The Italian manufacturer commenced the Qatar 1812Km race with an impressive start as Miguel Molina surged into the lead in the #50 Ferrari 499P after a brilliant launch from fourth on the grid.
However, Molina’s pace couldn’t sustain him at the front, and Nico Muller in the #93 Peugeot 9X8 overtook him at Turn 2 just 30 minutes into the race.
Ferrari made an early decision to bring Molina in for a fuel and tire stop, but the 35-year-old made a crucial mistake by crossing the white line at the pit entry, resulting in a drive-through penalty.
Molina subsequently returned to the pits to serve the penalty, plummeting to 15th place in the order.
Shortly after, the rear of the #51 car, driven by James Calado, detached from the vehicle on the approach to Turn 16, possibly due to contact with one of United Autosports’ McLaren 720S GT3s exiting Turn 15.
The detached rear wing flew dangerously close to the #59 McLaren that was trailing behind.
Calado managed to bring the car back to the pits, but the replacement of the rear bodywork caused him, Antonio Giovinazzi, and Alessandro Pier Guidi to fall two laps behind the lead.
Although Calado’s pit stop was scrutinized by the stewards for a potential rule violation, he was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing.
Following the removal of the Full Course Yellow (FCY) to retrieve the Ferrari’s rear wing, the #51 Ferrari found itself in 18th place, only ahead of the Isotta Fraschini Tipo 6 in the 19-car Hypercar class.
The sister #50 Ferrari returned to the pits for a third stop, where Molina relinquished the car to teammate Nicklas Nielsen. Nielsen rejoined the race in 17th position.
The race was led outright by the factory #6 Penske Porsche, with Laurens Vanthoor overtaking Muller’s Peugeot in the second hour.
Ferrari’s best chance for a strong finish now lies with the AF Corse’s customer entry, which held 14th place after a pit stop just before the end of the second hour.
