Ferrari Le Mans Hypercar racer previewed

Ferrari has confirmed it will return to top-class endurance racing for the first time in nearly 50 years with an all-new prototype hybrid hypercar in 2023.

Teasing the first image of the Le Mans Hypercar-class racer it will campaign from next year, Ferrari says its new prototype has been in development for more than 18 months.

Ferrari last competed at Le Mans in the top class back in 1973 but has not had an outright win in the world's most famous endurance race since 1965.

When it makes its competitive debut, the Ferrari LMH category racer will go head-to-head with both Toyota and Peugeot LMH racers, as well as the likes of BMW and Porsche in the LMDh series. Strictly enforced new balance of performance restrictions will ensure close racing between both categories.

Sadly, Ferrari’s teaser image isn't very revealing, with just a pair of slimline LED headlights, a Ferrari badge and the chromed Prancing Horse emblem visible in the darkened image.

That said, from what we can see, it appears the Italian supercar brand’s LMH car might carry over some styling cues from the recent 618kW V12-powered Ferrari Daytona SP3.

The link with the limited-run Daytona SP3 makes some sense at it was created to pay tribute to the legendary 330 P3/4, 330 P4 and 412 P endurance racers that produced a 1-2-3 finish in the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona.

It's thought Ferrari was attracted to the LMH category because of its relative freedom when it comes to regulations. The racer is also expected to showcase the Maranello-based brand's next-generation hybrid powertrains and go on to influence – or even directly spin off – a million-dollar LaFerrari hypercar replacement.

Set to begin track testing in the coming weeks, the Ferrari LMH racer will be fully unveiled in March 2023.