The new Ferrari Le Mans Hypercar, which will participate in next year’s World Endurance Championships, will use the technology of the Italian manufacturer’s Formula 1 team.
Antonello Coletta, who heads the LMH project as head of the Ativita Sportive GT division at Ferrari, explained that Mark’s first factory prototype program in 50 years was using all the technological resources available within the company.
“I think the technology we have at Ferrari is one of the most important assets for us and it is natural that we share this technology in all our projects,” Coletta told motorsport.tv in an exclusive interview with the Ferrari channel.
“It is natural that the LMH project has F1 experience, but not just from F1, but also from road cars – it is a synthesis of our knowledge.
“Our technicians blend in with all of this, and we hope to realize a very competitive and amazing car.”
He added that some solutions to the LMH hybrid prototype have already been “taken from past experience at both the F1 level and road vehicles”.
“Ferrari is a great company with a very important technological heritage and our role has always been that of inventors,” he said.
“Under the new regulations, it was impossible not to go fishing for knowledge and the important thing is that LMH is not a part of the company, but a transverse project because Ferrari is one.
“It would be foolish not to take advantage of all the knowledge we have.”
The LMH program, announced in February 2021, is being masterminded with a new 296 GT3 racer from the new Ativita Sportive GT compound next to Ferrari’s Fiorano test track, which will be released to customers in a timely manner for next season.
Coletta described the facility, which was launched last year by merging the Competizioni GT and Corse Clienti segments, as “a testament to Ferrari’s importance to our business”.
He called the LMH a “significant challenge” for Ferrari as it aims to add to its total of nine wins in the WEC focal round, Le Mans 24 Hours.
Ferrari has not yet released the technical details of the LMH, including the configuration of its internal combustion engine, but is expected to announce more in June.
The Ferrari LMH, which will run a front-axle hybrid system, was pencil-turned for the first time in July, although Coletta insisted no firm date had been set.
Attivita Sportive GT Technical Director Ferdinand Canizo confirmed that the LMH project is “on schedule at the moment”.
He revealed that the first iteration of LMH took place in the simulator a year ago.
“Obviously this was something that kept evolving month after month after seeing the results – each session brought new ideas to the table,” he explained.
“Vehicles exist virtually and we are constantly developing; We’re excited to see the car on track now. ”
Coletta reiterated Ferrari’s intention to start testing with drivers from its existing GT roster, which includes current WEC GTE Pro champions Alessandro Pierre Guidi and James Calado.
After clearing the way for him to compete in the series for the North American series LMH Machine in the middle of last year, he once again hinted at Ferrari’s future involvement in the top tier of the IMSA Sportscar Championship.
“The U.S. market is crucial for Ferrari,” he said.
“But in 2023, we will only join the WEC.
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