The history of motorsport comprises names, cars and manufacturers that have starred on the public’s favourite stages. Ferrari and Le Mans represent the pinnacles of a red thread that returns to the top class of endurance racing after half a century. The Prancing Horse will line up for the Centenary 24 Hours of Le Mans with two 499Ps. Ferrari – AF Corse compete in round four of the FIA WEC 2023, fielding the number 50 Hypercar, crewed by Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen, and the number 51 car with Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi.
The “race of races”, the event staged on France’s La Sarthe circuit, with its 13.626 kilometres and 38 turns that are part of motor racing legend, lies at the heart of the FIA World Endurance Championship season. After the pole position debut at Sebring and the Portimão and Spa-Francorchamps rounds, the series of three races concluded with three podiums and confidence in a reliable and competitive car. Ferrari comes to France to continue on this positive path, with results equalling and surpassing its targets, continuing to gain experience as a team in its debut season with the Hypercar. The Maranello marque is second in the Manufacturers’ standings, 33 points ahead of Toyota, heading into the event with the most points at stake. The winning car receives 50 points.
After a test day on Sunday, 4 June, with two free practice sessions, on Wednesday, 7 June, Free Practice 1 runs from 2 p.m., qualifying from 7 p.m., and Free Practice 2 from 10 p.m. On Thursday 8, after Free Practice 3, from 3 p.m., the eight fastest qualifiers will take part in the Hyperpole from 8 p.m. The day will end with a fourth free practice session from 10 p.m. You can follow the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which kicks off at 4 p.m. on Saturday, 10 June, live from the drivers’ perspective on Ferrari’s ‘YouTube’ channel, courtesy of the onboard cameras on both 499Ps.
Ferrari fans can also follow the race via the Ferrari Museum in Maranello with packages for the public that combine traditional activities with the possibility of watching the race live – from the start until midnight on Saturday 10 and from 9 a.m. to the chequered flag on Sunday 11 June. Details on the ferrari.com/it-IT/museums website.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is also synonymous with community and all-around excitement. That's why Ferrari is offering its passionate customers several initiatives to follow the race and experience 24 hours of pure adrenaline. For the occasion, all European dealer network will open their doors to their loyal customers for 24 hours of event in which they will follow the race immersed in the heart of the Ferraristi community enjoying the local and dedicated entertainment offered by the dealerships.
Antonello Coletta, Global Head of Endurance and Corse Clienti: “Lining up for the Centenary 24 Hours of Le Mans is the point of departure for a project, supported by the entire company, that sees Ferrari return to the top class after half a century. The last few months have seen our entire team working hard ahead of this event, which has finally arrived. Now it’s time to take our 499Ps out on track at the circuit that embodies the essence of endurance racing more than any other in the world. After the first three successful races in the FIA WEC 2023, where our Hypercars proved reliable and competitive, we will maintain a humble approach, well aware of the level of our competitors. However, we come to the 24 Hours ambitious to secure a podium place. The team spirit, drivers and the entire team that has been with us since the early stages of this project also give us confidence going into the historic Le Mans 2023 event”.
Ferdinando Cannizzo, Head of Endurance Race Cars: “Only a few months ago, this event seemed so far off and yet, in the blink of an eye, here we are on the eve of the most popular and eagerly anticipated race in the endurance racing world. For us, the 24 Hours of Le Mans will have a special flavour as we return to the top class 50 years since our last appearance, and we do so on the centenary of this historic race. We approached the preparation for this 24 Hours, round four of the FIA WEC, with our usual humility, confident that we could have a good race thanks to the dedication and efforts of the entire team, despite the car and the team’s lack of experience to date. We have carefully reviewed all the races run so far, trying to learn from the mistakes made, identifying and working on areas for improvement, and evaluating setups and strategies in the simulator. Reliability will be crucial in this race, especially for us, and we will need to pay close attention to every detail in preparing the 499P for the race. It has been months of highly intense work, and now we can’t wait to start.”