Ferrari explains tyre pressure mistake in Monza WEC finale

Ferrari says a procedural error linked to track-temperature forecasts left its #50 and #83 cars with tyre pressures below the required level at the Monza 6 Hours, costing both crews time in the final race of the 2026 World Endurance Championship season.

The #50 499P started from pole, but an infringement early in the race forced a tyre change and brought a 20-second penalty. A second penalty later pushed Antonio Fuoco, Nicklas Nielsen and Miguel Molina down to ninth in the final classification.

Forecast temperatures led Ferrari to miss the pressure mark

Ferrari engineer Giuliano Salvi said the team had expected track temperatures to be higher than they proved to be. The resulting pressure figures were slightly too low on both the #50 and #83 cars, he explained.

The #50 crew had planned to extend a stint as part of a recovery strategy, but the penalties disrupted that approach. Nielsen said the team believed it had the pace to make progress, though passing was difficult and Virtual Safety Car timing repeatedly worked against its comeback.

Ferrari’s other affected entry, the #83 shared by Yifei Ye, Robert Kubica and Phil Hanson, finished sixth. Its race was also set back when a wheel came loose after a pitstop, requiring the crew to return to the pits. Salvi said Ferrari would review both the pressure issue and the unusual pitstop problem.

The pressure trouble was not an issue for the #51, which secured the final podium place behind the winning #38 Cadillac and second-placed #36 Alpine. Antonio Giovinazzi, Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado’s strategy delivered third, despite Ferrari lacking the pace of its rivals. Giovinazzi also discussed the team’s tyre uncertainties in his assessment of Ferrari’s Monza WEC weekend.

Ferrari closes the 499P’s current chapter with a podium

Salvi described the season as frustrating, with Ferrari unable to defend its title, though the team recorded a victory and several podium finishes. He said the 499P had been competitive across much of the campaign, while acknowledging that Monza offered more potential than Ferrari extracted.

The Italian manufacturer is preparing a major update for 2027 to overhaul the car. The third-place finish marked the final outing for the 499P in its current configuration. Alpine also ended its Monza appearance on the podium, as detailed in our report on Alpine’s WEC farewell at the circuit.