Ferrari is eyeing a efficiency improve of its Le Mans 24 Hours-winning 499P that would come on stream earlier than the top of this yr’s World Endurance Championship.
Ferdinando Cannizzo, technical director of Ferrari’s sportscar operations, said earlier than and after it retained its Le Mans crown final weekend that the Italian producer is seeking to exploit the evo joker guidelines that govern automotive growth within the Hypercar class.
He defined that no timeline has been set for what stays an unspecified revision to the Ferrari Le Mans Hypercar and that it’d come as late as the beginning of subsequent season.
“We’re occupied with introducing a joker this yr or subsequent yr,” Cannizzo mentioned between the Le Mans Take a look at Day and the beginning of working throughout race week.
“We have not made any choice but, however we’re additional creating this joker as a result of we have recognized areas for enchancment.”
After the race, Cannizzo conceded that Toyota, with which it battled for the victory final weekend, was the quicker automotive in moist and blended circumstances however that the Ferrari “was extra aggressive within the dry”.
“We all know the areas we wish to enhance,” he mentioned.
“We must be rather more aggressive in all circumstances — this race is an ideal lesson for us.”
Race winner #50 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, Nicklas Nielsen
Picture by: Emanuele Clivati | AG Picture
Ferrari has to this point but to make use of one of many 5 evo jokers efficiency upgrades allowed to a producer over the lifespan of a LMH or LMDh prototype.
It said on the finish of final yr that it was evaluating introducing one for 2024, however confirmed forward of the season-opener in Qatar in March that it had opted in opposition to bringing one on stream.
Cannizzo said pre-Qatar that it was vital that Ferrari first “exploit the potential of the bottom automotive”
“Earlier than we apply for any jokers we need to perceive the last word efficiency of our automotive,” he mentioned.
A producer should apply to the WEC rule makers, the FIA and the Car Membership de l’Ouest, to have the ability to take one of many evo jokers out there to it.
The take-up of evo jokers isn’t within the public area and isn’t shared by the FIA and the ACO with the producers.
It’s not identified, for instance, what number of have been utilized by Toyota for its revisions to the GR010 HYBRID LMH for the 2022 and ’23 seasons or by Peugeot for its remodeling of the 9X8 LMH for ’23 after which this yr.
