WEC Bahrain
Ferrari "ready" to support customer Hypercar entry in WEC 2024
Ferrari is considering supplying its 499P Le Mans Hypercar to a customer team in the World Endurance Championship as early as 2024.
Rachit Thukral
Edited: Nov 4, 2023, 9:12 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Antonello Coletta, the boss of Ferrari's sportscar programme, stated that the Italian manufacturer is now in a position to expand its WEC hypercar programme beyond its two factory cars.
Such an effort would receive technical support from Ferrari, which has repeatedly stated that the 499P is too complicated to run completely independent of the factory.
If the plan comes to fruition it would make Ferrari the first LMH marque to make its car available to a privateer team.
"We are now going for the potential third car," Coletta said on the eve of the-season ending Bahrain 8 Hours. "We consider that our knowledge is okay to manage another car.
"I don't know if we will have a third car but we are ready to make another car.
"If we will have the condition for next year it should be an option. But it's not confirmed if it will be 2024 or 2025."
Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images
#51 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi
Coletta made it clear that Ferrari intends on completing the full season with the third car, rather than simply boosting its entry for the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Two of Ferrari's premier class rivals, Cadillac and Porsche, brought additional cars to La Sarthe this year.
"If we consider a third car it will be for all the year, not just for Le Mans. there is no interest for us to manage just for one race the third car," Coletta added.
It has been suggested that a third car effort could be fronted by AF Corse, Ferrari's current partner team in WEC, with backing from watchmaker Richard Mille.
AF Corse is already well versed with the 499P LMH car, making it the ideal team to run a customer car programme.
Asked if AF Corse could be behind the planned customer car effort, Coletta said: "Depends on the circumstance. If AF Corse have a budget it should be the idea to manage it with AF Corse.
"In any case we need to manage all the engine parts and all the electronic parts but this is normal like in F1 like with a customer team."
Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images
#51 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi
One of the two drivers who will drive Ferrari's hypercar in the Bahrain rookie test is Lilou Wadoux, who is competing with the AF Corse-run Richard Mille team in GTE Am after joining Ferrari's factory GT roster at the start of the year.
Wadoux also has prototype experience thanks to a season in the LMP2 ranks, also with Richard Mille, plus a test outing with Toyota exactly 12 months ago at the Bahrain International Circuit.
When questioned if Richard Mille could have an involvement in the potential third car entry, Coletta said: "At the moment it should be an option but not confirmed absolutely.
"I would like to clarify that if Lilou Wadoux and Robert Shwartzman will be in the rookie test it's because [they are] our official drivers for Ferrari and it's normal we organise a rookie test with our drivers.
"But it's completely separate [from] the hypothetical third car with them."
Porsche is currently the only manufacturer selling its cars to customers in WEC, but its 963 is built to the less-complex LMDh rules.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article WEC Bahrain: Hartley beats Toyota team-mate Kobayashi to pole
Next article Hartley: Toyota put extra emphasis on qualifying for Bahrain WEC showdown
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Rachit Thukral
MotoGP riders say 850cc bikes will be less physical and more fun to ride
MotoGP
MotoGP
Indonesian GP
4 h
MotoGP riders say 850cc bikes will be less physical and more fun to ride
Gresini: New MotoGP rules won't increase gap between factory and satellite teams
MotoGP
MotoGP
Indonesian GP
Gresini: New MotoGP rules won't increase gap between factory and satellite teams
More from
Ferrari
Ferrari promotes F2 racer to F1 reserve driver role
Formula 1
Formula 1
Singapore GP
Ferrari promotes F2 racer to F1 reserve driver role
The six drivers doing double duty in Portimao GTWCE and Barcelona WEC this weekend
WEC
WEC
Barcelona
The six drivers doing double duty in Portimao GTWCE and Barcelona WEC this weekend
Latest news
Colton Herta “maybe underestimated the difference” from IndyCar – F2 boss
FIA F2
F2 FIA F2 1 h
Colton Herta “maybe underestimated the difference” from IndyCar – F2 boss
WEC Barcelona: Genesis secures maiden series pole from Toyota
WEC
WEC WEC
Barcelona
2 h
WEC Barcelona: Genesis secures maiden series pole from Toyota
Five-time IndyCar champion, first-time Indy NXT driver: Alex Palou tops IMS road course test
Indy NXT
IndL Indy NXT 3 h
Five-time IndyCar champion, first-time Indy NXT driver: Alex Palou tops IMS road course test
Gabriel Bortoleto on Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar's F1 success: 'Let's see where we are in 20 years'
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Singapore GP
4 h
Gabriel Bortoleto on Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar's F1 success: 'Let's see where we are in 20 years'
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe