Ferrari Factory Driver Lilou Wadoux will compete in all eight rounds of the 2024 Japanese Super GT season set after making history as the first female victor in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Claiming the GTE-Am class victory at the 2023 Six Hours of Spa Francorchamps, the 22-year-old Frenchwoman made history in her first year in GTE machinery.
With teammates Luis Perez Companc and Alessio Rovera, Wadoux drove the #83 Richard Mille AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE from fourth to first and became the first woman in WEC to win a race.
Wadoux is to drive the Ferrari 296 GT3 of Ponos Racing in Super GT this year, with teammate Kei Cozzolino, and has recently completed two days of testing at Fuji from 23-24 March ahead of the April 13 season opener.
Speaking to Ferrari at Maranello, Wadoux said: “The 296 GT3 is an exceptional car that performed well on the challenging and ‘complete’ Fuji circuit, where high-speed corners alternate with more technical, lower-speed sections.
“Honestly, I am delighted with this car: there have been no issues since we began testing, and it is proving fast, reliable, and easy to drive. We have embarked on a new journey with Ponos Racing, a team that has immediately proved highly professional and competent, and I look forward to the first race.”
The 22-year-old French driver began karting as a teenager before taking the next step to touring cars in 2019 where she briefly raced in the TCR Europe Touring Car Series.
Wadoux then drove an Alpine A110 for Autosport GP in the 2021 Alpine Elf Europa Cup where she finished in the top-10 in eight of the 10 races.
In her junior year, Wadoux engaged in a fierce three-way title fight with the series’ reigning champion which saw her finish the 2022 Alpine Elf Europa Cup season second in the junior standings.
Impressing at a WEC rookie test in Bahrain against the likes of Jamie Chadwick, the Frenchwoman was signed for the LMP2 Richard Mille Racing Team for 2022 alongside rally icon Sébastien Ogier and ELMS champion Charles Milesi.
Moving to GT cars in her second season of WEC, she raced the Ferrari 488 GTE Evo in the LMGTE Am category to her historic victory in Spa.
With a year of experience in GT cars, the young driver will make the jump to one of Japan’s most prestigious racing series.
Wadoux shared with Ferrari: “My goals are ambitious: to contend for a place on the podium at every opportunity and, if feasible, aim even higher by seeking to enter the title challenge.
“The atmosphere here in Japan is fantastic. There is such a general passion for motorsport that during the pre-season tests at Fuji, there were many spectators in the stands despite the rain, which made it feel like a race weekend. A real spectacle.”
Comparing her WEC Ferrari 488 GTE to the super GT 296 GT3, the Ferrari Factory Driver said: “The cockpit and aerodynamics of the two cars differ significantly, and each undoubtedly has its specific characteristics in these two areas.
“The 296 GT3? Besides being, in my opinion, an exceptionally beautiful car, I would describe it as follows: it is quick and versatile due to its adaptability to varying conditions. It provides the driver with a functional cockpit that is easy to adapt to.”
With great success in her career so far, Wadoux aims to prove that female drivers can succeed in endurance racing.
Speaking to Motor Sport Magazine last summer, Wadoux explained: “I deeply think women can do as good as men, especially in endurance, so I hope it will be my humble contribution to bring more diversity at the highest level in our sport.
“I’m a woman so let’s work hard, perform and win races & championships. This will be my message for girls in motorsport!”
The 2024 Super GT season kicks off on April 14 at the Okayama International Circuit with a race distance of 300km, the three-hour endurance races are confirmed for Fuji Speedway on May 4, Suzuka Circuit on June 2, and Autopolis on October 20.
