Ferrari at COTA two months after a podium finish

WECHyperCar

Aug 28

Fifty-six days after the previous round in Brazil, the FIA WEC returns to the spotlight at the Circuit of the Americas, venue for the Lone Star Le Mans, the fifth round of the 2026 season. The 499Ps fielded by the official Ferrari – AF Corse team and the #83 car entered by the AF Corse will tackle the undulating circuit near Austin, Texas. The six-hour race kicks off at 1 p.m. local time on Sunday 6 September.

Ferrari #51 — 📷 © Luc Warnotte at COTA 2024. Ferrari #499P #51 took pole position during qualifying.

Aiming for a fourth podium

After the second-place finish at Interlagos for the #51 crew of Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi, the team heads to the United States aiming to extend its run of strong results and secure valuable points in the World Championship standings.
The São Paulo result for the reigning World Drivers’ Champions gave the Maranello manufacturer its third podium of the season, after the #51 crew’s second place at the opening round in Imola and the third-place finish at Spa-Francorchamps by their teammates Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen in the #50 Ferrari 499P.

#83 Ferrari 499P — 📷 © Luc Warnotte at COTA 2025. Ferrari #499P #83 took pole position during qualifying.

499P Performances last two seasons at COTA

Ferrari #83 — 📷 © Luc Warnotte at COTA 2024. Ferrari #499P #83 won the race in 2024.

With its frequent elevation changes, the 5.513-kilometre circuit features 9 right-hand and 11 left-hand turns. It hosts a round of the FIA World Endurance Championship for the third consecutive year.
In the previous two seasons, Ferrari took two pole positions, with the #51 crew in 2024 and the #83 in 2025. The #83 crew of Yifei Ye, Robert Kubica and Robert Shwartzman won the race in 2024. This was the Ferrari 499P’s third victory overall, following its victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2023 and 2024.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at COTA 2025. Ferrari #499P #50 finished second in torrential rain.

Fuoco, Molina and Nielsen finished second in the #50 in 2025. These results came in vastly different weather conditions, highlighting the car’s great adaptability to the American circuit. Two years ago, the race took place on a dry track in high temperatures, while 12 months ago more than two-thirds of the event was run in torrential rain.

Ferrari #50 — 📷 © Luc Warnotte at Spa-Francorchamps 2026. Ferrari #499P #50 finished third.

Ferrari and its drivers in FIA championships

Ferrari sits third in the World Manufacturers’ Championship with 88 points, 44 points behind the leaders. In the World Drivers’ Championship standings, Pier Guidi, Calado and Giovinazzi lie fourth with 57 points, 18 points off the top. Ye, Hanson and Kubica are ninth with 31 points, while Fuoco, Molina and Nielsen are 11th with 29. The winners of the American round will receive 25 points.