Ferrari could bring a third 499P as a customer car to the 2024 WEC – What the Italians are considering and who could be a possible driver
Ferrari could supply a customer team as early as the 2024 WEC season, i.e. earlier than originally planned. Antonello Coletta, head of the sports car program at Ferrari, reveals that the Italians would be prepared to expand the WEC program beyond the two factory cars from AF Corse
However, this would require extensive technical support from the manufacturer, as the Ferrari 499P is apparently too complicated to run completely independently of the factory. Should these plans come to fruition, the Italians would be the first manufacturer to deliver a Le Mans hypercar to a customer team.
“We are now aiming for a possible third car,” confirms Coletta. “We believe that our knowledge is sufficient to support another car. If we have the conditions next year, that should be an option. But it is not confirmed whether it will be 2024 or 2025. “
AF Corse with an additional customer car?
What is certain, however, is that it would be a year-round commitment and not a reinforcement for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as Porsche and Cadillac have demonstrated this year. “If we consider a third car, it would be for the whole year, not just for Le Mans,” Coletta clarifies. “We have no interest in using the third car for just one race.”
The greatest difficulty would be to find a competent customer team to run the Ferrari 499P. One conceivable solution would therefore be for AF Corse to step in as an additional customer team. The Italian team is also responsible for the works entry and has the necessary experience with the LMH racing car.
“If AF Corse has a budget, then the idea should be to implement it with AF Corse,” says Coletta, still cautious. With the support of watch manufacturer Richard Mille, it might be possible to raise the necessary budget for a customer deployment.
“In any case, we have to manage all the engine parts and all the electronic parts, but that’s quite normal, as with a customer team in Formula 1,” says the head of the Ferrari sports car program, giving an insight into the planning.
Wadoux and Shwartzman in the customer Ferrari?
There is also already speculation about a possible driver line-up. Two strong Ferrari drivers, Lilou Wadoux and Robert Shwartzman, took part in the WEC rookie test and could be considered for a hypercar commitment.
Wadoux started this year for AF Corse in the GTE-Am class of the WEC, while former Formula 1 test driver Shwartzman competed with the Italians in the GT World Challenge. The Israeli-born driver impressed in the rookie test and secured the fastest time.
Wadoux also already has experience in a hypercar: last year she had the opportunity to test the Toyota GR010 Hybrid, this year the Frenchwoman got into the Ferrari 499P for the first time.
Coletta does not want to commit herself to the driver issue: “I would like to make it clear that Lilou Wadoux and Robert Shwartzman are taking part in the rookie test because they are our official Ferrari drivers and it is normal for us to organize a rookie test with our drivers.”
“But this is completely independent of a hypothetical third car with them,” says Coletta, who also does not want to comment on the aforementioned support from Richard Mille: “At the moment it is an option, but not absolutely confirmed.”
