Ferrari Endurance is currently working at the Monza circuit for a private test session on its 499P. The Maranello Hypercar took to the track with an unusual camouflage livery to conceal the details of the new aerodynamic design being tested. It is obviously not to be excluded that, in addition to the new bodywork under the skin, which for once is not red on the 499P, Ferrari is also trying other modifications to the car’s components to evaluate the performance gain on their developments, as well as the constant refinements of the hybrid Hypercar software. At the National Autodrome, the wheel of the Prancing Horse Hypercar was alternated by Antonio Fuoco, Antonio Giovinazzi, Alessandro Pier Guidi, and Miguel Molina.
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This is a session planned for some time, within the development program of the reigning world champion Hypercar and three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It should therefore not be understood as a forced and sudden search for corrections to the car to try to recover ground in this 2026 season, where the official Ferraris #50 and #51 and the yellow Ferrari #83 of the AF Corse team are not currently replicating the successes achieved in the first part of last season. Maranello confirms satisfaction with the current intrinsic performance level of the 499P, except for the penalties imposed by the now secret BoP. Since its debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship, which took place at Sebring in 2023, the 499P has achieved 7 wins – including three consecutive at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – 24 podiums, and 9 pole positions, allowing Ferrari to win the Constructors’ and Drivers’ world titles in 2025, a testament to the great competitiveness of the car.
The use of so-called “jokers” or development tokens for the car by Ferrari is indeed not planned this season, and no decision has been made by Maranello for the next season either, and if the solutions are validated for track use, they will have to undergo an official homologation process as per regulations.
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It is not unnoticed, however, that some of Ferrari’s main competitors, BMW and Toyota above all, have introduced significant aerodynamic changes to their hypercars this season that have evidently paid off given the excellent results achieved by these two teams this season. Therefore, it is understood that this is precisely one of the most important development areas to focus on to remain competitive in an increasingly crowded Endurance world championship with fierce manufacturers.
Furthermore, it is just today’s news that it will be the Monza track to host the final race of the endurance world championship, a 6-hour race that will be held on the Brianza circuit from November 6 to 8, replacing the 1812 km of Bahrain which cannot be held due to the well-known military tensions in the Middle East. In this respect, these tests will be particularly valuable for Ferrari to gather updated information since the last 6-hour Monza endurance world championship race dates back to 2023.
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