Ferrari: Great return to Le Mans 🎥
FROM 2023 WITH LM-HYPERCAR Ferrari will return to the World Endurance Championship with a Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) from 2023. The last time factory cars from Maranello competed at Le Mans was in 1973. LEMANSCENTER's short film from 1973 recalls Ferrari's last factory appearance at Le Mans. The Scuderia had to settle for 2nd and 3rd places [...]
The short film by LEMANSCENTER from 1973 recalls Ferrari's last factory appearance at Le Mans. The Scuderia had to settle for 2nd and 3rd place behind Matra-Simca.
Design and simulation phases have already begun in recent weeks. The test program on the racetrack, the name of the car and its concept, and the lineup of drivers who will make up the factory team will be announced at a later date.
Successful balance
Fifty years after its last factory participation in sports prototypes, Ferrari will compete in the newly created hypercar class of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). The Italians played an active role in its creation.
Sports cars from Maranello have achieved great success in the past. The list includes a total of 24 world championship titles, most recently in 2017 with the 488 GTE. Ferrari has also taken 36 victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a factory team or with customer teams, most recently in 2019 with AF Corse.
Legendary duels
Ferrari has taken the overall victory at Le Mans nine times, the last in 1965 with a 250 LM of Luigi Chinetti's North American Racing Team (NART) and the duo Jochen Rindt/Masten Gregory as drivers. As a factory team, the Scuderia triumphed for the last time the year before with the 275P driven by Jean Guichet and Nino Vaccarella.
The duels with Ford in the early 1960s are legendary. At the last factory event at Le Mans in 1973, Ferrari lost out to its French rivals from Matra-Simca with its 312BP.
Great battle of the manufacturers
So now fans can look forward to Ferrari's return to the circle of renowned brands at Le Mans and in the Endurance World Championship from 2023. Audi, Peugeot, Porsche, Toyota and Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus have also confirmed their participation. The Japanese and the Americans are already participating with hypercars from this year.
John Elkann, President of Ferrari: "In more than 70 years of racing, we have won with our sports cars all over the world, experimenting with cutting-edge technological solutions. Innovations that have their origins in racing and make every road car produced in Maranello exceptional. With the new Hypercar program, Ferrari renews its sporting commitment and confirms its will to be a protagonist in the world motorsport championships."
