System 1 race winner Robert Kubica is trying more and more sure to stay with the AF Corse buyer Hypercar staff within the World Endurance Championship subsequent 12 months.
Kubica advised Autosport that he “didn’t come right here for only one 12 months” when questioned after final weekend’s 2024 WEC finale in Bahrain about whether or not he would race the yellow-liveried Ferrari 499P Le Mans Hypercar once more.
However he confused that “there’s loads of work to do” for subsequent 12 months at a staff that claimed victory at Austin in September however didn’t constantly match the manufacturing unit arm of the AF staff over the season.
“It isn’t a simple choice, so we are going to see,” he mentioned.
Kubica, who partnered Ferrari manufacturing unit drivers Yifei Ye and Robert Shwartzman in AF’s satellite tv for pc entry in 2024, had discussions with staff boss Amato Ferrari over the course of the WEC finale in Bahrain final weekend.
Ferrari defined that he was hopeful that Kubica will stay with the staff subsequent 12 months.
“All the pieces is constructive and all of us need Robert again, however no deal is finished,” he mentioned.
Antonello Coletta, Ferrari’s head of sportscar racing, additionally expressed hopes that Kubica will keep, saying “our dream is to take care of Robert with us”.
#83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Robert Kubica, Phil Hanson, Yifei Ye
Picture by: JEP / Motorsport Photos
Kubica remained with AF on the Bahrain Worldwide Circuit on the day after the WEC race for Phil Hanson’s first take a look at within the Ferrari he will race in the WEC next year.
The Briton, who’s swapping over from the British Jota buyer Porsche staff when it becomes Cadillac’s factory WEC squad, is the primary driver to be introduced for the #83 AF entry for subsequent 12 months.
Shwartzman is leaving Ferrari on the finish of this 12 months, Coletta confirmed.
He defined that the 25-year-old will depart each the line-up at AF and Ferrari’s roster of manufacturing unit drivers after he “determined to make one other alternative”.
Shwartzman, who has been a Ferrari System 1 reserve since 2023 after graduating from the Italian producer’s academy programme, will probably be introduced because the team-mate of the already confirmed Callum Ilott at Prema’s new IndyCar staff imminently.
Ye, who grew to become a manufacturing unit Ferrari driver for this season, is anticipated to stay within the line-up of the #83 automobile.