With Season 1 2025 now on the horizon, iRacing’s wizards have been hard at work cooking up some tasty treats for iRacers the world over. New cars and tracks are on the way, while the simulation itself is set to receive a few major upgrades that will further enhance its immersion.
Arguably one of the most interesting developments to come out of iRacing’s development update that outlined the goodies that will be part of 2025 S1, which drops on Tuesday 10th of December, is another addition to the popular GTP class. It’s also a landmark one, as it marks the first time a World Endurance Championship LMH-spec vehicle makes an appearance in iRacing.
The vehicle in question? The two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winning Ferrari 499p.
Ferrari 499p Overview
iRacers who have fallen in love with the GTP class since it first debuted in iRacing at the end of 2022, and by association with the real-life WEC and IMSA series that the cars run in, will likely already be well versed with the Ferrari 499p. It made its real-life debut at the start of the 2023 WEC season, marking an end to a 50-year exodus of the storied brand at the top level of sports car racing.
While LMDh cars are built on LMP2 chassis and feature a spec Bosch hybrid unit that helps the internal combustion engine power the rear wheels, LMH vehicles are completely bespoke. Manufacturers can design their own hybrid systems alongside their engines, and the electric motors power the front wheels while the ICE takes care of the rears to make them all-wheel-drive. The hybrid only kicks in at higher speeds though, so LMHs gain no traction advantages over LMDh vehicles.
The 499p utilizes a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 alongside the hybrid powertrain, the ICE being similar to the one used in the 296 GT3 that also features in iRacing. With both powertrains combined, the 499p produces 680 hp.
Unlike its LMDh rivals, the 499p is also built on a bespoke chassis, rather than using a spec LMP2 one as a base.
The 499p Has Seen Great Success So Far
Despite the great fanfare over its return to top-level sports car racing, Ferrari knew it would have its work cut out dethroning Toyota, who had been the pacesetters in the championship for several years by this point. The 499p performed admirably though, with the #50 entry claiming a podium finish in its debut event at Sebring courtesy of Miguel Molina, Antonio Fuoco, and Nicklas Nielsen.
Their sister #51 crew later claimed the car’s first WEC victory in the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans, with James Calado, Alessandro Pier Guidi, and Antonio Giovanazzi climbing atop the rostrum. The #50 and #51 crews ended the year ranked third and fourth in the drivers standings behind the two Toyota machines, an impressive debut year. Ferrari was classified second of the seven manufacturers that took part.
Having added a third entry as a satellite team for 2023, Ferrari scored another couple of victories during its sophomore campaign in 2024. The #50 car claimed honors at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, while the satellite #83 AF Corse machine claimed a win in the Lone Star Le Mans at the Circuit of the Americas.
The #50 ended up fighting for the title until the very final round, though ended up as the bridesmaid to the #6 Porsche team.
How The 499p Fits Into The Current GTP Class
| Acura ARX-06 GTP | Mid-engined layout, twin-turbocharged 2.4-litre V6 |
| BMW M Hybrid V8 | Mid-engined layout, turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six |
| Cadillac V-Series.R GTP | Mid-engined layout, naturally aspirated 5.5-litre V8 |
| Porsche 963 GTP | Mid-engined layout, twin-turbocharged 4.6-litre V8 |
| Ferrari 499p | Mid-engined layout, twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 |
Despite being built to different regulations to the LMDh cars already included within iRacing, the 499p will be placed into the same GTP class. It will be fully BOP’d to be close in pace to the other models, though you’ll need to try it out for yourself when it becomes available on the 10th of December to work out whether it’s for you.
It will be eligible to race in the newly configured Prototype Challenge Series, which will consist solely of the GTP field of cars. It can also be utilized in the multi-class IMSA Sportscar Series, where you’ll need to wind your way through slower GT and LMP2 traffic, and long-distance special events like the 24 Hours of Daytona.
The LMDh Cars Now Have The Much-Requested Bump Start Feature
Alongside the 499p being added to the service, another swish feature that GTP fans will be happy to experience is the addition of bump starts to each of the LMDh cars. In real life, LMDhs leave the garage on pure electric power, before the engine then starts when the vehicle reaches the pit speed limit (or 37 mph.)
Many were frustrated this feature was omitted from the start due to the awesome sound of the V8s and V6s bursting into life being a fan-favorite element in their real-life counterparts. iRacing has now rectified this, and each LMDh will now bump start in the pit lane as of the 2025 S1 update. The Ferrari 499p doesn’t have this feature, as the engine fires up at the same time on LMH cars.
Need Some Setups?
We will be covering the new Ferrari 499P in the IMSA series through the entire Week 1 2025 season and beyond.
Gain seconds in lap time with our incredible iRacing setups that include professionally developed setups and referance laps for every car available in the official weekly racing series that you can find on iRacing.
Final Thoughts
With the 499p making its debut alongside the latest GT3 challenger, the Acura NSX GT3, iRacing’s suite of sports car machinery is looking pretty comprehensive. The debut of the first LMH vehicle should also bring hope that further examples of the breed could eventually arrive, such as the Toyota GR010 and the Peugeot 9×8.
There are also several LMDh cars yet to make their iRacing bows, such as the Alpine A410 and the Lamborghini SC63. It goes without saying that the more variety there is in a vehicle class, the more drivers it could potentially tempt into giving it a go. All look, drive, and sound different from one another, and it will be fascinating to see how the 499p stacks up against the competition.
