AF Corse’s Luís Pérez Companc, Yifei Ye and Nicklas Nielsen have reflected on their historic victory in the opening round of the 2026/27 Asian Le Mans Series (ALMS) at Circuit Paul Ricard. The trio secured the first victory in the championship’s new Hypercar category, overcoming heavy rain and challenging track conditions to lead a Ferrari one-two.
Pérez Companc established the advantage in the opening stages of Saturday’s four-hour contest, with Ye extending the team’s lead before Nielsen completed the final stint. Despite deteriorating weather and an extended Safety Car period, the #90 Ferrari 499P maintained its position at the front, eventually finishing 6.348 seconds ahead of the #47 Cetilar Racing Ferrari.
Following the race, all three drivers emphasised the importance of consistency, teamwork and avoiding mistakes. While Pérez Companc discussed adapting to the demanding Ferrari machinery, Ye highlighted the challenges of negotiating traffic, and Nielsen praised his teammates’ performances in difficult conditions.
Pérez Companc reflects on challenging Hypercar debut
Pérez Companc entered the opening ALMS race with limited experience of the Ferrari 499P, having previously driven the car during testing. However, the Argentine immediately demonstrated his ability to manage the unfamiliar machinery in challenging conditions.
Starting second behind Roberto Lacorte, who had secured the inaugural ALMS Hypercar pole position for Cetilar Racing, Pérez Companc moved into the lead when the Italian ran wide exiting Turn 1.
The AF Corse driver subsequently established an advantage over the chasing Ferrari, providing a strong foundation for his teammates to build upon during the remaining stints.
Nevertheless, Pérez Companc acknowledged that the difficult weather and unfamiliar car made the opening race particularly demanding.
“It was very difficult; tough conditions with rain and new car. An hyper car for me was the first time, only to test, but I was lucky to test also in rain, so I knew the car a little bit. But all the team, Nicklas and Yifei, they made a really nice job, no mistakes, and I think that was the key for the victory today.”
Confidence in wet conditions helps Pérez Companc establish advantage
Although Pérez Companc faced the challenge of adapting to the Ferrari’s complex systems, his previous experience of driving in wet conditions provided an important advantage.
The Argentine concentrated on controlling the car’s power delivery and maintaining consistent lap times rather than taking unnecessary risks. His approach proved particularly effective as several competitors encountered difficulties with the increasingly slippery circuit.
“I like rainy conditions. I always feel very comfortable in the rain. So, for me, it was just to manage the power of the car. I could do some good times and just keep the car between the lines, and that was the key.”
The official ALMS account of the rain-hit opening race detailed how Pérez Companc moved ahead on the opening lap before the two Ferrari Hypercars began pulling away from the LMP2 field.
His ability to establish the lead without making a significant mistake became increasingly valuable as the conditions deteriorated. With the race eventually requiring an extended Safety Car period, AF Corse’s early advantage helped place the team in a strong position for the final stages.
Ye highlights difficulties of traffic and changing grip
Ye continued AF Corse’s strong performance after taking over the #90 Ferrari, although the Chinese driver faced a different set of challenges during his stint.
With the team already leading, Ye concentrated on maintaining the advantage while negotiating traffic from the 16-car LMP2 field. The differences in performance between Hypercar and LMP2 machinery complicated overtaking, particularly as the wet circuit reduced grip and limited the opportunities to complete manoeuvres safely.
Nevertheless, Ye managed to extend the gap over Cetilar Racing before handing the Ferrari to Nielsen. The 2025 Le Mans winner subsequently praised the work of his teammates and the wider AF Corse organisation, acknowledging their contributions to the victory.
“I cannot dream about anything more than having a good gap behind. The track was very tricky to drive with the grip, and the overtaking other LMP2 cars was also tricky. I was happy about the stint; I managed to increase the gap and give the car to Nicklas. I am grateful for the great job of the team and of my two teammates.”
Ye’s performance allowed Nielsen to begin the final stint with a valuable advantage. However, the Dane would soon encounter some of the most difficult conditions of the race as the rain intensified and visibility deteriorated.
