Jim Weeks

The very basis of Ferrari’s reputation is competition. Indeed, Enzo Ferrari himself famously only built road-going examples of his cars rather begrudgingly, at least seeing the silver lining that they would act to fund his real passion, racing. It is one of the sport’s great curiosities, then, that a brand which owes its very existence to competition has enjoyed relatively little success in the biggest endurance races.

You have to go back to 1973 to find the last factory Ferrari entry to compete in the top class of the Le Mans 24 Hours. Of course, that is set to change in 2023 when Maranello will join the new Le Mans Hypercar ranks with the aim of achieving a 10th overall victory at La Sarthe. Still, it’s been 57 years since a car bearing the Prancing Horse last led the way in the world’s largest endurance race – and even then it was Luigi Chinetti’s NART outfit that did it, with Jochen Rindt and Masten Gregory steering a 250 LM to victory.