Races

Ferrari takes victory at Le Mans 2024

A year after winning the centenary edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Ferrari has repeated the feat again, with an accompanying third place as well. While the drivers had much to celebrate, Le Mans was also a party for an exclusive group of Maranello’s customers

Words: Luke Ponsford / Video: Oliver McIntyre

A year on from Ferrari’s brilliant victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the winning Ferrari AF Corse team returned to the Le Sarthe circuit over the weekend of the 15th and 16th June to claim another valiant first place, with the number 50 499P Hypercar crossing the finish line with Nicklas Nielsen – who shared driving duties with Miguel Molina and Antonio Fuoco – behind the wheel.

Witness the 499P's glorious Le Mans win, the Ferrari Tribute drive and the Casa Ferrari client experience…

The racing weekend also saw the winners of the 2023 edition – Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi, in the number 51 499P Le Mans Hypercar – taking third place overall, bringing Ferrari’s Le Mans roll of honour to an impressive 11 overall victories and 29 class wins in the oldest and most prestigious endurance race in the world.

With the excitement building in the week preceeding Ferrari’s red-liveried 499Ps returning to Le Sarthe, Ferrari organised a number of events to complement the 2024 Le Mans weekend.

Above: Miguel Molina, Antonio Fuoco and Nicklas Nielsen celebrate their win at this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans

Ahead of the race, the marque hosted an exclusive Le Mans Tribute drive, which saw twenty Prancing Horses – including a LaFerrari, an 812 Competizione Aperta and six 296 GTBs – and their owners enjoying a tour of France’s beautiful Cognac region. Starting in the eponymous town that gave the area its name, the procession of cars spent three glorious days navigating winding French country roads before arriving at Le Mans for the full Ferrari clienti experience at the exclusive Casa Ferrari VIP hospitality lounge.

From left: the Le Mans Tribute drive saw twenty Prancing Horses and their owners enjoying a tour of France’s beautiful Cognac region in the run-up to the race weekend

Situated just a few metres from the last chicane leading onto the main straight, the lounge offered an unparalleled view of the track action as the 499Ps battled tirelessly throughout the day and into the night to outwit and out-perform their rivals on the fearsome Le Sarthe circuit. While witnessing the race was itself an unforgettable experience, being a part of the team that grasped victory – along with that third place – surely created enduring memories for all present.

Above: the exclusive Casa Ferrari hospitality area offered clients a breathtaking view of the track action

Meanwhile, Ferrari invited 36 journalists from the world’s leading automotive media outlets to Le Mans. Given access to the press room – which offered fabulous views of the racing action – and the exclusive Casa Ferrari lounge, the assembled correspondents enjoyed a unique experience, which included touring the circuit and the Ferrari garage and meeting the official Ferrari pilota before the race and, of course, following their heroic podium finishes. As a conclusion to the thrilling weekend, journalists were invited to test drive their Prancing Horse of choice from Maranello’s current vehicle line-up.

Above: the number 50 499P hypercar campaigns into the night at Le Mans. It would emerge victorious the following morning

Finally, the weekend was the venue for the launch of the exclusive Maranello Clutch, inspired by the iconic silhouettes of Ferrari cars. Available in the racing heritage colours of Rosso Scuderia and Blu, these bags, made in Ferrari’s Maranello factory, were surely the ultimate accessory for the Le Mans weekend.

This year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the run-up to the race, was always going to be a thrilling experience for Ferrari drivers, customers and fans alike. But with the grand victory of the number 50 499P, and the third-place podium finish for the number 51 car, a great weekend became an epic one. Bring on Le Mans 2025.

20 giugno, 2024