She has already entered history. Thursday evening, an Italian driver Antonio Fuoco took first place in the 91st issue 24 Hours of Le Mans driving Ferrari 499P by making a stopwatch 3:22.989, an average of almost 242 km/h. This is the first time that Ferrari has started in the lead at Sarti since 1973.

Ferrari’s participation in the first category of the 24 Hours is an event in itself. The Scuderia left Sart half a century ago: Maranello, who had been struggling in Formula 1, decided to focus on single-seaters. Those with a good memory still remember the Ferrari 333SP of the 1990s, which benefited from the friendliness of the seat without being a factory project. Remember that Ferrari won the classics nine times. The last time was in 1965.

Bold hypercar

Ferrari arrives at Le Mans with a brand new and extremely elegant weapon. It is called 499, as a unit of displacement in cc, and “P” for Prototipo, like the famous Ferrari Le Mans in the 1960s. It was designed by a group of about thirty engineers under the direction of Ferdinando Cannizzo. The development was carried out outside the Formula 1 department. The time was very tight. The car completed its first laps in July 2022 at the private Fiorano circuit in Italy, and then made its competition debut in March during the 1000 miles of Sebring in the United States.

The first outputs showed that the productivity is there. From the first official outing, Ferrari made its signature first pole position (already thanks to the house hunter for chrono, Antonio Fuoco). Since then, the Scuderia has won the podium three times, but has also suffered some fledgling problems, particularly with the hybrid system. To this is now added pole position at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and a new record in the Hypercar category.

Let’s start with the technical characteristics. It is about a carbon monocoque – this is a classic – compliance with the regulations LMHthat is, about a Le Mans hypercar. This means that the engineers were given a lot of freedom when designing this car. Limitation: Stay within the drag/downforce ratio set by the rules.

The heart of a vehicle is its engine. He takes architecture 3-liter twin-turbo V6 from the standard Ferrari 296 GTB. Attention, this is not quite the block: here is the motor carrier, that is, it is subject to all the limitations of the chassis and track. Therefore, Ferrari has strengthened the materials compared to the road engine.
Feature : The “V” opens 120°, which allows you to lower the car’s center of gravity and insert peripherals into the freed space. The area of ​​the engine is reduced, which gives more freedom to the aerodynamics. At the same time, the feed is also the most spectacular part of the machine XXL double diffuser and these large lateral fins.

Besides, Ferrari designed it proprietary hybrid systemd. It is located on the front wheels. It recovers energy during braking and can redistribute it during acceleration. THE electric motor – located right in front of the pilot’s feet – can develop up to 270 hp, from 190 km/h. The 800 volt battery is located behind the cab. Please note: the total thermal + electric power can never exceed the normative 700 hp.

Up to 343 km/h

One of the secrets of the 499P can be read on the screens: it is its maximum speed.

During the 6 hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the car was by far the fastest in sectors 1 and 3, including Raidillon, the climb to Kemmel or the fast return to Blanchimont. And during the first 24-hour tests, Ferrari n°50 accelerated on the first section of the Hunodere track at a speed of more than 343 km/h. “When you see the GPS tracks, you get the impression that the Ferrari is equipped with DRS,” joked a rival driver we met in the paddock. What to settle for the Scuderia?

Technical director Ferdinando Cannizzo does not resort to self-discipline:

In other words, the 499P can improve the availability of parts in the event of a problem, the team can increase the speed of intervention. Remember that the car is driven by the AF Corse team, so a different team to the F1 team.

tire eater

The Scuderia must also learn this manage the tires well. The settings used so far have resulted in the Michelins suffering more, especially at the rear, than the Toyota GR010 or Cadillac V.Series R, which have much softer rubber. Calm down your tifosi friends. The Le Mans circuit is not very demanding in this matter. There are not many turns, the track is not as abrasive as, for example, in Portimao, so the car has less to suffer from this gluttony of the tires than elsewhere.

Ferrari is hiring this year two cars. On one of them we find Antonio Giovinazzi, a former Alfa Romeo driver in F1. for Auto Morehe details the strategy adopted by Ferrari during the 24 hours:

If Ferrari succeeds, victory will be close…

Read also

• Ferrari: A factory dedicated to electric models is planned for 2024
• 24 Hours of Le Mans: an exceptional auction
• 24 Hours of Le Mans: an exceptional auction