It has been a long time since Ferrari had success in Le Mans. Is there a Ferrari Le Mans LMP1 class program in development?
Ferrari is an automobile manufacturer that was created to support a racing program. As a result, Ferrari has a tremendous legacy in motorsports of many types. They have largely dominated Formula One since the very beginning in the early fifties.
Ferrari is also known as a very good competitor. They have earned the respect of competitors and fans alike for their success.
There is one piece of history that Ferrari is not particularly fond of. A small piece of that history was revisited to a degree in the 84th running of Le Mans 24 Hours.
In the early 1960s, Ferrari dominated Le Mans, the crown jewel of the Motorsports World. After Ford’s failed attempt to buy Ferrari in the mid-1960s, Ford made it his mission to beat Ferrari at Le Mans. In 1966, 1967, 1968, and 1969, that happened. In 1966, Ford had a 1-, 2-, 3- Victory beating Ferrari by four laps
History Repeats Itself
In the GTE class of the most recent Le Mans, Ford entered their Ford GT Eco Boost, the second-generation successor to the Legendary Ford GT40 that raced Le Mans in the late 1960s. Ferrari in contrast campaigned a few 488 GTBs. Just like in 1966, the first cars past the finish line in the GTE class were the three Fords, followed by Ferrari. The final results were changed after protests and lobbying had taken place by both parties.
Ferrari LMP1?
For some time now, Ferrari has been hinting at a return to Le Mans in the LMP1 class. The rumors were reignited again after the race recently when Efrain Olivares, Ferrari North America’s Motorsports PR representative, tweeted that Ferrari was preparing an LMP1 program as early as the 2017 season. Shortly thereafter, he tweeted that it was a joke, was it really though?
Two and a half years ago, a prototype was making the rounds in Maranello and the Internet. Many thought it was a prototype for the LMP1 class. Rumors were circulating that Ferrari would use a heavily modified version of the 1.6-liter V6 powering their Formula 1 cars.
The big question is what is happening behind closed doors in Maranello after Ferrari’s repeat of 1966 in the GTE class. Is Ferrari considering another run? Le Mans is whole other animal than Formula 1. Additionally, Porsche, Audi, and Toyota have a lot invested in their programs.
