Amalgam Ferrari 499P - 24 Hours of Le Mans 2024 | #50 Ferrari - AF Corse1:8 - 1/12

Description

Amalgam Ferrari 499P - 24 Hours of Le Mans 2024 | #50 Ferrari - AF Corse1:8. limited to only 499 pieces

• The Hypercar Edition No. 50 is based on the car in which Miguel Molina, Antonio Fuoco and Nicklas Nielsen won the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the Circuit de la Sarthe on 15 and 16 June 2024

• The Hypercar Edition No. 51 is based on the car in which Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi took third place
• Each model was built by hand and assembled by a small team of craftsmen
• Complete with opening doors and motor cover
• 1:8 scale model, over 63 cm/25 inches long
• Over 4000 hours spent developing the model
• Over 400 hours to build each model
• Manufactured using the highest quality materials
• Thousands of precisely engineered parts: Castings, photo etched and CNC machined metal components
• Built using original CAD designs based on scans of a real car
• Original paint codes and material specifications from Ferrari
• Officially licensed 24 Hours of Le Mans product

The 499P, the car that brought Scuderia Ferrari back to the pinnacle of sports car racing, was Ferrari's first foray into the newly created hypercar class of the FIA World Endurance Championship, where it won the fabled 24 Hours of Le Mans two years in a row. Introduced for the 2023 season, the 499P marked Ferrari's return to the elite class of endurance racing for the first time in 50 years.

Winner DNA

While the car is undeniably designed to take Ferrari into the future, the name 499P is a reminder of the Maranello-based manufacturer's history, a naming system that harks back to its previous Le Mans entries; the 499 refers to the displacement of its engine, while the P stands for prototype. The hypercar also wears a livery in the same colours as the 1973 312P as a nod to Ferrari's last involvement in endurance racing half a century ago and a reminder of a long association with competition that is embedded in the DNA of the Ferrari brand. The starting numbers of the cars were chosen for similar reasons - the number 50 represents the long period that Ferrari did not compete in the top class at Le Mans, and the number 51 adorned a winning Ferrari GT four times.

New hybrid power and innovative technology

In developing the 499P, Ferrari drew on its vast resources of technical, professional and human excellence that epitomise the brand from Maranello and entrusted the management of Attività Sportive GT under the direction of Antonello Coletta and the technical supervision of Ferdinando Cannizzo, head of the sports and GT racing car design and development department. Although the design is limited by aerodynamic and space-saving requirements, it remains unmistakably a Ferrari. This is not surprising for a car designed and manufactured exclusively in Maranello and refined with the support of the Ferrari Styling Centre under the direction of Flavio Manzoni. The car's technical and aerodynamic characteristics were enhanced by simple, curved shapes: an explicit expression of Ferrari's DNA. The balance between taut lines and flowing surfaces, expressed in a futuristic, pure and iconic language, defines a clear yet essential architecture. The moulded body promotes aerodynamic flows through the sidepods and cools the radiators hidden underneath. The wheel arches are characterised by large louvres and, together with the headlight clusters, give the nose a certain character and expressiveness, with subtle references to the styling features first introduced on the Ferrari Daytona SP3. The rear is the ultimate expression of the fusion of technology, aerodynamics and design; a subtle carbon fibre skin covers the various features, leaving the wheels and suspension fully visible. The rear is characterised by a double horizontal wing; the main wing and upper flaps have been carefully designed to provide the necessary downforce and maximise performance. The lower wing also features a „light bar“ that adds a decisive yet minimalist touch to the rear design.

The 499P is based on a completely new monocoque chassis made of carbon fibre and features solutions that represent the state of the art in motorsport technology. The suspension with double wishbones and push rods offers excellent damping stiffness, the benefits of which are noticeable both on straight stretches and in bends. The electronic systems have been developed and refined from the experience gained in GT racing. The hypercar has a hybrid drive system that combines a mid-rear engine with an electric motor driving the front axle and is coupled to a sequential seven-speed gearbox. The 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 used is the same engine used in the 296 GT3 and its road-going cousins, with a maximum power output of 500 kW (680 hp). In addition, there is an energy recovery system (ERS) connected to the front axle and fed by a brake-by-wire system. The ERS delivers 200 kW, and the battery that powers it utilises know-how from Ferrari's extensive F1 experience. Among the special features of the 499P's V6 is the fact that the engine is load-bearing and therefore fulfils a valuable structural function compared to the versions fitted to GT race cars, where the engine is mounted on the rear under-chassis of the car.

Competition history

The Ferrari 499P will be supported on the track by technicians and engineers from Maranello in collaboration with racing partner AF Corse, continuing the long-standing, successful partnership that began in 2006. For the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season, Ferrari GT racers Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen took control of the No. 51 car, while two-time LMGTE Pro World Champions Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado were joined by Ferrari's Formula 1 stand-in driver Antonio Giovinazzi at the wheel of the sister No. 51 car.

The highly anticipated debut of the 499P took place at the 1000 Miles of Sebring, with the No. 50 car setting an early benchmark by securing pole position. Despite leading from the start line, the Ferrari was overtaken by the two Toyota Gazoo Racing cars and eventually finished third, earning a podium finish in Ferrari's return to prototype endurance racing. Ultimately, the 499P was often overtaken by the Toyotas, who secured the title for the fifth year in a row, but Ferrari remained ahead of the other manufacturers. Having only failed to finish on the podium once all season, Ferrari AF Corse was the only real challenger to the Japanese team, and both cars carried the championship battle through to the season finale in Bahrain. The highlight of the season, however, was the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans: the #50 qualified for the Hyperpole once again, but it was the #51 car with Pier Guidi, Calado and Giovinazzi that secured a victorious return to the Circuit de la Sarthe after an intense and dramatic contest.

