Ferrari has unveiled a supercar that will compete at Le Mans after a 50-year hiatus. The 499P was presented on Saturday, with the model set to make its first appearance at Le Mans next year and then at the World Endurance Championship.
Last year saw the appearance of hypercars, that caught the attention of several major manufacturers. Ferrari chairman John Elkann said in an interview, – “With the 499P we are taking a step towards innovation and development, staying true to our traditions.”
Peugeot, Porsche, Cadillac and the rest will join Toyota in 2023, the decision came after organizers allowed more design freedom, with most models to be hybrids.
It should be noted that the 2023 season coincides with the 100th anniversary of “Le Mans”.
The Ferrari 499P will be classified as an LMH (Le Mans Hypercar), with a V6 twin-turbo engine and a 500 KW electric engine.
We are back to fight for an outright win in the WEC series, seeing the track as the ideal terrain to push the boundaries of advanced technology that will be passed on to our road cars over time
– თქვა ელკანმა.
Ferrari 499P
Ferrari regularly competes in various global sports car series, but last entered the series with a work team 50 years ago in the 1970s, when the race was featured in the movie Le Mans starring Steve McQueen.
CEO of the World Endurance Championship, Frédéric Lequien, said in a conversation with BBC Sport, – “The World Endurance Championship has never had such a bright future.”
“The new regulations allow the manufacturers to have more design freedom. The result is fantastic cars. Ferrari is back to compete with Peugeot, Porsche, Cadillac, we have the best manufacturers in the world and we are very happy about that.”
The seven-race World Endurance Championship series also features renewable biofuels, with 65% coming from renewable sources.
