Ferrari Confirms Wadoux’s Program After GT300 Exit

Ferrari has confirmed that Lilou Wadoux will focus on her European Le Mans Series and IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup commitments for the marque this year following her sudden exit from the PONOS Racing SUPER GT team.

PONOS made the surprise announcement earlier this week that Wadoux had been released from her contract on the French driver’s request, with Takuro Shinohara drafted in to replace her in the team’s Ferrari 296 GT3 alongside Kei Cozzolino.

Ahead of the season, a Ferrari spokesperson clarified that Wadoux’s SUPER GT duties would take priority in the events of clashes with her other programs.

However, following Wadoux’s exit from PONOS, the factory Ferrari driver will now contest the full ELMS season, which began last weekend at Barcelona, as well as the remaining three legs of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup, both for AF Corse.

She is also slated to contest the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the same team together with her regular ELMS teammates, Riccardo Agostini and Custodio Toledo.

Previously, Wadoux was due to miss three rounds of the ELMS — the Paul Ricard, Spa and Portimao races — as well as IMSA’s Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway due to clashing dates with the SUPER GT calendar.

Wadoux’s decision to quit SUPER GT on the eve of the new season is understood to be a personal one, and has not come at the behest of Ferrari.

She scored a best finish of second last year at Sportsland Sugo in wet conditions together with Cozzolino (pictured top) on her way to 12th in the GT300 standings.

Ex-LEON Racing driver Shinohara will pilot the PONOS Ferrari in this weekend’s SUPER GT opener at Okayama with no prior testing, as Wadoux took part in the most recent test aboard the No. 45 car at Fuji Speedway two weeks ago.

Shinohara however was due to join the team anyway as a third driver before Wadoux’s departure created a full-time vacancy for last year’s GT300 runner-up to fill.

“For me, Shinohara is a really good driver,” Cozzolino told Sportscar365. “He has a lot of experience of Bridgestone tires, so he will bring a lot of input to the team.

“This weekend will be the first time he drives the car, but we’ll give him plenty of driving time and we’ll support him as a team to bring him up to speed. Once he gets used to the car, there’s no question he will be competitive.

“This first race will be the biggest challenge of the year, but then we have Fuji, which is a familiar track, and then we have a GTE test at Suzuka [in mid-May], so by the middle of the year I am sure Takuro will be up to speed.

“In a way, it’s good that the change happened before round one and not during the season. I wish we were more prepared for the news, but it is the way it is.

“I know Lilou has a busy schedule this year, and as a team we wish her the best.”