From the golden era triumphs to the 50-year void, and the triumphant return of the 499P. This is the story of Ferrari's endurance soul.
Ferrari's 2025 World Endurance Championship victory was not just a win. It was the closing of a circle.
To understand what happened in Bahrain—to feel the true weight of that Constructors' title—one must look back 53 years. For half a century, the top class of endurance racing was Ferrari's "lost kingdom." A category it once dominated, then suddenly, and completely, abandoned.
The story of the 499P is not a new story. It is the final, triumphant chapter of a story left unfinished in 1973.
Ferrari Press
At a Glance
A 50-Year Void: Ferrari officially quit top-class endurance racing in 1973 to focus 100% on Formula 1, leaving a 50-year gap.
The Le Mans Fairytale: Ferrari's return in 2023 saw them win the 24 Hours of Le Mans on the 50th anniversary of their last official entry.
GT Dominance: While the factory team was absent from the top class, Ferrari never truly left, dominating GT racing for decades with partners like AF Corse.
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The First Golden Era: Racing Sculptures
In the 1950s and 60s, Ferrari’s soul was not in Formula 1. It was forged on the public roads of the Targa Florio and the long straights of Le Mans.
As we explored in our [Guide to the WEC], the World Sportscar Championship was the ultimate prize. It was here that Ferrari proved its engineering. Cars like the 250 Testa Rossa weren't just fast; they were rolling sculptures, masterpieces of art and engineering that dominated the championship.
This era was defined by icons: the 250 GTO, the 275 P, and the drivers—Hill, Gendebien, Scarfiotti—who became legends. Ferrari won the championship 12 times in these first two decades. They were the undisputed kings.
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The Last Kingdom and the 50-Year Void
The 1960s brought the "Great War" with Ford, a battle so epic it has become motorsport mythology. But the true turning point came after.
In 1972, Ferrari introduced the 312 P. It was a masterpiece—a flat-12 engine from Formula 1 wrapped in a stunning red prototype body. It dominated, winning the World Championship of Makes. It was Ferrari at its absolute peak.
And then, in 1973, Enzo Ferrari made a strategic, earth-shattering decision: he pulled the plug.
He chose to abdicate the endurance throne to focus every resource on reclaiming glory in Formula 1. The 1973 season was Ferrari's last factory effort, and for 50 years, the top class of Le Mans and the WEC was without its "Red Line."
Keeping the Flame Alive: The GT Era
But the line was never truly broken. It just went underground.
While the factory was officially absent, the spirit lived on. First, through privateers in the 1990s with the beautiful 333 SP prototype, a car that kept the V12 howl alive at Daytona and Sebring.
More importantly, the flame was carried by the factory's GT programs. Here, partners like AF Corse became the de facto Ferrari endurance team, delivering countless class championships and Le Mans victories with the F430, 458 Italia, and 488 GTE. They perfected the art of endurance, keeping the team sharp for a return they may not have known was coming.
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2023: The Return of the King (The 499P)
When the new "Hypercar" rules were announced, the call was finally made. Ferrari would return.
And it would be AF Corse—the team that never left—who would run the factory program. The car, the 499P, was a perfect blend of past and future.
In 2023, in an act of pure cinematic destiny, Ferrari returned to Le Mans for the 24-hour race's 100th anniversary, 50 years after its last official entry. And they won.
But that was a single, perfect battle. The 2025 season was the war.
The Red Line is Complete
The 2025 FIA WEC Constructors' and Drivers' titles are the final coronation. The 499P is the car that finished what the 312 P started. It brought the kingdom back to Maranello.
This victory is not just a new title. It is the fulfillment of a 53-year-old promise. The red line is, once again, unbroken.
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The Author : Emanuela Petrelli
Emanuela Petrelli is an automotive curator and experience designer with a deep passion for mechanical beauty and narrative design. She is the founder of Still Motion, a curated archive of limited edition automotive prints and editorial storytelling. Through her work, she explores the visual legacy of performance machines and the cultural codes behind their presence.
