Ferrari has dominated out an enlargement of its 499P Le Mans Hypercar programme into the IMSA SportsCar Championship for subsequent yr.
The Italian producer has outlined a 2025 plan that doesn’t contain the North American collection for which the 499P is eligible within the GTP class and as an alternative requires a continued deal with the World Endurance Championship, once more with a three-car assault in Hypercar.
Ferrari head of sportscar racing boss Antonello Coletta advised Motorsport.com that the model “prefers to consolidate [its] programme” somewhat than increasing onto a second entrance in what would be the third season of competitors for its two-time Le Mans 24 Hours-winning LMH.
“Subsequent yr we shall be concerned solely in WEC and never IMSA – now we think about the WEC with three automobiles,” he stated.
That may imply two manufacturing unit 499Ps run by AF Corse within the Hypercar class and the new-for-2024 buyer or satellite tv for pc entry, additionally run by AF, that competes within the FIA Endurance Trophy for hypercar groups somewhat than producers’ factors.
The assault with the yellow-liveried Ferrari, this yr raced by Robert Kubica and manufacturing unit drivers Yifei Ye and Robert Shwartzman, will proceed “except there are any surprises”, Coletta stated.
#83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Robert Kubica, Robert Shwartzman, Yifei Ye
Photograph by: JEP / Motorsport Pictures
Coletta has talked overtly a couple of want for the 499P to sooner or later race within the USA, a key highway automotive marketplace for Ferrari.
Longtime US sportscar entrant Giuseppe Risi, whose eponymous workforce is at present racing a Ferrari 296 GT3 within the IMSA enduros in GTD Professional, has made no secret of a want to return to the prototype ranks with the marque he has represented for greater than 1 / 4 of a century.
“For the time being we don’t have a plan to go to America, however it’s not not possible for the longer term,” continued Coletta. “We have to take time for every improvement of our exercise.”
Ferrari was most not too long ago concerned within the high class of North American sportscar racing with the 333SP buyer automotive constructed to IMSA’s World Sports activities Automobile laws.
It competed from 1994 by means of till 2003, taking one victory within the Daytona 24 Hours and three on the Sebring 12 Hours.
