Ferrari has unveiled its new 499P LMH race car for top-level competition from 2023 in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
The debut took place on Saturday at the Imola circuit in Italy during the annual Ferrari Finali Mondiali event, dedicated to the end of the motorsport season.
The car’s name is reminiscent of the sports prototypes that Ferrari raced in the 1960s and 1970s, such as the 250 P and later the 330 P, cars that went on to win races such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 24 Hours of Daytona and 6 Hours of Nürburgring. . It’s a fitting name, as the 499P will see Ferrari return to the highest level of endurance racing after half a century since the automaker last competed with the 312 PB. The current management of Ferrari does not lose its importance.
“We enter this challenge with humility, but aware of the history that has led us to more than 20 world endurance titles and 9 overall victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans,” John Elkann, chairman of Ferrari, said in a statement.
2023 Ferrari 499P LMH Race Car
The 499P is built under LMH regulations, meaning it is eligible to compete in both the existing Hypercar class of the World Endurance Championship and the new GTP class, which will launch next year as the new top class of the IMSA SportsCar Championship. At the moment, Ferrari has only announced an entry in the World Endurance Championship, the highlight of which is the 24 Hours of Le Mans, although the 499P may still appear in some sports car championship rounds, such as the 24 Hours of Daytona.
Next year will also be the first in which LMH cars will compete against cars designed under separate LMDh regulations. The LMDh cars are also suitable for both the Hypercar and GTP classes, with a balance of performance to be used to ensure a level playing field.
2023 Ferrari 499P LMH Race Car
Unlike LMDh cars, which use control chassis from suppliers, LMH cars are based on special chassis. The 499P features a newly designed carbon fiber monocoque with double wishbones and suspension at both ends.
Power comes from a twin-turbo V-6 engine, which is mounted in the middle of the engine and serves as a support structure. The engine comes from a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 Ferrari 296 GTB road car and works together with an electric motor on the front axle, which is connected to the differential, forming an all-wheel drive system. Together, these two power units can produce a maximum of 670 hp at the same time. The rules also mandate a minimum vehicle weight of 2,270 pounds.
2023 Ferrari 499P LMH Race Car
The electric motor is powered by a 900-volt battery developed using knowledge from the Ferrari Formula 1 program. The battery relies on energy recovered during braking, which it then delivers to the electric motor to give the car a boost in power.
Acura, BMW, Cadillac, Porsche and alpine have committed LMDh while PaKoles, Glickenhaus, Peugeot, Toyota, along with Ferrari, committed LMH. Audi agreed to join the LMDh in 2023, but announced in August that it had scrapped those plans to focus on the planned F1 2026 deal. Lamborghini will join the LMDh race in 2024.
2023 Ferrari 499P LMH Race Car
Ferrari is not running its campaign alone. The carmaker’s sports car racing division, Competizioni GT, has partnered with AF Corse for the campaign, forming a new Ferrari team, AF Corse. AF Corse is an independent Italian racing team founded by former racing driver Amato Ferrari (no relation to Enzo Ferrari or his son Piero) in 1995. She has worked closely with Ferrari since 2006 and in recent years has represented Ferrari in GT events, most notably in the GTE class of the World Endurance Championship.
Following the Prologue events at Sebring International Raceway in Florida on March 11-12, the first round of the 2023 World Endurance Championship will begin on March 17 with the 1000 Miles of Sebring.
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