Will Ferrari win Le Mans again?Not just in the GTS competition, but overall! Mr. Montezemolo, you have to think about that!Pleeeeeeeeeeease!
Just stating the obvious. From what I have read, it looks like Ferrari might, and I stress the might, build a Maser to race at Le Mans. Unfortunately, it appears that there are no plans for a factory team, sad to say. DrTax
Well its obvious Ferrari devotes most of its energy and resources to Formula 1. It would be awesome to see them Compete in Le Mans. They should definitely make an attempt. I mean I live for Formula 1, and the GT series, but, it would be cool to see domination in other leagues and classes.
"ANY" manufacturer can in all probability "over time" win overall at LeMans if they are willing to spend accordingly..........and the ACO rules are in their favor. And the Porsche factory doesn't enter a couple of works cars. (Sorry........couldn't resist) Plain and simple. If you are asking "will" Ferrari enter LeMans with that specific intent.........no one here has that answer I think.
From sources within. Ferrari has no intention at this time of entering a Ferrari in LeMans. However, the Maserati will in all probability be entered. Ferrari owns Maserati and would be using the Enzo as a base for the Maserati car so take that for how it sounds. Ferrari wants higher name recogition to Maserati to help offset some of the negative history that it has. But, look way back in Maserati history and you will see very successful racing history. If Ferrari enters the Maserati, they could conceivably control F1, Lemans, Grand Am (GTS and GT) and ALMS (if the GT cars can somehow unseat Porsche). Look for the Maser. Bentley is not going to re-enter this year and Audi has no plans for a factory car so it could be wide open. Waiting with baited breath.
I´m a F1 fanatic like you guys,but as you know, the Ferrari history and glory was made above all, by sport and GT cars.Ferrari is not Mclaren,neither Williams or Jordan!Ferrari to Le Mans now!Try to reduce Schummy salary, its a good start to save money!Try to sell the german to some italian soccer giant (He is a great soccer player).Dont thing that i dont like Schummacher but... Ferrari glory above all!Also in sport cars!
But a Masetati is not a Ferrari! Even the guys from Forza put a Maserati in the cover! An Audi is a Lamborghini?A Chrysler is a Mercedes?a VW is a Bugatti?
I don't think we will see Ferrari in Prototype/Le Mans racing, at least not an offical factory entry. I think these days racing has gone very much corporate, I think they have specific targets for each type of racing. For example, look at Ford, they use the Jaguar name plate to race in F1, possibily Aston Martin in GTS, and Ford in NASCAR and IRL. VW wants Bentley to be the one in Prototype now instead of Audi, there has been rumors in the past that Audi might move into F1, etc. Anyway, under the big Fiat umbrella, Ferrari is already in F1, enough said. Alfa Romeo is in touring, Fiat in Rally and now with Maserti in Prototype, they have got pretty much all of them covered. A great manufacture's move, but not as good of an news for racing fans. Then again, the days of 60's and 70's are long gone. It would be nice to see factory Ferrari effort in something else other than F1, to use them as a farm team and develop them for the future as BMW/Williams does.
All you say is right,today racing is 95% of business a 5% pure sport but whe have the example of the french group PSA (Peugeot and Citroen). They have two oficial teams in the World Rally Championship.And beleive me, the amount of money needed to have a winning team in WRC is almost the same of a F1 Team.Is perhaps bigger than the Bentley team ay Le Mans.And dont forget, as a tifosi that dont have a car factory to run, let me dream, Ferrari is passion.
Schumacher has stated that he has unfinished business at Le Mans and he would like to compete there again. In the December issue of F-1 magazine, the suggestion is made that he be offered a lifetime contract which would allow him to persue other racing interests with Ferrari's backing, including NASCAR (British pie in the sky theory of course). For Ferrari to come and do a full factory program at Le Mans and ALMS would be a stretch as the company is committed to F-1 and it takes a near F-1 annual budget to win the 24 Hours as shown by Audi and Bentley in recent years. The best we may hope for is the entry of the 575s in the GTS category which are factory built and we should suppose receive some factory support unlike Prodrive's entry which had the blessings of Maranello but little in the way of support. The Barron-Connor effort from Holland looks interesting and rumor has it that JMB is looking for gentlemen drivers to bring budget for such a deal. Depending on who you talk to on any given day, Ferrari may bring this Maserati Enzo project to the game. Frankly, I dont get it and Porsche is in the same boat with the Carrera GT which is a seemingly on again-off again project all of which falls perfectly into the lap of Aston Martin/Prodrive. BHW
With today's corporate environment... others have covered this topic well. Ferrari at 2004 Le Mans... Classic, that is. Well, not Ferrari, but Ferraris. I understand some drive balls-to-the-wall.
In UEFA site (www.uefa.com): Stellar cast put on a show Thursday, 03 July 2003 Schumacher skill Michael Schumacher caught the eye with some unexpected qualities - skill, vision, pace and shooting ability - and this was a match where football certainly lived up to its billing as the "beautiful game" as Spanish referee Arturo Íbañez barely had to blow his whistle. In Atlas F1 Newsletter: Thursday July 3rd, 2003 Guest Star Schumacher Drives Benefit Match World Formula One Champion Michael Schumacher switched from motor racing to soccer on Wednesday but kept his winning ways alongside some of the world's top players in a benefit match organised by Luis Figo. Paired in midfield with Figo's Real Madrid teammate Zinedine Zidane, Schumacher drew cheers as he had a hand in two goals scored by a UNICEF side and two by the Luis Figo Foundation in a game drawn 5-5. Schumacher hit the bar with a right-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area in the 33rd minute and beat Figo's goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, but teammate Sergio Conceicao headed the ball in for UNICEF's first goal. Frenchman Robert Pires picked up a back pass from Schumacher just before halftime to flick the ball to Zidane who then beat his marker and former Real Madrid teammate Fernando Hierro to blast the ball home. The German racing driver changed sides in the second half and showed he knew his way around a football field by setting up Portuguese international striker Pauleta for two goals with a pair of well taken forward passes. But while Schumacher was the crowd's favourite at Boavista's Bessa stadium, one of ten being built or rebuilt in Portugal to host Euro 2004, Brazilian striker Ronaldo scored the most spectacular goal of the night for Figo's all-star side.