What a way to say goodbye. As Motorsport.com Italia reports, Ferrari closed out the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship season at Monza with a hard-fought podium, giving the current configuration of the 499P a fitting send-off in front of a massive crowd of Tifosi before the machine gets a fresh look for 2027.
Saturday in the Brianza hills had started like a dream when Antonio Fuoco stuck the #50 car on pole position. But the race itself turned into a bitter pill. Just an hour in, an infraction regarding tyre pressures forced the #50 machine into the pits for a set of medium compounds, followed swiftly by a 20-second penalty that dropped them down the order. By the end of the race, another sanction pushed Fuoco, Miguel Molina, and Nicklas Nielsen down to ninth position after they had patiently fought their way back toward the top five.
Engineer Giuliano Salvi explained in the post-race debrief that track temperatures ran lower than anticipated, leaving the team slightly under the minimum required pressures on both the #50 and the #83 cars. The rule was absolute, and despite stretching stints to try and claw back time, the strategy could not survive the penalties. The sister #83 AF Corse machine shared a similar fate, finishing sixth with Robert Kubica, Yifei Ye, and Philip Hanson after also losing a wheel following a pit stop.
Nicklas Nielsen admitted the day was an uphill battle, pointing out that recovering ground was tough when other cars held a straight-line speed advantage, forcing them to hunt for opportunities in traffic while the Virtual Safety Cars seemed to drop at the worst possible moments. Yet, the #51 Ferrari AF Corse crew of Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, and Antonio Giovinazzi managed to salvage the day. They brought their machine home in third place with a solid, consistent pace.
Giovinazzi put in the heavy lifting behind the wheel with 112 laps completed, navigating a strategy that shifted on the fly due to the frequent neutralisations and an energy splash required near the end. It was not enough to catch the rapid Cadillac and Alpine squads, but it delivered the maximum possible result on a day when top-end speed was at a premium.
Reflecting on a frustrating 2026 campaign that included struggles at Fuji and a strong showing at Imola, Salvi noted that while the team lacked outright victory pace at Monza, the 499P leaves the stage with its head held high. Endurance boss Ferdinando Cannizzo and sports head Antonello Coletta echoed the sentiment, praising the incredible legacy of a car that secured three Le Mans wins and the 2025 world titles, deserving of a rightful place in the Ferrari museum before the new evolution arrives for 2027.