Ferrari AF Corse presented a third 499P for the 2024 season: the No. 83, driven by the official Ferrari drivers Yifei Ye and Robert Shwartzman as well as the FIA WEC LMP2 champion and Formula 1 race winner Robert Kubica. The 499P was also set to shine at Le Mans: This time it was Fuoco, Molina and Nielsen in the No. 50 who took the overall victory, marking Ferrari's eleventh success in the race. In an increasingly competitive championship, which now features nine different manufacturers, the team remains in the thick of the battle for the title between Porsche and Toyota.

24 Hours of Le Mans, 15 and 16 June 2023

These models of the Ferrari 499P are perfect 1:8 scale replicas of the No. 50 and No. 51 hypercars driven by Miguel Molina, Antonio Fuoco and Nicklas Nielsen, Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 10 and 11 June 2023 at the Circuit de la Sarthe. Car no. 50 took Ferrari's second consecutive victory following the success of its sister car no. 51 last year, in only the brand's second appearance in the elite class at Le Mans in 51 years.

The grid consisted of 62 cars, with a record-breaking 23 hypercars from nine manufacturers competing alongside the LMP2 cars and the new LMGT3 class. The field consisted of 186 drivers, including former Le Mans winners, former Formula 1 drivers, current NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers and GT race champions. In addition to the No. 51 and No. 50 cars, Ferrari AF Corse also entered the yellow-painted No. 83, which was driven by Robert Kubica, Robert Shwartzman and Yifei Ye. Ferrari came to Le Mans amid intense competition and, despite a comparable race pace, finished behind Toyota and Porsche in the Hypercar World Endurance Manufacturers‘ Championship. In qualifying, Porsche took pole position with the No. 6 car, followed by Cadillac's No. 3 car in second place. The No. 51 and No. 50 Ferrari cars were to start the race in third and fourth place. Fuoco in the No. 50 was particularly frustrated after a red flag ended what appeared to be a very promising lap, while the No. 83 could only manage twelfth place.

The Ferraris were on the right track from the start of the race. Nielsen and Giovinazzi in the No. 50 and No. 51 cars took the lead after just 13 minutes. Kubica in the No. 83 was equally determined at the start of the race and quickly climbed to fifth place. When it started to rain after about two hours, the teams had to make early strategy decisions. Several hypercars, including the red-painted Ferraris, switched to rain tyres early on. Kubica in the No. 83, however, stayed on soft slick tyres and controlled his car in the damp conditions. As the track dried out, Shwartzman took the wheel and pulled away. His lead over the pursuing No. 8 Toyota and the No. 5 Porsche grew steadily. After about six hours, the rain set in, necessitating another series of pit stops. This time the No. 83 stopped to put on rain tyres and had again judged the conditions perfectly, making up to 30 seconds per lap on some of its rivals. However, the #83, then with Kubica at the wheel, was then involved in a collision with the #15 BMW of Dries Vanthoor, sending the Belgian racer into the wall as he tried to recover his lap time. The incident led to a lengthy safety car period of over ninety minutes, and race stewards shortly afterwards found Kubica at fault and handed down a 30-second stop-and-go penalty, dropping the No. 83 back into the field. After nine hours, the No. 50, 83 and 51 Ferrari trio were fifth, sixth and seventh behind the No. 8 Toyota, the No. 6 Porsche, the No. 7 Toyota and the No. 2 Cadillac. Deep into the night, race control triggered a safety car period for almost four and a half hours due to a combination of persistent heavy rain and poor visibility in the dark. The race resumed shortly after the sixteen-hour mark with the No. 50 in third and the No. 83 in fifth after making up positions during the pit stop phases. Giovinazzi in the No. 51 retained seventh place, but was soon handed a drive-through penalty for travelling at the wrong speed during a yellow. The battle for position continued until another hour of safety car time elapsed, this time triggered by a serious accident in the GT class that again bunched the hypercars together.

With seven hours to go, 11 cars were still on the lead lap and could still challenge for the win. The rain stopped and the battle for positions was intense: Cadillac lost two cars, an oil leak stopped the No. 3 and a spectacular accident ended the hopes of Cadillac No. 311; Porsche lost the No. 4 car after an accident at Indianapolis, while the Nos. 5 and 6 were left behind. Ferrari wasn't immune either: the No. 83 pulled into the pits with smoke coming from the brakes before being diagnosed with a definitive problem with the hybrid system. In the end, it looked like a repeat of last year's final, as the remaining No. 50 and 51 Ferraris faced off against the No. 7 and 8 Toyotas. However, a mistake by Pier Guidi in the No. 51 caused the No. 8 Toyota to spin at the Mulsanne corner and the Italian was duly penalised with a five-second penalty. It looked like Toyota had gained a further advantage when Nielsen was forced to bring the No. 50 into the pits because the car's right-hand door came loose. With fifty minutes to go, this unscheduled stop for the 499P should have required a final pit stop; but Ferrari was confident that the car could conserve its petrol load, a strategy that was scrutinised as the No. 7 Toyota came in for its final stop less than ten minutes later, knowing full well that it would reach the end. Twenty minutes later, it became increasingly clear to the teams and fans that Ferrari had pulled off a masterstroke as Nielsen skilfully steered his machine to the chequered flag to secure Ferrari's second consecutive win by 14.221 seconds. Despite the late penalty, the No. 51 crossed the finish line to claim the final podium spot, beating the No. 6 Porsche sitting in pole position by just 1.167 seconds. This success was the prancing horse's 11th overall victory in the classic French endurance race. The team had previously achieved 29 class victories, totalling 40 wins. The triumph at the 92nd 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Monaco Formula 1 GP also made Ferrari the first manufacturer since 1934 to climb to the top step of the podium at two of the world's most prestigious races in the same year.
Item number: M6270