Ferrari 499P: Maranello is back in the WEC top class, here is the LMH Endurance

Ferrari 499P is the name of the prancing horse weapon for the new Le Mans Hypercar, a prototype with which Ferrari returns to participate in the FIA ​​WEC endurance world championship in the premier class. It will debut in 2023 and is a riot of citations: it arrives 50 years after the last participation in 1973, it will carry the number 50 and will be lined up together with a second car with the number 51, one of the most winning number ever.

The name is also a clear quote: 499 indicates the unit displacement of the engine (2,994 cc for this 3-liter V-shaped), while the letter P distinguishes the Maranello prototypes. His task? Bringing the team back to victory after 22 world titles and 9 victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The first appointment on the track for the Ferrari 499P, spiritual heir to the 312 PB of the seventies, will be at Sebring, the circuit where the hypercar will unleash the 500 kW in the race for the first time, resulting from the collaboration between the 6-cylinder twin-turbo thermal engine and the electric motor. .

Created at the beginning of the seventies for the world sport prototypes and named 312 PB to distinguish it from the model “without the B” of 1969, the last Ferrari car to participate in the premier class of the endurance championship weighed less than 700 kw, proposed a tubular chassis reinforced with aluminum panels and was propelled by a flat V-12 cylinder with 3.0-liter displacement and 460 hp mounted in a longitudinal center position. The top speed was 320 km / h.

It is a car built from a blank sheet, but the architecture could not fail to take advantage of the innovations already seen recently in the Ferrari world, even on the road as the manufacturer has always brought technical innovations from the track to the road. In this case, the 6-cylinder sports the same enlarged V, with a 120 ° angle, where the two turbos are placed between the banks in a similar way to what was seen on the 296 GTB

It is clear that with the 499P, presented in Imola by Ferdinando Cannizzo for the technical part (Head of Ferrari GT Track Car Development), we find ourselves with a completely different engine, albeit similar in architecture. Being a racing prototype, here the six-cylinder in a central position assumes a load-bearing function and has been redesigned in all its components given the power involved.

Ferrari 499P delivers one maximum ground power of 680 hp (500 kW, regulation limit) thanks to the twin-turbo V6 derived from the road version and the ERS, the hybrid powertrain, can count on energy recovery and a maximum power of 200 kW (272 hp). The electrical system works on 900 Volt.

The power unit consists of a battery positioned behind the driver and under the tank: this derives strictly from the collaboration with colleagues from Formula 1. Finally, the electric front axle consists of an electric motor, differential and single-ratio transmission, allowing then the 499P to travel with all-wheel drive above the speed defined by the category regulations (developed by the FIA ​​and ACO).

Thanks to the concession of the regulation, which sets fixed poles but allows the car to be developed at 100%, Ferrari has chosen to produce an LMH (acronym Le Mans Hypercar). The regulation requires a hybrid engine, all-wheel drive, single tire (Michelin) and a minimum weight of no less than 1,030 kg, but leaves room for the technicians to create on the proverbial white sheet respecting these stakes.

Ferrari stated that the development of the new LMH from Endurance was done in order to ensure balanced behavior, obtaining maximum performance with the qualifying tire, but allowing the car to work well even on worn tires given the needs of the championship. To date, more than 12,000 kilometers of tests have been carried out, and the program is moving towards completion with the final phase of fine-tuning and integration of the various systems.

Among the technologies, in addition to the aerodynamic attention, we find a monocoque frame in carbon fiber, suspension with overlapping triangles of the push-rod type perfectly integrated with the design of the nock and brake-by-wire brake system with energy recovery. Inside, the cockpit is designed to have all the controls as close as possible to the driver and to minimize distractions, as well as ensure the best visibility at night: to do this, simulator tests with all the official drivers were necessary. , collecting the feedback and then drawing the final positioning of the various elements.

Ferrari’s plans for the 499P foresee participation in the World Endurance Championship in 2023 with the two cars number 50 and number 51. After the first year, also useful for Maranello to take measures against certainly fierce competitors (Toyota and Porsche those with more experience ), the house will decide if and with what numbers to open the program also to private teams with Sporting Clients.

For private customers, on the other hand, there will be a program in 2023 that will bring Ferrari fans close to the 499P by participating in experiences in contact with teams and drivers, days on the track and a program with hospitality.