The first glimpse at the new race car is provided by a teaser video.
Ferrari will be returning to Le Mans in order to compete for the Hypercar class. Although the Italian automaker had announced its return in February 2021 it is only now that we have a glimpse of the new race car. Ferrari released a single teaser image, which shows very little about the car.
The image shows two pairs of light elements, one of which is thin and the other is a strip of red. This strips sits between a yellow Ferrari badge as well as a silver prancing horse. The photo was taken in Photoshop. No changes were made to the levels. Ferrari is a master at teasing a vehicle. Although we don’t know much about Ferraris new race car yet, the all-wheel drive racer will be equipped with a hybrid powertrain.
Ferrari has announced that the hypercar will be starting its development tests within the next few weeks in preparation for entering the FIA World Endurance Championship 2023. In just over a year the marquee will be back on the famous track for the first time in 50-years. The last Ferrari race in 1973 was June 10, which is today. It is expected that testing will begin in July. Next year’s race will not be the last.
Many automakers have prepared to field cars at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Ferrari LMH will compete against the Cadillac GTP Hypercar. Yesterday, it announced its LMDh-class vehicle. The hybrid system combines a 5.5-liter dual overhead-cam V8 and a hybrid unit. Lamborghini and Acura are also in the process of preparing vehicles.
Porsche is currently working on its own entry and we’ve seen it at work . Although the German brand teased it in late 2020, there has not been any official announcement. Porsche’s LMDh racecar reportedly combines a twin-turbo V8 and a hybrid component.
It can be confusing to understand the different classes – LMH and LMDh as well as GTP. The US IMSA combined LMH with LMDh to create a single class, called GTP (video above). The two classes are distinct in Europe but can compete with each other. Technical regulations for LMH and LMDh were developed by the ACO, FIA and IMSA.
Ferrari did not say when the race car would debut but testing will begin in a few weeks so we may get a glimpse before Ferrari. We are excited for Ferrari’s return to racing, and even more excited to see how it does. Only Toyotas and Peugeot have LMH cars that look like Ferrari so far.