Ferrari unveiled its third 499P hypercar for the 2024 World Endurance Championship season (WEC). The car features a unique yellow livery with modest red elements, departing from the traditional red colour scheme. The mainly yellow exterior, which contrasts with the red colours that won the Le Mans 24 Hours. Polish racer Robert Kubica will drive vehicle number 83, alongside Ferrari factory drivers Robert Shwartzman and Yifei Ye. The entry's peculiarity is enhanced by the sponsorship from Polish oil company Orlen, a personal backer of team member Robert Kubica.
AF Corse has carefully created a unique paint scheme for the third customer-run car to distinguish it from the two fully-factory cars in the WEC's Hypercar class in 2024. The design of the livery is inspired by the 2023 Ferrari that won at Le Mans 24 Hours. It features a unique twist where the colours are reversed, creating a bright yellow look with the classic red accents associated with Ferrari's prestigious racing legacy.
Ferrari's choice to expand its range of colours is a tribute to past occasions when some of its sports vehicles departed from the usual red colour and instead had a yellow paint design. AF Corse's decision strengthens Ferrari's efforts in its second season in the WEC, with the goal of capitalising on its significant Le Mans win from the year before. The squad achieved a significant victory at Le Mans but struggled to regularly match the performance of the leading Toyota in the subsequent races of the season.
AF Corse will be one of three customer teams participating in the 2024 season with an increased Hypercar grid of 19 vehicles. Proton Competition and Jota will also have separate entries. This signifies strategic growth for Ferrari in the WEC, highlighting its focus to broadening its racing involvement. The primarily yellow livery introduced by Ferrari is a nod to the past, namely recalling the 1961 Belgian GP where Olivier Gendebien raced a factory Ferrari 156 Formula 1 car painted fully in yellow. This historical reference adds relevance to the modern design choice.
WEC 2024: 23 Hypercars For Le Mans
The Hypercar grid for the 2024 Le Mans 24 Hours World Endurance Championship has been significantly enhanced by the addition of more newcomers. The highly competitive Hypercar category will have 23 competitors from well-known manufacturers such as Cadillac, Porsche, Toyota, Isotta Fraschini, BMW, Lamborghini, Alpine, and Peugeot. This remarkable group of cars will vie for dominance in a strong 62-car field at the legendary Le Mans circuit.
The notable entrants include three Cadillac V-Series.Rs, `, two Toyota GR010s, six Porsche 963s, three Ferrari 499Ps, Alpine A424s, Peugeot 9X8s, and one Isotta Fraschini Tipo6-C. In addition to this powerful group of Hypercars, the grid is made up of 23 GT3 cars and 16 LMP2 vehicles. This is a historic first as GT3 cars compete in the renowned Le Mans 24 Hours for the first time.
The varied LMGT3 field has numerous brands, including Lexus, Aston Martin, Ford, Ferrari, McLaren, BMW, Lamborghini, Corvette, and Porsche. This huge roster significantly exceeds the involvement of just four manufacturers in the 2023 final Le Mans for GTE cars. Five Ferrari 296 GT3s are at the forefront of the GT3 class, together with three McLaren 720Ss - two from United Autosport and an additional entry from IMSA GTD champions Inception Racing.
The 2024 Le Mans 24 Hours is expected to be an exciting event with a large number of participants, creating the opportunity for intense competition in all categories.
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