Can Ferrari win Le Mans already? 'Expectations are very high'

For Ferrari, Formula 1 was always its flagship, but it has added a boat. Ferrari has a new dream: winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans. With the hypercar 499P, which made its debut in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) this season, Ferrari is an instant favourite for overall victory in the long-distance race. After the first qualifying session, the expectations has risen again.

It is almost impossible to imagine. It has been no less than half a century since Ferrari appeared at the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with its own team, and in 2023 it will be two cars straight away. The first - obviously - red racing monster will be driven by the trio Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen, while the other car has Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi as drivers. The latter drove for three seasons in Formula 1 for Alfa Romeo's team.

Ferrari has already shown speed

In the premier class of motorsport, Giovinazzi never managed to take those final steps (to the top and the Ferrari team), and in Formula E last year, the Italian did not manage to make a mark. However, Ferrari's project in the WEC seems right up his alley. At the 6 Hours of Spa, the 29-year-old seemed to have put his Ferrari on pole, until it turned out he had exceeded the track limits. In any case, that fast lap was a further indication that Ferrari is already nipping at the heels of the leading Toyota in its first season.

For the endurance race at Monza, the next WEC race after Le Mans, tickets are flying out the door. It apparently does not matter whether it is an F1 car or a hyerpcar, Italian fans embrace all Ferrari cars. With that comes naturally the high expectations. "Of course, expectations are very high, partly because when you race for the Prancing Horse," Giovinazzi told GPblog via his team. "The ultimate goal is always to fight for victory."

Fighting will undoubtedly work, but whether it will be enough to beat Toyota, even with the stricter Balance of Performance? "It won’t be easy to win because we know the worth of our opponents, starting with Toyota, which has plenty of experience in the category. It won’t be enough to be fast and have a reliable car to achieve an excellent result. We will also have to minimise mistakes, considering that it will be a long race and our team’s first 24 hours race," Giovinazzi said.

Giovinazzi not a rookie

It won't be entirely new for the former F1 driver. Giovinazzi has already driven at Le Mans once, in a 488 GTE in the LMGTE Pro class. That was in 2018. "I have fond memories of that race, which was very exciting for me. With the 499P, this year will be even more exciting, especially at night when a driver has few reference points, and the darkness means you need to be extremely careful, especially when overtaking. Le Mans is not just pure speed, as people sometimes think, considering the long straights. It is also a beautiful and varied track to drive, with significant braking in the last sector."