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Ferrari looking at 2015 Le Mans prototype



Ferrari will decide soon whether it will push ahead with a Le Mans project.

A month ago, boss Stefano Domenicali did not deny speculation the Maranello based team might design a prototype for the fabled sports car scene.

"The new turbo engine for introduction in formula one next year would allow some interesting projects," he had said.

"At the moment I cannot say more," Domenicali told Italian newspaper La Stampa.

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport claims Ferrari will make its decision about whether to push ahead with a LMP1 design for the 2015 Le Mans race later this year.

Correspondent Michael Schmidt said the Italian marque is "seriously considering" the option, despite not winning Le Mans since 1965.

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The commonality of the new F1 engine package with other series could open up some interesting possibilities for many constructors. =D>

I really hope this is true, can´t wait to see the red cars back in Le Mans.

I think it's awesome that more manufacturers are heading back to LMP. It'll be awesome if there are 4 teams fighting it out for the win, rather than Audi and to some extent Toyota

The new engine formula may also be a brilliant stepping stone for teams to come to F1, which would also be pretty interesting

krisfx wrote:I think it's awesome that more manufacturers are heading back to LMP. It'll be awesome if there are 4 teams fighting it out for the win, rather than Audi and to some extent Toyota

The new engine formula may also be a brilliant stepping stone for teams to come to F1, which would also be pretty interesting

brilliant move from LMP in making the engine rules so F1 engine manufacturers can some extend get around the
testing ban by competing in LMP

It would be fun to see Ferrari and Porsche competing. The rules in LMP1 are much more liberal and Porsche will make good use of them. Ferrari would have to adapt the F1 engine considerably. LMP1 has a lower fuel flow among other things, no low rev fuel limiting, variable valves allowed and no limit to fuel injection pressure. The chassis would need AWD and a massive KERS with 6-8 MJ/lap. It must be closed cockpit two seater with lower weight than F1. I don't think LMP1s will have turbo compounding. It could be more effective to simply go to very high boost and lower rpm. Less weight involved. But surely it would be fun with Toyota, Porsche and Ferrari fighting it out.

langwadt wrote:

krisfx wrote:I think it's awesome that more manufacturers are heading back to LMP. It'll be awesome if there are 4 teams fighting it out for the win, rather than Audi and to some extent Toyota

The new engine formula may also be a brilliant stepping stone for teams to come to F1, which would also be pretty interesting

brilliant move from LMP in making the engine rules so F1 engine manufacturers can some extend get around the
testing ban by competing in LMP

Yeah it'd be great for engine development (the teams should have thought ahead) haha. It'll be interesting in years to come, with the rules in F1 getting dafter by the year it could be more common for teams to swap to Le Mans.

That would be something. I remember very well the 512S,M and both 312 P (Coupe, Barquette) at le Mans.

We won't see a LMP1 Ferrari in Le Mans any time soon. I think, as usual, Ferrari is asking for more money in F-1. The so-called Le Mans LMP1 project ist just a tool to archieve that. But who cares ? PORSCHE IS BACK !

I think Montezuma is constantly p*ssed off not to be the preferred winner in F1 anymore. Moreover, the latest developments,
with tires tailored for MGP and a special race for Red Bull as compensation, has infuriated him even more.

Remember when Ferrari threatened to go CART and even built a prototype, with the refueling on the wrong side as I recall.

But with Porsche, Audi, Peugeot, Toyota and a few more already there, they might be serious this time?

I don't agree. I think Ferrari always had a bit of a story going with LeMans. The 250, then the battle with Porsche in the 1970s while they were still in Formula 1 as well (!), then with the 333SP. I think it would be great to see them back in something else than a GT car.

IF TRUE, a very dangerous move for Ferrari. I can't see them having the resources to compete successfully in both F1 and LMP simultaneously. And anything less than a very high level of success would be unacceptable and a marketing black eye.

I loved the era when Ferrari ran F1, Group 6 (today's LMP, sort of) F2, Tasman, hillclimbs with some success in each arena, but those days are long, long gone. Remember what happened when they put less than a full effort into Can-Am -- a fiasco.

donskar wrote:IF TRUE, a very dangerous move for Ferrari. I can't see them having the resources to compete successfully in both F1 and LMP simultaneously. And anything less than a very high level of success would be unacceptable and a marketing black eye.

I loved the era when Ferrari ran F1, Group 6 (today's LMP, sort of) F2, Tasman, hillclimbs with some success in each arena, but those days are long, long gone. Remember what happened when they put less than a full effort into Can-Am -- a fiasco.

The point is obviously to threaten to leave F1.

As for the 612 in CanAm, they did not take it seriously enough, an upstroked 512 with Chris Amon and two mechanics?

donskar wrote:IF TRUE, a very dangerous move for Ferrari. I can't see them having the resources to compete successfully in both F1 and LMP simultaneously. And anything less than a very high level of success would be unacceptable and a marketing black eye.

True, it surely would be fun. But I agree with X here that it is just a scam to somehow get the rules in F1 influenced some way. Not even Toyota with billions of earnings did LMP1 and F1 at he same time. So how would Ferrari sustain that financially and in terms of management resources. Domenicali seems a bit stretched to put together a dominating F1 program, how would he do two of the similar size. If it happens you would have Red Bull copying their commercial scheme in F1 and the danger of Porsche + Audi beating them in LMP. Monte would go ballistic.

The following is a design study only. May or may not have anything to do with what an actual Ferrari LMP entry might look like. But then again, maybe it does!

Ferrari can of course do it the same way they did the 333 SP, outsourcing the chassis build and development to Dallara,
to focus on the driveline, which then could be very similar to their F1 unit, including the KERS and HERS?

MOWOG wrote:The following is a design study only. May or may not have anything to do with what an actual Ferrari LMP entry might look like. But then again, maybe it does! :?:
http://www.instablogsimages.com/images/ ... W_3868.jpg

Whilst not a legal LMP1 model, it does look fairly cool :).