Monza, public in a frenzy for Ferrari: they dream of an encore of Le Mans

MONZA – Today, many kilometers south of Silverstone, there is another Ferrari – a winner – that makes the fans dream: over fifty thousand spectators gathered today at the Brianza racetrack for the 6 Hours of Monza, the Italian stage of the FIA ​​Wec, the World Endurance Championship which this year – after half a century of absence – has seen the return of Maranello, triumphant protagonist a month ago at Le Mans with the 499T. In 2022 the audience had barely exceeded five thousand people. This morning, 4 hours before the start of the race, the traffic around the circuit was already a frenzy of fans in line.

Thanks to the presence of the Reds, but also the recent arrival of Cadillac and Porsche (next year Lamborghini, BMW and – perhaps – Isotta Fraschini will join us), from this season the Hypercar championship is attracting growing interest and enthusiasm. Merit of cars with technologically little to envy to those of F1 – from the point of view of design they are breathtakingly beautiful -, and of the show set up by the organizers on the suggestive Monza route, ideal for celebrating the historic French success.

A great festival of engines and music, which began on Thursday evening with a collective autograph session for 10 of the best drivers, and continued without a break over the weekend. On the track, in the paddock. “A long rush of adrenaline, because we can meet our champions and touch those cars we’ve always dreamed of”, thrilled the fans. For everyone, the possibility of accessing the pit lane on foot on Saturday and Sunday while a band plays on the podium (the two-day pass, with the opportunity to pass without problems from one grandstand to another, cost 60 euros ); for the luckiest, however many, to get on the grid up to a few minutes before the start and take selfies with the protagonists of the race, admiring and photographing these very powerful cars. Hundreds of T-shirts thrown to the public in the stands the dee-jay who put the music at full volume. A rainbow of happiness.

After Mameli’s anthem, some soldiers of the San Marco Battalion descended from two Navy helicopters suspended a few meters from the circuit to hand over the tricolor. And then the go. Flying start, at the first hairpin bend Seb Buany with the Toyota (later penalized by a minute) touched the Ferrari number 51 driven by Antonio Giovinazzi (alternating at the wheel with Alessandro Pierguidi and the British James Calado), which after a restarted from eighth position. The effective Spaniard Miguel Molina immediately stood out in front with the other 499T (number 50, the other two riders are Antonio Fuoco and the Dane Nicklas Nielsen). Halfway through the race, the safety car came on twice due to some accidents and debris on the track. Arrival is expected around 18.30.