The Italian producer began the Qatar 1812Km on a promising notice with Miguel Molina storming into the lead within the #50 Ferrari 499P with an excellent launch from fourth on the grid.
Nevertheless it quickly grew to become clear that Molina didn’t have the tempo to remain on the entrance, with Nico Muller within the #93 Peugeot 9X8 shifting previous him at Flip 2 after half-hour.
Ferrari elected to convey Molina early for a gas and tyre cease, however the 35-year-old erroneously crossed the white line on the pit entry, choosing up a drive-through penalty for the offence.
Molina quickly returned to the pits to serve the sanction, dropping all the best way right down to fifteenth within the order.
Not too lengthy after, your entire tail of the #51 automobile pushed by James Calado fell off the automobile on the quick sprint to Flip 16, presumably on account of contact with one in all United Autosports’ McLaren 720S GT3s exiting Flip 15.
#50 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, Nicklas Nielsen
Photograph by: JEP / Motorsport Images
Calado was in a position to convey the automobile again into the pits, however the change within the rear bodywork dropped him, Antonio Giovinazzi and Alessandro Pier Guidi two laps off the lead.
Calado’s pitstop was additionally being investigated by the stewards for a potential breach of laws, however he was cleared of any wrongdoing.
After the FCY deployed to retrieve the rear wing of the Ferrari was eliminated, the #51 Ferrari was circulating down in 18th place, solely forward of the Isotta Fraschini Tipo 6 within the 19-car Hypercar class.
The sister #50 Ferrari got here again into the pits for a 3rd cease, with Molina leaping out of the automobile at hand over the automobile to team-mate Nicklas Nielsen. Nielsen joined the observe down in seventeenth place.
Porsche leads the race outright with the manufacturing facility #5 Penske automobile, after Laurens Vanthoor handed Muller’s Peugeot in the course of the second hour.
Ferrari’s finest hope of a prime end result now stays within the fingers of the AF Corse’s buyer entry, which was working 14th after a pitstop simply earlier than the top of hour 2.