Antonio Giovinazzi has described winning the FIA World Endurance Championship last weekend as the ‘biggest achievement of his career’ – after he and team-mate Alessandro Pier Guidi made history as the first Italian drivers to clinch the coveted crown in the series’ top-tier.
A fourth-place finish in the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain proved more than enough for the #51 Ferrari AF Corse crew of Giovinazzi, countryman Pier Guidi and James Calado to seal the deal, as they wound up 16 points ahead of their closest pursuers – Robert Kubica, Yifei Ye and Phil Hanson in the #83 AF Corse 499P.
The title-winning trio were the only line-up to win more than once in 2025 – on home soil at Imola and again three weeks later at Spa-Francorchamps – but despite taking the chequered flag ‘just’ fourth in Sakhir, their performance in the season finale was indisputably one of their finest of the year, as all three drivers proved to be peerless under pressure, demonstrating nerves of steel in such a high-stakes situation.
After patiently biding his time and looking after his tyres early on – around a circuit that is renowned for its abrasive nature – Giovinazzi grabbed the bull by the horns to climb from seventh to third and then hunt down the two pace-setting Toyotas.
Barely one-and-a-half hours into the race, the 31-year-old Puglia native overhauled Brendon Hartley for second and closed almost onto the tail of Mike Conway in the lead before handing over to Pier Guidi, who continued the good work.
Following a similarly strong stint by Calado, the elder of the two Italians returned to the cockpit, and the champions-elect were on-course to round out the rostrum prior to ceding position to the sister #50 car late on to enable the latter to secure third spot in the Drivers’ classification.
The major plaudits, however, were reserved for the #51 crew. Having led the way in the standings since Imola back in April, finally, they were able to celebrate a thoroughly well-deserved coronation.
“It was one of the best days of my life,” reflected Giovinazzi, whose wife gave birth to the couple’s first child, a girl named Ginevra, the same evening. “It is something that none of us will ever forget – it’s difficult to describe, to be honest.
“This is my first title in FIA WEC, so it’s really emotional. We’ve worked really hard over the past three years and grown together as a team, and we’ve had a fantastic season. In Bahrain, we had a perfect strategy in the race, making no mistakes at all.
“With Ale [Pier Guidi] and James [Calado], from the very first day of this programme we shared a dream – to become world champions. We’ve managed to make it come true, and I’m really proud of the whole team. This is the biggest achievement of my career.”
For compatriot Pier Guidi and Calado, the title triumph – allied to the three they had already secured together in LMGTE Pro – draws the pair level with Hartley and Sébastien Buemi in the FIA WEC record books as four-time world champions, and also earned them entry to an exclusive club of drivers to have prevailed in two major classes in the series. Their strike rate as team-mates stands at an impressive 50 per cent.
“I want to thank the whole team, made up of people who over the past three years have worked tirelessly to reach this goal,” acknowledged Pier Guidi. “We’ve grown step-by-step, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times and, at last, managing to clinch the World Championship Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ titles after a season we will never forget. I’m happy and proud to be among the drivers who brought Ferrari back to the top of the endurance racing world.
“This is my fourth FIA WEC title, but this one is quite different. We’ve worked really hard to improve every single detail, and that’s why we are here now. Being a Hypercar World Champion is something incredible. It’s been a long journey since Sebring 2023 (when the Ferrari 499P first joined the grid), but finally, the mission is accomplished.”
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