Nielsen admits conditions were worse than expected
Despite his considerable experience with the Ferrari 499P, Nielsen admitted that the conditions proved significantly more challenging than he had anticipated before entering the car.
The Danish driver had watched the race from the garage before taking over the #90 Ferrari for the final stint. However, once behind the wheel, he realised that the heavy rain and low tyre temperatures made maintaining control considerably more difficult than the television coverage had suggested.
As conditions continued deteriorating, Race Control eventually deployed the Safety Car because of reduced visibility and the risk of aquaplaning. The field remained neutralised until approximately 15 minutes before the finish, leaving Nielsen to manage a brief final sprint against Antonio Fuoco in the chasing Cetilar Ferrari.
“On the TV, it looked quite okay, and then, once I jumped into the car, I realised that it actually wasn’t. Luis did an amazing job because just to keep the car on track was difficult today, and keeping the tyre temperature up was just as difficult. So, I think the key today was not to do any mistakes and just to bring the car home, and we managed to do that.”
His assessment reinforced Pérez Companc’s earlier comments about consistency. Rather than attempting to extend the advantage unnecessarily, Nielsen concentrated on maintaining control and protecting the team’s position through the closing laps.
Nielsen praises Pérez Companc’s performance in complex Ferrari machinery
Beyond the immediate challenges of the race, Nielsen highlighted Pérez Companc’s contribution to the victory, particularly given his limited experience with the 499P.
The pair had previously raced together, providing an established working relationship as AF Corse prepared for its inaugural ALMS Hypercar campaign. However, Nielsen acknowledged that the Ferrari presented considerable technical challenges, both in terms of driving and operating its complex systems.
Pérez Companc’s ability to manage those demands in difficult conditions impressed his more experienced teammate.
“We’re happy to drive with Luis. I spent a few years driving with him already, and it’s a pleasure to be back, especially with this car. You know they’re very complicated. So, like I said, he did an amazing job because they’re difficult, not only to drive but also to operate.”
Nielsen’s comments highlighted the importance of having a competitive and reliable driver combination in the championship’s new Hypercar category.
AF Corse had confirmed Pérez Companc alongside Ferrari factory drivers Ye and Nielsen ahead of the season, bringing together a Bronze-rated competitor and two established Hypercar specialists.
Their opening victory demonstrated how the three drivers could complement one another, with Pérez Companc establishing the lead, Ye extending the advantage and Nielsen delivering the result under increasingly difficult conditions.
AF Corse begins ALMS Hypercar campaign with historic victory
The result marked an important milestone for AF Corse as it secured the first victory in the ALMS Hypercar category, which joins LMP2 and GT3 for the 2026/27 season.
The Italian organisation entered the championship with the #90 Ferrari 499P, while Cetilar Racing fielded the second Hypercar with technical support from AF Corse. The two programmes formed the inaugural Hypercar field within the championship’s 46-car entry at Circuit Paul Ricard.
Despite their shared manufacturer and technical connections, the entries competed for the same championship honours. Cetilar Racing initially demonstrated stronger outright pace, topping both Free Practice sessions before securing pole position for Saturday’s race.
However, AF Corse capitalised on the changing conditions and the opportunity presented during the opening lap. Pérez Companc, Ye and Nielsen subsequently maintained the advantage through consistent driving and effective race management.
Nielsen eventually completed 94 laps before taking the chequered flag, giving AF Corse victory by 6.348 seconds over Cetilar Racing’s Roberto Lacorte, Nicola Lacorte and Fuoco.
The result establishes AF Corse as the early Hypercar championship leader ahead of Sunday’s second four-hour race at Le Castellet. Pérez Companc will also start that contest from pole position after securing the fastest time during Friday’s second qualifying session.
For the three winning drivers, however, the opening victory represented more than an early championship advantage. Their reflections highlighted the importance of mutual trust, technical understanding and disciplined driving as AF Corse began its latest endurance racing programme with a landmark result.
Hypercar | 2026/27 ALMS Le Castellet Race 1
- #90 AF Corse — Ferrari 499P — 94 laps — 4:01:31.057
- #47 Cetilar Racing — Ferrari 499P — 94 laps — +6.348s
