Boutique car manufacturer Isotta Fraschini has pulled out of the World Endurance Championship with immediate effect, leaving a depleted Hypercar class for this month’s sixth round in Austin.
Disagreement with the Duqueine Team, which was responsible for running a single Tipo 6-Competizione, is understood to be the key reason behind the Italian marque's sudden decision to withdraw from the remainder of the eight-round season.
While the dispute will move to the court of law, Isotta’s top management for now has chosen to stop its endurance racing programme and redirect resources to expand its track and road car initiatives.
"We are immensely proud of our achievements in our debut season. Competing in the WEC was an honor and an incredible experience, with the 24 Hours of Le Mans as the highlight," said Miguel Valldecabres, Director of Motorsport and CEO of Isotta Fraschini.
"This very difficult decision was not taken lightly, but it allows us to build on our experiences, promoting the growth of our brand and the development of our products in both the racing and Hypercar markets.
"As a new manufacturer with big ambitions, not continuing in the WEC in 2024 is a strategic obligation to preserve our resources and ensure the continuity of our project.
"Despite this difficult setback, we are excited about what lies ahead for the future. Our journey as a high-performance brand continues and we look forward to reaching new heights."
Duqueine had taken over from Vector Sports as Isotta’s factory team in November 2023, four months before the car was supposed to make its race debut in Qatar.
Duqueine brought it with touring car ace Jean-Karl Vernay as the lead drivers and placed its bet on two young silver-rated racers Antonio Serravalle and Carl Wattana Bennett, who brought in sponsors to help fund the programme.
Interestingly, Bennett was inducted into the line up just three weeks before the start of the season, replacing the team's original signing Garcia.
Isotta entered the year with very limited testing under the belt and it was only manufacturer’s partner Michelotto Engineering that enabled the development of its hybrid LMH contender during the season. The team went on to finish a respectable 14th on its first outing at the Le Mans 24 Hours in June after not recording any serious reliability issues during the twice-round-the-clock enduro.
Meanwhile, Duqueine did not contribute in terms of any on-track testing of the car after the start of the year, leading to a breakdown of the partnership with Isotta.
Isotta’s on-track future beyond 2024 now remains a mystery, with WEC requiring manufacturers to field two cars from next season. If no solution is reached, it is likely that Isotta’s spots on the grid wil go to a privateer team running customer cars.
"Isotta Fraschini expresses sincere gratitude to sponsors, drivers, partners and fans for their unwavering support during this inaugural season. The company also thanks the WEC and the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) for their support and hopes for a possible return in the near future," the statement added.
The Hypercar grid is left with 18 cars for the remainder of the year following Isotta’s premature exit.
