Next year, Ferrari will compete in the head class of the FIA World Endurance Championship with its new 499P Hypercar. The name acknowledges the Italian marque's tradition of identifying prototypes with the the letter "P" often preceded by the number of the engine displacement. Ferrari boasts 22 world titles and nine overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans to date.

The 499P will make its grand debut in competition at the 1000 Miles de Sebring in March. The Hypercar will sport a livery in the same colours as the 312P from the 1970s as a nod to Ferrari's last involvement in endurance racing half a century ago. The two cars will bear the numbers 50 and 51, and their driver line-ups will be announced in the near future.

A road-going twin-turbo V6

The Ferrari 499P is a four-wheel drive prototype compliant with the Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) technical regulations. At a minimum weight of 1,030 kg, the car is equipped with a hybrid engine derived from the road-going twin-turbo V6 family which delivers a maximum power of 500 Kw (680 hp). The 499P's hybrid powertrain has a maximum output of 200 kW (272 hp) and is mated to a rear drivetrain with an electric motor powering the front axle. The electric motor is fitted with a differential and is powered by a battery that recharges during deceleration and braking, requiring no external power source. The battery, with a nominal voltage of 900v, has benefitted from the marque's experience in Formula 1, although it was specially designed for this project. The 499P is also equipped with a 7-speed sequential gearbox.

The design of the new Ferrari 499P was refined with the input of the Ferrari Styling Center helmed by Flavio Manzoni. The prototype body is sculpted from a flat surface, from which the side pods and wheel arches develop seamlessly. At the front, the headlights reference styling introduced on the Ferrari Daytona SP3, and the rear of the car incorporates technological and aerodynamic elements. A carbon fiber skin leaves the wheels and suspension completely visible and there is a double horizontal spoiler to guarantee aerodynamic support and maximum performance. The lower wing also features a light bar which adds a minimalist touch to the rear design. A significant air vent installed on the roof feeds the intake of the V6 engine and provides the air necessary for cooling the battery and gearbox.

The Ferrari 499Ps will be run by technicians and engineers from the manufacturer's headquarters in Maranello in collaboration with the AF Corse team. This long-standing partnership boasts great success in the GT classes (eight LMGTE Pro and LMGTE Am team and driver titles in the FIA WEC and three wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans).

John Elkann, Ferrari Executive Chairman: “The 499P sees us return to compete for outright victory in the WEC series. When we decided to commit to this project, we embarked on a path of innovation and development, faithful to our tradition that sees the track as the ideal terrain to push the boundaries of cutting-edge technological solutions, solutions that in time will be transferred to our road cars. We enter this challenge with humility, but conscious of a history that has taken us to over 20 world endurance titles and nine overall victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans."

Antonello Coletta, Head of Ferrari Attività Sportive GT: “The 499P is a dream come true. Today is an important moment for all the people who have worked so hard on this project over the past two years. We wanted to pay homage to our history, with many references, both large and small, to a past made up of successes and titles. We do so however, looking ahead, creating a manifesto of our commitment to the world endurance championship. The 499P is a prototype that is decidedly Ferrari, in the fullest sense of the term, and it gives us an enormous thrill to finally show it to our clients and to the many enthusiasts of the marque."

Ferdinando Cannizzo, Head of Ferrari GT Track Car Development: “For the whole team and myself, this is a really thrilling moment. We know that we have a huge responsibility. We have designed and engineered a car that is brand new and particularly complex in every aspect. This unprecedented challenge motivated everyone into an all-encompassing, all-sharing collaboration involving every department of our company and our technical partners. Starting from a blank sheet of paper was a source of unique and continuous motivation in order to find effective solutions to guarantee the 499P's performance and reliability. From the very first shakedown to the first race, we have planned a very intense development programme, both on the test bench and on the track, which has given us some interesting feedback. The work of synthesis that awaits us over the coming weeks, and which will see us involved in further track testing, is the most important for fine-tuning and the final integration of all the systems. We still have a lot of kilometers to go, but the team is aware of the importance of the project and will continue to show commitment, passion, maturity and great professionalism."

The Ferrari 499P will take on the Hypercars fielded by Toyota, Porsche, Peugeot, Cadillac and Glickenhaus in 2023.

Check out other shots of the Ferrari 499P in the photo gallery below.