After 50 Years, Ferrari Is Making A Comeback To Endurance Racing
by AutoExpert | 14 March, 2023
It's great news for fans of Ferrari and endurance racing, as Ferrari will finally make its return to endurance racing after 50 years of absence. They will do so with the 499P LMH race car, which meets the requirements for both the Hypercar class of the FIA World Endurance Championship and the GTP class of the IMSA SportsCar Championship.
The 499P LMH race car will make its debut at the Prologue meet held at Sebring International Raceway in Florida from March 11–12. This will be followed by the first race of the 2023 WEC season, the 1000 Miles of Sebring, which will also take place at the same track on March 17.
Ferrari will be represented by two 499P race cars during the event. The first car, numbered 50, will be driven by Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, and Nicklas Nielsen. The second car, numbered 51, will be driven by Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, and Antonio Giovinazzi. It will be interesting to see how Ferrari's new race car performs in its first official event after such a long absence from top-level endurance racing.
Ferrari and AF Corse have joined forces to participate in the LMH racing series. The new team, Ferrari-AF Corse, will use a brand new car called the 499P, which has been designed to comply with LMH regulations. The 499P is equipped with a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 engine, based on the one used in the Ferrari 296 GTB supercar, and an electric motor powering the front axle. This setup provides the car with all-wheel drive.