24h Le Mans
Ferrari, Cadillac, Porsche and Acura recently kicked off the development of their respective Hypercars destined for the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans. Meanwhile, Toyota, Alpine, Peugeot and Glickenhaus have already been testing theirs out in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
After a preliminary shakedown in Fiorano, Ferrari launched the development of its Hypercar with two days of testing sessions. Drivers Alessandro Pier Guidi, Nicklas Nieslen, Andréa Bertolini and Davide Rigon logged the car's first kilometers in accordance with the work programme drawn up by the marque's engineers.
Davide Rigon: "It was a real honour to be one of the first drivers to drive this wonderful car. It’s a real Ferrari, in every sense. Right from its first acceleration, it gives you great confidence, has good braking, great handling and feels brilliant behind the wheel."
Check out the Ferrari Hypercar's first tests in the video below.
Cadillac Racing's Hypercar has also completed a string of laps to test the new 5.5-liter Cadillac V8 engine developed by GM and coupled with a hybrid system compliant with the LMDh regulations. Two-time 24 Hours winner with Porsche (2015 and 2017) Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn took the wheel for the first sessions. Earl Bamber: "It was an exhilarating feeling to jump in the car for the first time and get a sense of what the future will look like."
Development of the car will continue through the end of the year with tests scheduled at Road Atlanta on 3-5 October and Daytona on 6-7 December. In 2023, Cadillac is expected to carry out a dual sporting programme in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in the U.S.
The German constructor conducted its first day and night testing sessions with the Porsche 963 at the Sebring circuit. JOTA and JDC-Miller have been announced as the marque's two client teams for next season, with the Hypercar's official debut set for the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January. In the meantime, the FIA WEC will allow testing at upcoming rounds in the championship, so Porsche Penske Motorsport is planning to use the last race of the season at Bahrain as a dress rehearsal in November.
Acura may also participate in the 100th anniversary 24 Hours of Le Mans. The marque began the shakedown of its ARX-06 at the Paul Ricard circuit aerodrome, with another session scheduled at Magny-Cours. The chassis was developed nearby in the ORECA workshops. Drivers Filipe Albuquerque, Ricky Taylor and Will Stevens are spearheading the Hypercar's development.
With Toyota, Peugeot and Glickenhaus already competing in the Hypercar class, the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans field promises to be like no other in history on 10-11 June.
