Ferrari 499P at the 24 hours of Daytona: Giuseppe Risi's point | FP

By Carlo Platella
The new golden era of endurance emerges both from the health of the WEC and that of the North American IMSA championship. The popularity of the platform has its origins in the convergence between the regulations of the two organizing bodies, which worked to develop prototypes at controlled costs and with similar performances, also balanced through a Balance of Performance. Among the manufacturers attracted by the new formula stands out Ferrari, which enthusiasts are clamoring to see it return to fighting for the overall victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona. A scenario that could materialize next year.

The technical conditions

Since the debut of the new platform, so far the 24 hours of Daytona has attracted only LMDh manufacturers, in detail Acura, Cadillac, BMW and Porsche, which will be joined by Lamborghini from the next 12 hours of Sebring. However, the regulation also includes the participation of cars compliant with the Hypercar regulations, which, unlike the LMDh, see the manufacturers making every single component themselves. The first manufacturer to take advantage of this opportunity will be Aston Martinwhich has already communicated its intention to field the Valkyriea prototype which will in all respects be a Hypercar despite not having the hybrid system.

On the sidelines of the 2024 edition of the overseas marathon, there was talk again about the possibility of one day seeing Ferrari also compete for the overall victory over the Daytona banking with its Hypercar. The main candidate for program management would be the team Risi Competizione, which boasts a long collaboration with the Maranello company in American competitions. At the last edition of the 24 hours, Risi brought the 296 GT3 driven by Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Daniel Serra and Davide Rigon to victory.

During the American event there was no shortage of questions for the founder of the team. Giuseppe Risi has expressed his desire to compete for overall victory with the 499P, a difficult dream which will require certain conditions to become reality. The first aspect is of a technical nature, with Maranello's hybrid Hypercar presenting a higher level of complexity than GT cars, especially on an electronic level, making it difficult for a private team to manage. This is why Risi spoke of the need to wait a further year of development of the 499P on the part of Ferrari, so that the Red car can reach a maturity that makes it within the reach of an unofficial team.

Financial support

The two years of development expected by Giuseppe Risi will end at the end of 2024, with the 24 hours of 2025 being the first useful window for the 499P to arrive at Daytona. However, the owner of the team also poses an economic as well as technical condition, asking the parent company substantial financial support. Precisely this aspect could be the most thorny, given that at the Ferrari Finals last October, speaking about the possibility of a customer 499P to be fielded in the WEC, Antonello Coletta underlined the importance of the team's economic independence: “If AF Corse has the budget to deploy it, we will give it support“.

There are therefore several points on which Risi and Ferrari will have to agree before the Maranello Hypercar can compete overseas. If it were approved for IMSA competitions, the Rossa del Cavallino could also attempt to attack the other major American marathons, above all the 12 hours of Sebring and the Petit Le Mans. However, the most coveted objective would remain the 24 hours of Daytona, a marathon where Ferrari has already written important pages of history, including the 1967 hat-trick at the height of the rivalry with Ford.