Ferrari will return to Le Mans for the first time in 50 years next year, with a prototype hypercar currently testing on its track in Italy.
Spotted in a camouflaged livery, the Le Mans challenger has been lapping the Ferrari-owned Fiorano Circuit, with Antonella Coletta, head of Competizioni GT, exclaiming: “We are proud of what we have achieved”.
His comments come as the Italian marque released a new preview image, showing off the look of the LMH-class racer, but still without giving much away. Last month, the car maker confirmed the project with another teaser image captioned “the countdown is on” ahead of the 2023 endurance race.
Speaking to Autocar, Coletta said that the pressure was on Ferrari immediately to win at Le Mans. In 2023, “our dream is to win”, he said, “but unfortunately, that’ll be the dream of the other competitors! First of all, we need the best car and the best solutions, but the target from the first race is the victory, of course.”
Confirming the car had been in development for 18 months, he added: “Coming with a prototype was a dream, but now it’s a reality. Our next dream is an overall win, with the best technology we can put on the track. We have pressure but we have a good staff who work well. Ferrari has a massive pressure every day. This is another important challenge we have, but we’re ready for this.”
Coletta said Ferrari was drawn to the new LMH category of Le Mans and sports car racing, where it will compete alongside the likes of Toyota and Peugeot, because the open regulations allowed it to build all the major components in the car, including the chassis, engine, gearbox, suspension and electronics.
LMH cars will also be able to compete against the LMDh cars that BMW and Porsche are developing, rules that include far more spec parts, but balance of performance regulations will allow LMDh and LMH cars to race at the front of the Le Mans grid, a race Ferrari last won outright in 1965.
“We need to fight together, and the main thing for me is the stability of the rules,” said Coletta. “The key to success is the rules of the championship. We’re confident for this that the rules will be consistent for this championship and will be a very good base. It’s the first time we’re all together.”