MOTORSPORT: Ferrari all fired up about Le Mans again

Ferrari seems to have done a U-turn and could be right back on track for an all-out attempt to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans outright for the first time in more than half a century.

Contrary to indications three and four months ago that the world's best-known supercar maker had lost interest in competing in the top class (LMP1) of the World Endurance Championship (WEC), in which Le Mans is the centrepiece, there are now reports that the stable of the black prancing horse is about to press the green light.

It is said to be just awaiting final details on the rules for the 'hypercar' category that will become the WEC's top tier from 2020.

Ferrari and Ford, the American rival that dethroned the Italian brand at Le Mans in the mid-60s after a takeover offer from the Blue Oval was famously spurned, were thought to have pulled out of the technical working group framing the hypercar regulations several months ago, but it now appears Maranello representatives may have remained quietly involved.

McLaren is a certain goer for the new era with its new Senna model, as is Aston Martin with its Valkyrie. America's boutique Glickenhaus was the first manufacturer to publicly commit, while there is said to be at least one more high-profile car maker set to participate - if not Ford with a variation of the GT that Ryan Briscoe demonstrated at Bathurst a couple of months ago, then maybe Mercedes with its AMG ONE or Lamborghini with its Huracan Performante.

The new regulations are intended to slash the cost of trying to win the WEC, and particularly LMP1 at Le Mans, to $US23 million a season for a two-car team - less than a quarter of what Porsche, Audi and Toyota have each shelled out in the 'space age' era of hybrid prototypes of recent years.

The German manufacturers have walked away in the past two years, leaving Toyota to finally win the French classic this year without any real opposition.

Toyota will be ready to go from the outset of the hypercar regulations with its new Supra, but Ferrari and perhaps other manufacturers may not come in until 2021.

The rules are to be in place until at least 2024, with manufacturers allowed to produce only two race versions of their hypercars in that time - again to contain costs.

Ferrari, which last won Le Mans outright in 1965, has only participated in the GT classes (professional and amateur) in recent times through customer teams.

The hypercar rules will allow great freedom in the internal combustion engine architecture but energy recovery systems will be strictly mandated, although they will be smaller and much cheaper than those on the LMP1 prototypes of recent years.

Combined power from the ICE to the rear wheels and the ERS to the front wheels will be somewhere north of 900hp.

Veteran sports car correspondents Stephen Kilbey and Graham Goodwin have reported this week that "the attraction of the regulations [to Ferrari] is a combination of the hybrid powertrain (an area in which Ferrari has significant expertise), the visual cues with road-going cars and the potential for a high-profile global program, including Le Mans, at a much-reduced cost".

The rules are also intended to encourage privateer teams to run cars from the participating manufacturers.
One danger for Ferrari though is that a new factory racing program could distract it from its main game - Formula 1.

McLaren already has been a victim of its diversification and loss of F1 focus, not having won a grand prix in six years, and - despite the 'spin' from commercial boss Zak Brown - in continual turmoil.

One problem Ferrari won't have is finding the money.

Little known is that, despite the prohibition on cigarette advertising in F1 for years now, Marlboro's parent company, Philip Morris International, still pumps hundreds of millions of dollars into Ferrari.

PMI now promotes its 'Mission Winnow' project through white logos on the nose, halo, sidepods, engine cover and rear wing of the scuderia's F1 cars.

Mission Winnow is touted as encouraging the role of science, technology and innovation as a powerful force for good in any industry.

PMI, which began sponsoring Ferrari in the mid-1980s, has a deal with the company until at least 2021 and has pledged to work with it to promote smoke-free products.