Yahoo Autos Ferrari Hypercar privateer set to return next season
The privately entered Ferrari 499P Hypercar from AF Corse is set to continue racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship alongside the pair of factory cars from the Italian brand next season, RACER has learned.
The No. 83, which is being driven this year by Ferrari factory drivers Yifei Ye and Robert Shwartzman together with ex-Formula 1 racer and 2023 FIA WEC LMP2 champion Robert Kubica, is likely to return with an unchanged driver trio too.
“Having the third car has been valuable for a number of reasons. Of course we have access to more data which is helping us to develop the 499P more quickly and effectively,” Ferrari’s global head of Endurance Racing and Corse Clienti Antonello Coletta told RACER. “We have two young drivers who should be the future for the official cars and having an experienced driver like Kubica in the same car is also a big advantage in helping their development. It is also helpful to bring forward new engineers on the program. Our current plan is to go forward (into 2025) exactly the same.”
This will surely come as welcome news for the driving crew currently competing in the car. Ye said the performance of the No. 83 crew so far this year has been highly encouraging. They currently sit second in FIA World Cup for Hypercar Teams with a top-three finish in all three races so far this year and a class win in Imola.
“I think we have a strong team this year,” he said. “Our job has been to focus on performance in qualifying and in the race, to work hard on set up and compete at every event. If we continue to do all of that, then I think we are in the right spot, with chances to win races.”
Speaking specifically on the subject of his role within the program, he added: “While people know that Chinese racing drivers can do well, to be signed by Ferrari to become an official factory driver, and to be driving one of its top cars in a world championship is something truly exceptional. It’s something I am very proud of.”
Coletta also re-affirmed in his conversation with RACER that Ferrari has no plans to expand the number of 499Ps in competition in 2025, or for the car to compete in IMSA’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTP class through to the end of 2025.
