Nielsen: We’ve seen strange things happen before...
Nicklas Nielsen is refusing to give up hope of clinching the FIA WEC Drivers’ crown in Bahrain this weekend, and even if he admits Ferrari AF Corse will require a slice of luck, he points out that ‘many strange things have happened before in motorsport’.
The #50 Ferrari 499P crewed by Nielsen alongside team-mates Antonio Fuoco and Miguel Molina has achieved three podium finishes to-date in WEC’s headlining Hypercar division in 2024 – including a second consecutive triumph for the Prancing Horse in the 24 Hours of Le Mans back in June – and has only once taken the chequered flag lower than sixth.
The trio were in the mix to add to their trophy count last time out at Fuji, where Nielsen went on an inspired mid-race charge, working his way into the lead and then proceeding to hold off eventual winner André Lotterer for lap after lap in an intense duel, despite running on distinctly worn tyres.
Ultimately, the #50 entry slipped to ninth place, leaving Nielsen, Fuoco and Molina 35 points adrift of their #6 rivals in the hunt for honours – with 39 remaining on the table this weekend. That means Ferrari can have just one strategy for the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain, and while on paper the odds are stacked solidly against them, in endurance racing, nothing can ever be taken for granted.
“It’s going to be very difficult and we obviously need some luck, but we’ve seen many strange things happen before in motorsport,” reflected the 27-year-old Dane, an emerging star in the Hypercar category. “Tyre degradation here is always a big thing and we need to play it smart. It’s going to be hard for the drivers and it’s going to be hard for the car as well.
“We have to win the race and that’s our goal. Clearly that is easier said than done, but never say never. We will do the best we can and we will see on Saturday after the race if it was enough.
“I think we’ve had a strong season overall. Some results have obviously been better than others. Without a question, the highlight was our victory at Le Mans – I think all the drivers on the grid want to win that race in particular – but if you take Imola and Spa, we should have finished better than we did, for various reasons.
“Still, in our second season with the car, I think we’ve made a good improvement since last year. The field is much closer now, with more cars in the championship but we have stepped up a lot and we are working hard to continue improving and trying to beat the other guys.”
