Ferrari publicly unveiled its new Le Mans Hyper car, the 499P, at the Ferrari Finali Mondiali at Imola on October 29.
The new car, which will contest the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship, was presented in a dramatic runway-style setting at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari displaying the #50 race number which will be paired with the #51 when the car hits the track next season.
The 400P mates a mid-rear power unit with an electric motor driving the front axle. LMH technical regulations restrict the internal combustion engine to 500 kW from its twin-turbo V6. A development in the 499P is that the engine is load-bearing, a marked difference to a conventional GT car where the engine is mounted on to the car’s rear sub-frame.
The Energy Recovery System provides a maximum power output of 200 kW, although the technical regulations mean that the 499P will have an overall maximum power output of 500 kW.
Design was undertaken by the Ferrari Styling Centre under the direction of Flavio Manzoni with lines that are unmistakably from the lineage of the Prancing Horse.
Race management of the Ferrari 499P will be undertaken by Maranello’s own technicians and engineers in collaboration with AF Corse. The relationship between Ferrari and AF Corse dates back to the 2006 FIA GT season and all the championship victors in the FIA WEC have been as a result of that partnership.
Ferrari Executive Chairman John Elkann is delighted to see Ferrari return to the highest level of endurance competition.
“The 499P sees us return to compete for outright victory in the WEC series,” said Elkann. “When we decided to commit to this project, we embarked on a path of innovation and development, faithful to our traditions that sees the track as the ideal terrain to push the boundaries of cutting-edge technological solutions, solutions that in time will be transferred to our road cars.
“We enter this challenge with humility, but conscious of the history that has taken us to over 20 world endurance titles and nine overall victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”
Head of Ferraro Attività Sportive GT Antonello Coletta: “The 499P is a dream come true. Today is an important moment for all the people who have worked so hard on this project over the past two years. We wanted to pay homage tom our history, with many references, both large and small, to a past made up of successes and titles. We do so however, looking ahead, creating a manifesto of our commitment to the world endurance championship.
“The 499P is a prototype that is decidedly Ferrari, in the fullest sense of the term, and it gives us an enormous thrill to finally show it to our clients and to the many enthusiasts of the marque.”
The team completed testing at the Portimão circuit in Portugal on September 23 and are now preparing for the 499p’s debut in the FIA WEC at the 1000 Miles of Sebring on March 17.
