Ferrari says its long-term future in the World Endurance Championship's Hypercar class will hinge on the new regulations continuing to allow manufacturers to build the entire car in-house.
The WEC is working with various stakeholders on a new unified set of rules to replace the current split between LMDh and LMH formulas, with a possible introduction as early as 2030.
Ferrari joined Hypercar by building a car to LMH rules, which gives more freedom with regard to development, but several manufacturers prefer the LMDh entry path, which allows them to purchase an off-the-shelf hybrid system.
The Prancing Horse extended its Hypercar commitment to the end of the 2029 season at last year's Le Mans 24 Hours, but it is waiting for the outcome to the current discussions about the next-gen rules.
Asked for an update on those talks, Antonello Coletta, global head of Ferrari Endurance, told Motorsport.com Italy: "Convergence is one of the issues that has been on the agenda since the launch of these new regulations.
"Having two different platforms doesn’t help, so it is in everyone’s interest that there be a single platform for the future. Ferrari has its own ideas: it will remain in this championship if it can continue to build its car 100%, as we are doing today, in accordance with the LMH regulations.
"For us, being able to build it 100% is a priority; if there is then the possibility of sharing something, as is the case with the LMDh, that is a choice each team will make based on its own strategies, but for us it is essential to build 100% of the car. This is the basis: a single platform and the ability to continue building the car 100%.
"The rest are details that will follow; it will certainly be important to define the type of drive system as well – whether four-wheel drive or two-wheel drive – which is currently what distinguishes the two platforms."
Despite the exit of Porsche and Lamborghini in recent years and the impending departure of Alpine after 2026, the Hypercar grid remains healthy thanks to the addition of several new entrants. Genesis joined the category this year, while Ford and McLaren will follow the Korean car maker in 2027.
However, each of the three manufacturers has opted for the LMDh ruleset, continuing a trend seen in recent years. Aston Martin (2025) and Isotta Fraschini (2024) are the only new manufacturers to join the class with an LMH prototype in recent years - and both did so without a hybrid system.
Asked for his thoughts on the increase in the number of LMDh entrants, Coletta added: "If we look closely, the brands that have left the championship, or are set to leave, are LMDh teams: I’m thinking of Porsche, Lamborghini, and Alpine is also set to leave.
"But among the LMHs, Toyota, Peugeot, Ferrari and Aston Martin have always remained. I believe there is a lot of rhetoric behind this story, and political discussions too.
"First and foremost, we need to assess whether the programme is sustainable, and I believe all the LMH brands have guaranteed this, which perhaps isn’t the case with the LMDhs. There is enthusiasm at the start, but little long-term vision, which has led to some problems for certain brands. I am very pleased that other major manufacturers are coming on board to ensure the championship’s success in terms of attendance.”
Once an LMDh or LMH prototype is homologated, any further development is restricted through a system of Evo Jokers. Each manufacturer must apply for a joker upgrade with the championship, which must then approve its use.
Originally, manufacturers were allowed five Evo Jokers for the initial five-year cycle of a car, but the extension of the current ruleset until 2029 has offered them opportunities for additional updates. The sporting regulations for 2026 also included a new clause that allows struggling manufacturers to request additional tokens.
Coletta downplayed cost escalations arising from the current system.
“In my view, it’s not a problem," he said. "When my team and I drew up the business plan, we already included the Joker Evo, as the regulations allow for it.
"If you’re drawing up a three- to five-year business plan, clearly all variables have to be included. We included them, and so did other manufacturers. If anyone hasn’t done so and is using it to justify leaving the championship, I think it’s an excuse and not the real reason.
"It seems absurd to me to penalise the possibility of being able to spend Joker Evos; Ferrari, moreover, is the one that has spent the least of all, so I find it a way to keep costs in check, albeit in the dark as we cannot predict what will happen as competitiveness grows.
"But we knew from day one that the Joker Evos would be there, so not having included them in one’s plan cannot come as a surprise.”
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