The 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans proved to be a particularly challenging event for Ferrari. The Maranello-based manufacturer managed to bring two of its three Ferrari 499P Hypercars to the finish, but the race was far from straightforward.
The No. 50 Ferrari, driven by Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen, encountered an unusual issue with its onboard fire suppression system. What initially appeared to be a manageable problem turned into a lengthy pit stop that occupied the mechanics for much longer than expected.
The extended delay first dropped the car outside the points-paying positions and, later in the race, it was ultimately forced to retire after suffering a sudden loss of power.
Meanwhile, the No. 51 Ferrari shared by Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi crossed the finish line in fifth place, finishing roughly two minutes behind the race-winning Toyota. The car was never truly able to become involved in the battle for victory, which was fought primarily between Toyota, BMW and Cadillac. Toyota eventually emerged on top thanks to a highly effective strategy and consistently strong race pace.
Mauro Barbieri himself acknowledged the strength of Ferrari’s rivals and recognised the quality of their performance throughout the event.
The customer-entered No. 83 Ferrari, driven by Yifei Ye, Robert Kubica and Philip Hanson, finished seventh after encountering technical issues during the middle stages of the race that compromised its chances of fighting near the front.
However, the No. 83 crew did secure a notable achievement by winning the “Pit Stop Challenge.” Ferrari’s mechanics completed a tyre change in just 8.87 seconds, recording the fastest pit stop among all Hypercar entries.
24 Hours of Le Mans – Ferrari: Mauro Barbieri speaks
These were Mauro Barbieri’s comments following the race:
“It was clear from the test day that the field was not balanced and that we were not among the top performers. Even so, we tried to give everything we had. Throughout the week we tested different setups in an attempt to close the gap, but we did not find anything significant enough to truly reduce it.
“During the race itself we tried to maximise our opportunities by extending double tyre stints, selecting different compounds depending on the time of day and experimenting with various combinations in order to get the most from the package.”
He continued: “The gap to the top three manufacturers was simply too large. I think the drivers pushed at the absolute limit for all 24 hours and took some significant risks. We saw that from the very first hour when we had contact with other cars. Things turned out the way they did, but we leave with our heads held high because we completed a strong race and optimised what we had without making major mistakes. It is obviously a shame that the No. 50 suffered several issues and was unable to finish, but I believe they still demonstrated the team spirit that defines us. Even when the car was six to eight laps behind, the crew continued testing different tyre characteristics to provide information to the sister car and help the team make the best possible decisions.”
Different strategies for Ferrari’s 499P entries
Barbieri also explained how Ferrari attempted to diversify its race strategy:
“We tried to split the approaches between the cars. The No. 51 initially aimed to run longer stints and potentially benefit from any neutralisation periods, while the No. 50 adopted a more aggressive strategy and pushed harder with shorter stints. Overall, those were the options available to us.”
Speaking about the yellow No. 83 Ferrari, he added:
“The No. 83 also did an excellent job, just like the No. 51, and just as the No. 50 could have done without its problems. It proved throughout last season that it is a top-performing car. The team operates at the same level as the two factory Ferraris, so I am not surprised they performed strongly here as well.”
Investigation continues into the No. 50 retirement
Regarding the retirement of the No. 50 Ferrari, Barbieri explained that the root cause had not yet been fully identified: “The exact nature of the failure is still unclear. We need more time to analyse it properly. It is probably an electrical issue, but we are still investigating.”
Barbieri also commented on the unusually high temperatures experienced during this year’s Le Mans event. “The heat did not work in our favour because the feeling was that the car was more comfortable during the night. In the hotter conditions we struggled somewhat, just like many of the others. I also heard complaints from several drivers regarding tyre degradation and sliding caused by the high temperatures. I am not sure this factor alone made the difference in the final result, but from a driving perspective it certainly did not help.”
Ferrari already focused on the next challenge
Despite the disappointment, Ferrari’s focus has already shifted to the remainder of the FIA World Endurance Championship season.
“For the rest of the season, we simply have to keep pushing, never give up and continue believing in ourselves,” said Barbieri – “We will probably get some rest on Monday, but by Tuesday we will already be fully focused on analysing all the data from this long weekend. After that, our attention will turn to the next race, where we will once again try to optimise the entire package and do the best job possible.”
Leave a Reply