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Added on the 16/03/2023 05:26:24 - Copyright : Auto Moto EN
After an FIA WEC race, the Ferrari 499Ps return to Italy where each car undergoes meticulous inspections and fine-tuning in preparation for the next race. At the headquarters of racing partner AF Corse, the preparation of a hybrid hypercar consists of six main stages which, in addition to assembly and numerous checks, include the fire-up and bodywork scanning. A team effort, where the engineers’ data collection, the mechanics’ expertise and the use of advanced tools converge to achieve the ultimate synthesis.
If a racing car’s engine is what most excites enthusiasts, the hybrid powertrain of the Ferrari 499P, the Prancing Horse’s Le Mans Hypercar, is no exception. The Prancing Horse’s Le Mans Hypercar uses innovative technologies to extract the best performance from the combination of an internal combustion engine and an electric unit, the latter on the front axle. This allows the Hypercar to benefit from four-wheel drive in the situations specified in the FIA World Endurance Championship regulations.The Internal Combustion Engine on the rear axle and the Energy Recovery System are two “souls” that enable the 499P to deliver a total maximum power output of around 700 horsepower (515 kW), within the regulatory limits. In the Le Mans Hypercar, the electric unit, when braking, works as an alternative to or with the front brake discs to slow down the 499P, while when accelerating, ERS’s major benefit is the ability to activate 4WD.
The Ferrari 499P of Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen finished second at the 6 Hours of Portimão, the first European round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The sixth place of the other Prancing Horse Hypercar, driven by Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi, rounded off the weekend. Ferrari said goodbye to Portugal after achieving the target of finishing with both cars entered in the top class.The race took place in dry conditions and temperatures of over 27°C. The number 50 car was consistently at the top of the standings, with the Danish driver taking the first stint at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. Molina consolidated second place in the middle section before handing the wheel to his Italian teammate, who crossed the chequered flag one lap behind the number 8 Toyota.
The FIA World Endurance Championship season got underway at Sebring International Raceway which hosted the two-day Prologue featuring four Ferrari 488 GTEs. The tests, in which the 499Ps in the Hypercar category also took part, anticipate the 1000 Miles, the first round of the championship which will be contested on Friday, 17 March on the 6.019 kilometre American track.
499P is the name of the new Le Mans Hypercar with which Ferrari will tackle the FIA WEC World Endurance Championship in the elite class from 2023, a name evoking the history of the Prancing Horse manufacturer. In the past, prototypes were identified by the letter ‘P’, frequently preceded by the number of the engine’s unitary displacement. The 499P is no exception. The car is an outcome of a vision proudly rooted in the past, that gave rise to the legend of today, enabling the company to achieve 22 world titles and 9 overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Nevertheless, it has its sights set firmly on the future, both in terms of the technical and design content that the prototype features. The livery, with which the 499P will debut at the forthcoming 1000 Miles of Sebring, includes a revived version of the renowned 312 P colour scheme from the 1970s, which also visually underscores the historical connections interrupted 50 years ago, but that have remained ever present in the brand’s essence. For this reason, one of the Maranello-entered endurance cars will be adorned with the number 50, while the other will bear the number 51, one of the most successful ever. The official line-up of who will race the #499p will be the subject of future communications.
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