[WEC] Ferrari Hypercar Discussion

[PascaLM]

The global shape makes me thinking about the F50. I think it will look good with its war paints.

[Bcarr6]

Ferrari saying they expect to pick the LMH drivers out of the current roster of 9 GT factory drivers who are Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Miguel Molina, Antonio Fuoco, Davide Rigon, Nicklas Nielsen, Daniel Serra, Alessio Rovera and Andrea Bertolini.

Pretty solid lineup to choose from but hard to cut 3 guys there. I’d imagine Nielsen, Rovera and Fuoco are safe bets for seats

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by Bcarr6

Ferrari saying they expect to pick the LMH drivers out of the current roster of 9 GT factory drivers who are Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Miguel Molina, Antonio Fuoco, Davide Rigon, Nicklas Nielsen, Daniel Serra, Alessio Rovera and Andrea Bertolini.

Pretty solid lineup to choose from but hard to cut 3 guys there. I’d imagine Nielsen, Rovera and Fuoco are safe bets for seats

Bertolini will be 49 before next season starts - so I'd assume he's not saddling up for a hypercar programme. Massive experience and knowledge however so a good person to get into the car early on.

Rigon's presence too kinda says it was about guys who were available (i.e. not in Monza). He's another, if I had to guess, who won't be involved beyond the testing phase.

[Simmi]

https://twitter.com/PREMA_Team/statu...42609184280578

Robert Shwartzman was in the Monza paddock today. If Ferrari wanted to keep it in the family AND have downforce experience/youth then maybe he's a possible guy?

[gert]

Originally Posted by Simmi

https://twitter.com/PREMA_Team/statu...42609184280578

Robert Shwartzman was in the Monza paddock today. If Ferrari wanted to keep it in the family AND have downforce experience/youth then maybe he's a possible guy?

He's still a Ferrari junior I think. So, why not?

[Bcarr6]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Bertolini will be 49 before next season starts - so I'd assume he's not saddling up for a hypercar programme. Massive experience and knowledge however so a good person to get into the car early on.

Rigon's presence too kinda says it was about guys who were available (i.e. not in Monza). He's another, if I had to guess, who won't be involved beyond the testing phase.

I agree on Rigon for sure, he’s a solid GT driver but don’t think he’s quite Hypercar material. I’d imagine Calado and maybe Pier Guidi are the experienced heads for the program with Fuoco, Rovera, Nielsen a solid trio of younger guns to add. Then the last seat I think is Molina vs Serra, but love the idea of Shwartzmann too.

That’s just my unsubstantiated guessing anyway!

[Ferrari333SP]

Have to say, the engine note sound of this thing is pretty bland/not cool

[joeb]

There is a video in this story of the Ferrari testing.

https://www.motor1.com/news/597754/f...ases-race-car/


Hold on, what I should have said that there were occasional glimpses of a car while we saw images of the sky, some buildings, and people watching the car. And it sounds like a fast tractor.

sent during haircut

[Mike E]

Sounds a bit like a 296 GT3. Hmmm....

https://youtu.be/Fn2G2MsKda0

[hondafan37]

Ferrari was testing again today at Imola.

https://www.instagram.com/stories/le...9161305/?hl=es

[S griffin]

Shows they are getting more and more serious. Will be so good to see them in the series, especially with so many other big manufacturers coming in too, like BMW

[Sodemo]

How are they going to balance LMH with LMDh? Is the bias balance going to favour LMH?

[Mike E]

No, the performance should be equalised. There is no way Porsche, BMW, Alpine or Lamborghini would consider a WEC entry if they knew they were already beaten.

[hondafan37]

https://lat.motorsport.com/wec/news/...eSGWJTvCRCsXIE

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Mike E

No, the performance should be equalised. There is no way Porsche, BMW, Alpine or Lamborghini would consider a WEC entry if they knew they were already beaten.

As time goes on they get better and better at this too.

They can equalize a GT or a prototype grid to better than LMP2 which is effectively one make.

It’s never going to be perfect so great for internet moaning. but I reckon they’ll do a decent job considering.

[Akrapovic]

Ferrari: We can't do strategy for 90 minute races

Also Ferrari: Let's go endurance racing.

I, for one, am looking forward to this.

[Sodemo]

Originally Posted by Mike E

No, the performance should be equalised. There is no way Porsche, BMW, Alpine or Lamborghini would consider a WEC entry if they knew they were already beaten.

If building an LMH is much more costly, why would anyone do that over LMDh if performance is going to be totally equal?

[J Jay]

Originally Posted by Mike E

No, the performance should be equalised. There is no way Porsche, BMW, Alpine or Lamborghini would consider a WEC entry if they knew they were already beaten.

Setting aside the racing mantra of "first to finish...," they would if it was the only way to race at, and therefore win, Le Mans. Having said that, I think the ACO have learned their lesson with performance balancing from the LMP1 hybrid era, and not taking the upcoming influx of manufacturer entries for granted.

Originally Posted by Sodemo

If building an LMH is much more costly, why would anyone do that over LMDh if performance is going to be totally equal?

Different priorities for different manufacturers. In Ferrari's case, the LMH decision was at least partially a move to retain skilled staff in light of the F1 budget cap. For Toyota (and Ferrari itself, to a lesser extent) they want to demonstrate their technology and retain control over the major decisions.

[S griffin]

I am sure the ACO will get the balance right, without overdoing it. They have a lot going with these new rules. They already have enough manufacturers

Of course the manufacturers are in it for different reasons. I wonder if Ferrari will get another team to help run their project? Toyota I'm sure will continue as they are, but will need to watch out. I'm sure their main priority is to win

[J Jay]

They've switched from Michelotto to Oreca for the 296 GT3, perhaps to free up the former to run the LMH program. However, I think they'd have the staff to do it in-house if they wanted to.

[Mike E]

AF Course will be running the Ferrari cars

https://www.ferrari.com/en-EN/compet...-lmh-programme

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

If building an LMH is much more costly, why would anyone do that over LMDh if performance is going to be totally equal?

Ferrari because they were not allowed to rebadge an LMP2 chassis as theirs or make it in house. They want that chassis plate desperately for sales of used cars to collectors to stash in a garage for 20 years and look at. See nearly all of Risi's cars over the years, most had been purchased by a collector to get racing pedigree and parked after

[TF110]

Ferrari do things in-house and they like to tout that. No surprise to me theyre doing hypercar instead of lmdh. AFCorse running them is a wise decision because they are rooted in endurance, they have that experience. Sounds like a win-win. I also like the idea of keeping their hypercar drivers busy in the new 296 GT3.

[Matador]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

Ferrari: We can't do strategy for 90 minute races

Also Ferrari: Let's go endurance racing.

I, for one, am looking forward to this.

[hondafan37]

Is the Ferrari LMH 2023 testing in Algarve? the rear looks different now...


https://www.reddit.com/r/wec/comment...eb2x&context=3