FERRARI ANNOUNCES THE START OF THE LE MANS HYPERCAR (LMH) PROGRAMME THAT FROM 2023 WILL SEE THE MANUFACTURER ENTER THE NEW TOP CLASS OF THE FIA WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP
Maranello, 24 Feb. 2021.– Following a period of study and analysis, Ferrari has kicked off the development of the new LMH car to include in recent weeks the design and simulation phases. The track testing programme, the name of the car and the drivers who will make up the official crews, will be part of future announcements.
Fifty years after its last official participation in the premier class of the World Sports Car Championship in 1973, Ferrari will take to the track in the Hypercar class of the FIA World Endurance Championship, which it proactively helped to establish. It has a respectable record in closed-wheel competition with 24 world titles (most recently in 2017) and 36 victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Ferrari President John Elkann commented: “In over 70 years of racing, on tracks all over the world, we led our closed-wheel cars to victory by exploring cutting-edge technological solutions: innovations that arise from the track and make every road car produced in Maranello extraordinary. With the new Le Mans Hypercar programme, Ferrari once again asserts its sporting commitment and determination to be a protagonist in the major global motorsport events”.
The new challenge ahead for Competizioni GT consists of three simple letters, LMH. They represent Ferrari’s quest to be in the top class of the World Endurance Championship by 2023, fifty years after the 312 PB’s last race in the World Sportscar Championship.
Antonello Coletta, Head of Ferrari Attività Sportive GT, believes that the Maranello marque could once again fight for overall victories in races such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans or the premier class title.
“Today’s announcement confirms Ferrari’s commitment to the world of endurance racing and completes a journey that began in 2006 when we returned to this activity, which then led us to create Competizioni GT”, commented Coletta. “Since then, we have brought the Prancing Horse cars back to winning ways as seen by our world titles and victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. We firmly believe in endurance and the announcement of our return to the top class of the FIA WEC, a championship of which Ferrari is one of the founders alongside the FIA and the ACO, is payback for our efforts and hard work of recent years. There is great enthusiasm and desire to face this new, demanding but at the same time exciting challenge”.
Ferrari’s return to the top class in the FIA World Endurance Championship from 2023 has been greeted with enthusiasm by leading figures in the endurance world.
Jean Todt, FIA President: “The announcement of Ferrari’s commitment to the FIA World Endurance Championship with a Le Mans Hypercar entry from 2023 is great news for the FIA, the ACO and the wider world of motorsport. I believe in the concept of road-relevant Hypercars competing in the FIA WEC and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. I’m looking forward to seeing this legendary brand taking on this ambitious project.”
Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest: “Today is a great day for endurance racing: Ferrari is coming back to the top level, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the FIA World Endurance Championship. The Hypercar field promises some epic battles. Alongside Ferrari, In 2023, many manufacturers who have already joined us are sure to pull out all the stops to win the race in its centenary year. This is excellent news for a discipline whose rule base forms a solid foundation on which to build a bright future.”
Richard Mille, President of the FIA Endurance Commission: “We took a lot of risks developing the Le Mans Hypercar concept, and a lot of effort and perseverance went into defining the regulations so that they capture the spirit of what we wanted LMH to be, and that is to allow for various philosophies in terms of technical approaches and aesthetics of the cars. Today we can be satisfied with the achieved results, with Ferrari joining other renowned brands. Ferrari has a long and prestigious record in sportscar racing, most recently winning the FIA World Endurance GT Manufacturers’ Championship but also taking multiple overall victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Although there’s still a lot of work to be done, we’re already witnessing history being made and in few years’ time the FIA WEC grid should be the strongest ever.”
Frédéric Lequien, CEO of the FIA WEC: “The news that Ferrari is set to join the new Hypercar category is simply amazing. What’s even more incredible is that Ferrari will join at least five other manufacturers to compete in the WEC’s top-tier category from 2023 – the scene is set for an unforgettable period in endurance racing history. We are delighted that our new regulations have attracted so many prestigious automotive brands. Ferrari is a prestigious marque which is synonymous with Hypercar, so I have no doubt that they will be be extremely competitive out on track – we are honoured to welcome Ferrari back to the top class of endurance racing”.
Source: Ferrari
Photograph: Ferrari
