Each of the Ferrari 499Ps that flashed past the chequered flag almost line astern in positions one to three at the Qatar World Endurance Championship curtain-raiser would have been a worthy winner. They were separated by less than three seconds after 10 hours of racing and any one of them might have come out on top in the dash to the finish after the final pitstops. But there was one thing that was never in doubt in the desert on Friday, and that was a Ferrari victory.
The Italian manufacturer’s Le Mans Hypercar was dominant around the Lusail International Circuit. So dominant that one of the 499Ps was able to fight back from no fewer than four penalties to take the final podium spot. No one else was genuinely in the game over the course of the Qatar 1812Km, though the two manufacturers closest to Ferrari on pace didn’t do themselves any favours.
