WEC Prologue: #51 Ferrari out of Sunday action with crash damage

James Calado crashed the #51 Ferrari AF Corse entry at the fast and bumpy first corner of the Sebring International Raceway on his out-lap in the first of two sessions on the second and final day of the pre-season official WEC test.

The incident at Turn 1 resulted in an immediate red flag, which lasted for more than 10 minutes while the car was retrieved and the barriers repaired.

The Ferrari Le Mans Hypercar Calado shares with Alessandro Pier Guidi and Antonio Giovinazzi is known to have sustained damage to the front right corner and the nose.

The 499P did not return to the track over the remainder of a session lasting three hours and 30 minutes and wasn’t credited with a lap time.

No comment was available from Ferrari, except confirmation that Calado had crashed the car and that it would not be back on track in the afternoon.

There was no explanation as to why the car will not run again at the test, but mechanics were seen to be closely investigating the carbon-composite monocoque after the car’s return to the its garage.

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The second 499P ran as normal, completing 56 laps and ending up eighth in the Hypercar classification with a 1m49.954s from Antonio Fuoco.

#51 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

Toyota monopolised the top of the classification as it had done in the opening session of the Prologue on Saturday.

The pair of GR010 HYBRIDs went quickest straight after the red flag caused by the Ferrari, Brendon Hartley just edging out Mike Conway.

Conway subsequently improved to a 1m48.473s that stood as the fastest time of the session aboard the #7 LMH, while Sebastien Buemi ended up just eight thousandths behind on 1m48.481s.

Michael Christensen took third place for Porsche, a 1m49.073s aboard the #6 963 LMDH run by Penske, pushing the solo Cadillac Racing entry down to fourth.

Alex Lynn posted a 1m49.182s in the Chip Ganassi Racing-run V-Series.R to end up a tenth up on the second Porsche in which Kevin Estre posted a 1m49.285s.

Peugeot moved closer to the pace with its 9X8 LMH, Nico Muller getting within a second of Conway in #94.

The Swiss topped the times initially before ending up on a 1m49.302s, which was just a couple of tenths up on the 1m49.568s Mikkel Jensen managed in the sister car.

Vanwall and Glickenhaus brought up the rear of the field, Tom Dillmann’s 1m50.038s giving him a margin of move than a second over Ryan Briscoe.

#94 Peugeot Totalenergies Peugeot 9X8: Loic Duval, Gustavo Menezes, Nico Müller

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

The #22 United Autosports ORECA-Gibson 07 was again fastest in LMP2, Filipe Albuquerque setting the best time in the car this time.

The Portuguese driver’s 1m50.577s was a couple of tenths faster than Doriane Pin in the best of the Prema ORECAs. Her 1m50.860s was a tenth up on Yifei Ye’s 1m51.000s for the Jota team.

Porsche led the way in GTE Am, Matteo Cairoli’s 1m59.170 in the Project 1 911 RSR edging out Alessio Picariello in the Iron Lynx car.

The final session of the Prologue, which leads into race week for the season-opening Sebring 1000 Miles on Friday begins at 14:30 local time.