Ferrari Unveils Performance Upgrades for 499P Ahead of WEC Interlagos Round
Maranello, Italy – (Ferrari Racing News) – Ahead of this weekend’s Interlagos round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), Ferrari has revealed the first performance updates for its 499P Le Mans Hypercar.
The Scuderia has focused its efforts on redesigning the brake cooling ducts, aiming to improve cooling efficiency. Additionally, the team has made some minor aerodynamic modifications as part of the initial upgrade package since the car’s debut last season.
Ferdinando Cannizzo, Head of Endurance Race Cars at Ferrari, explained that these changes are not expected to result in faster lap times for the 499P, which secured victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans last month. However, the upgrades will provide “greater versatility and easier adaptation of the car on circuits where braking performance is more demanding and decisive.“
“Despite the car’s excellent performance in the 2023 season, we experienced limitations with brake cooling,” Cannizzo stated. “Therefore, we defined and developed a new cooling duct design in the wind tunnel and on the track to change the flow distribution and deliver greater efficiency.”
The modifications to the underbody, adjustments to the ‘gurney flaps’, and the introduction of a ‘flick’ under the front headlights were implemented to restore the desired balance of the 499P after the changes to the brake cooling ducts.
Cannizzo emphasized that the upgrade has allowed Ferrari to maintain the 499P’s position within the ‘performance window’ specified by the technical regulations.
The 6 Hours of Sao Paulo, the seventh round of the 2023 WEC season, will commence with the first practice session on Friday at 10:45 local time. Ferrari, currently second in the Hypercar manufacturers’ standings, will be looking to capitalize on these upgrades and close the gap to the championship-leading Porsche team.
🔗 Source