and get everything right; the new circuit makes finding a set-up and adapting an added challenge after hard work in the Maranello Simulator.
- Alessandro Pier Guidi, 499P #51: predictions are difficult because Ferrari has never raced at this circuit, and the championship challenge has become tougher since Fuji, but the team will keep pushing while it has a mathematical chance of winning the titles.
- James Calado, 499P #51: the whole team shares one goal for the penultimate race, to avoid mistakes, give everything and keep title hopes alive until Monza.
- Antonio Giovinazzi, 499P #51: Ferrari must get everything right from the first qualifying session to the final lap after a difficult trip to Japan; he expects a tough challenge with rain possible on Saturday and Sunday, and he knows Barcelona well from single-seater testing but has never raced the 499P there.
“After a difficult weekend in Japan, we've analysed the race in detail, aiming to step up a gear as early as Barcelona. Spain presents an unfamiliar challenge, and we've prepared as thoroughly as possible, knowing that the result of this race will determine whether we can remain in contention for both the Manufacturers' and Drivers' titles.”
“The Barcelona race will be a new and highly intriguing challenge. The Montmelo circuit tests every aspect of the car, demanding aerodynamic efficiency, stability through the fast sections and excellent tyre management over long stints. As in previous races, we'll face strong competition. Our work in Free Practice will be crucial to establishing a solid baseline and preparing for the varying conditions we may encounter during the 6 Hours. We'll need to think clearly and react quickly, as traffic and the timing of neutralisations could affect strategy.”
Previously from Ferrari N.V.
In our earlier coverage, the No. 50 499P won the 6-hour Lone Star Le Mans at COTA, the fifth round of the 2026 FIA WEC. Ferrari's Full Access: The Red Line returned with a new episode telling the story of that race.
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Ferrari N.V.'s official releases.
Why this matters
Ferrari states that the outcome of this race will determine whether it can remain in contention for both the Manufacturers' and Drivers' titles ahead of the final round at Monza. The weekend also matters for the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, which hosts a FIA World Endurance Championship race for the first time. Six drivers across the two cars, plus Ferrari's endurance management, are banking on simulator preparation to make up for having no prior Hypercar data at the track.
Terms in This Story
- Hypercar
- The top prototype class of the FIA World Endurance Championship, contested by manufacturer-built cars such as the Ferrari 499P.
- FIA World Endurance Championship
- The international sports-car racing series run under FIA rules in which Ferrari competes with the 499P.
- Simulator
- A computer-based driving rig used by teams to work on car set-ups and prepare for a circuit away from the track.
- Neutralisation
- A temporary slowing or suspension of racing, for example behind a safety car, that can alter a team's race strategy.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.