Ferrari’s Historic Hypercar Title: A New Chapter in Endurance Racing
Ferrari has made history by securing its first Hypercar title in the World Endurance Championship (WEC), marking a significant milestone for the iconic Italian brand. This achievement is described as offering a “different satisfaction” compared to winning the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours, highlighting the unique challenges and rewards of a full-season championship.
The Prancing Horse dominated both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ championships after its three 499Ps finished third, fourth, and fifth in the season-ending Bahrain 8 Hours. This victory not only marks Ferrari’s first prototype world title since 1972, when it won the World Sportscar Championship with the 312 P, but also showcases the brand’s ability to maintain consistency across an eight-round campaign.
A Journey of Growth and Innovation
After introducing the LMH-based 499P in 2023, Ferrari achieved a historic win at Le Mans on its first attempt and repeated this success in 2024 and 2025. However, it wasn’t until this year that the team delivered the consistency needed to clinch the overall titles in Hypercar. Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, and Antonio Giovinazzi claimed the drivers’ title in the #51 499P, while Ferrari comfortably outperformed Toyota in the manufacturers’ race.
Antonello Coletta, global head of Ferrari Endurance, emphasized that the 2025 success was built on the lessons learned from the brand’s first two seasons in the top category. He highlighted the importance of consistent performance over the course of the season, stating:
“It’s clear that we won the 24-hour Le Mans very quickly and we repeated the victory in Le Mans three times. It’s clear that the victory of the championship is different. It’s the final step after eight races and it’s not just an episode or just a point, but it’s the synthesis of our work.”
Lessons from the Past
During the first season in 2023, Ferrari learned a great deal about the competition and the demands of the WEC. In 2024, the team progressed in terms of tire management and reliability. Coletta reflected on the team’s early ambitions:
“I remember that during our meeting at the start of the season, I declared that we are ready to win the championship or to have a battle to win the championship. Why? Because during this period we worked a lot in terms of repeat management, we changed some people and we organised our team in different steps, and we won the first three races.”
He added, “Three times Le Mans and now the world championship. We deserved this title; we worked very, very well for the season.”
While Le Mans remains the pinnacle of endurance racing, Coletta stressed that the full-season title offers a distinct kind of reward. When asked if the WEC title tasted sweeter than its Le Mans successes, he said:
“It’s a different satisfaction. It’s clear that it’s impossible to explain what the difference between Le Mans and the world championship is. These are two different issues, but we are very proud to win both. It’s better to win both.”
Dominance and Resilience
Ferrari’s title challenge was built on its dominance in the first part of the season, with victories in the opening four races—包括 Le Mans—giving it a healthy buffer in the standings. The team faced challenges at Sao Paulo and Fuji but bounced back with podiums at COTA and Bahrain to secure the manufacturers’ title.
Meanwhile, Pier Guidi, Calado, and Giovinazzi claimed the drivers’ crown after victories at Imola and Spa, plus podiums in Qatar and Le Mans.
Pier Guidi acknowledged the need to step up the team’s game this year to mount a successful season-long challenge:
“The first target was winning Le Mans and we achieved it immediately. And then we understood that to win the title, we need to be more constant during the season. So we had to improve the weak points we had. And finally we did, we put it all together. This season has been a tough season, with the first part where we were really competitive. Then after Le Mans, we started to struggle, even because we know that there are some tracks where we struggle a bit. But generally I think we did the best job, this is why we are here.”
