The 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans was the centenary edition of the race, and it marked Ferrari's return to top-class prototype competition after exactly 50 years away. The No. 50 Ferrari 499P, driven by Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen for Ferrari AF Corse, qualified on pole position — the first Ferrari pole at Le Mans in the modern era of its top-class return — before finishing 5th overall on the Circuit de la Sarthe on 10–11 June 2023.
Ferrari's Return to Le Mans: The 499P Hypercar
The Ferrari 499P is Ferrari's first factory-built Le Mans Hypercar (LMH), developed in partnership with AF Corse. Its designation is no accident: 499 references the 499 cc per-cylinder displacement of its 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 internal combustion unit, while 'P' stands for Prototipo, directly invoking Ferrari's classic sports prototype naming lineage. The ICE produces around 500 hp, combined with a front-axle hybrid electric motor of up to 200 kW, for a regulated total system output of 500 kW in line with LMH regulations.
Race Number 50, Pole Position, and 50 Years of History
The choice of race number 50 was deliberate: it encoded the half-century since Ferrari's last top-class Le Mans entry in 1973. The No. 50 car's Rosso Corsa livery carried special '50 Years' branding to mark that anniversary. Fuoco, Molina and Nielsen secured pole position for the centenary race — a genuinely historic qualifying result in Ferrari's Le Mans comeback narrative. While the outright victory in 2023 went to the sister No. 51 car (Ferrari's first overall Le Mans win since the 250 LM in 1965), the No. 50's pole position gives it a distinct and separate identity in the historical record of that weekend.
BBR Models: Resin Craftsmanship at 1:43
BBR Models — Base Box Resin — is an Italian specialist manufacturer with a long-standing association with Ferrari subjects. This 1:43 scale model is cast in resin, the material that defines BBR's range and enables precise surface reproduction of complex aerodynamic bodywork. Resin construction means a sealed, one-piece body with no opening parts; detail is concentrated on the exterior surfaces — the LMH aerodynamic package, the Rosso Corsa livery with its '50 Years' branding, and the race number graphics. BBR's 1:43 Ferrari race car releases are consistently regarded as reference pieces in this scale.
In the Display Cabinet
At 1:43 scale, the model is compact enough to sit alongside other WEC Hypercar subjects without demanding significant shelf depth. The natural companion piece is the race-winning No. 51 Ferrari 499P from the same event, or the Toyota GR010 Hybrid No. 8 that finished second. For collectors building a Ferrari endurance racing timeline, this model bridges the gap between the 1965 250 LM era and Ferrari's contemporary Hypercar programme.
Frequently asked questions
Does the model have opening parts?
No. As a resin model, the body is a sealed one-piece casting with no opening doors, bonnet or engine cover. All detail is concentrated on the exterior: the LMH aerodynamic surfaces, the Rosso Corsa livery with its anniversary branding, and the No. 50 race graphics.
What is the significance of the No. 50 car versus the race-winning No. 51?
The No. 51 Ferrari 499P won the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans outright, but the No. 50 car driven by Fuoco, Molina and Nielsen is the pole-position qualifier for that race. The two cars represent distinct historical moments from the same centenary weekend and are not interchangeable as collector pieces.
Why does the name '499P' reference 499 cc?
Ferrari's naming convention for the 499P follows the historic Prototipo formula: 499 refers to the per-cylinder displacement (499 cc) of the 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6, and 'P' stands for Prototipo, connecting the car directly to Ferrari's mid-century sports prototype heritage.
