Ferrari Wins Fifth WEC Constructors Title
Ferrari won the World Constructor’s Championship in the FIA World Endurance Championship this weekend in Shanghai
This weekend in Shanghai several championships were all but sealed up. Among the big winners after the 6 Hours of Shanghai was Ferrari. They captured the World Constructor’s Championship in the FIA World Endurance Championships after the two GTE 488s of AF Corse finished third and sixth. It marked the fifth time that Ferrari won the WEC constructor’s title, with previous victories coming in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016. It was also the 24th time Ferrari has won manufacturers’ championships sanctioned by FIA. Not a bad way to continue Ferrari’s 70th anniversary celebration this year.
Even though the Constructor’s championship race is over, there’s still plenty to fight for when the competition heats up again in Bahrain on November 17 and 18. The Drivers title is still up for grabs as AF Corse’s James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi hold a narrow two-point advantage over Porsche’s team of Frederic Makowiecki and Richard Lietz. Still in the running in the GTE-Pro class is the other Ferrari team with Davide Rigon trailing by 17.5 points.
Sunday was a rough day for both Ferrari’s as the Fords were much faster on the straights, pulling away from the 488s due to their limited top speeds. The first half of the race was a struggle, with both cars conserving their tires for the end of the race. In the second half, both GTE 488s climbed the standing, holding out while one of the Fords had tire problems. Ford’s struggles allowed Guidi to grab third and Rigon sixth behind the victorious No. 67 Ford team of Henry Ticknell and Andy Priaulx.
After the race, the celebration wasn’t in the Ford garage but rather in the AF Corse Ferrari garage as the team celebrated their newly acquired Constructor’s championship. The team posed for a celebratory photo with a couple of trophies, lots of thumbs up and a room full of smiles. Maybe this win can help ease the sting of recent F1 disappointments.
