At a ceremony in Pisa, Cetilar Racing revealed its latest project: a factory-spec Ferrari 499P painted in electric blue with vivid green accents. The car, bearing the traditional number #47, will represent the team in the 2026-27 Asian Le Mans Series, a championship that is being run entirely on European circuits this winter because of the ongoing Iran crisis. The livery mirrors the colour scheme of the #83 499P that competes in the World Endurance Championship, tying the new entry to Ferrari’s current hypercar campaign while keeping Cetilar’s historic visual identity alive.
The Ferrari 499P in a fresh livery
The newly unveiled prototype features a metallic blue base that runs across the entire bodywork, punctuated by fluorescent green stripes that trace the cockpit canopy and a bold line across the front fascia. Those green elements echo the classic Cetilar palette seen on the team’s previous LMP and GT machines, creating a seamless visual link between past and present. According to team principal Roberto Lacorte, “Seeing the beautiful Ferrari 499P up close in our colours is an overwhelming feeling that I can hardly put into words.” The combination of blue and green not only distinguishes the car on track but also signals the squad’s ambition to make a bold impression in a series traditionally dominated by European manufacturers.
All-Italian driver trio and technical partnership
The driver roster is a true family affair. Roberto Lacorte will share the cockpit with his son, Nicola Lacorte, while seasoned Ferrari factory driver Antonio Fuoco completes the line-up. Lacorte senior explained, “The 499P is a legendary car, an extraordinary machine that I will get to share with a top driver like Antonio Fuoco and my son Nicola. That too is a dream come true.” Technical support for the hypercar comes from AF Corse, the outfit that runs Ferrari’s factory programmes in the World Endurance Championship, ensuring the Italian duo benefits from the latest engineering insights.
European-based calendar for a normally Asian series
The 2026-27 Asian Le Mans calendar comprises six four-hour races spread across three venues, all located in Europe. The season kicks off with the 4 Hours of Le Castellet on 14–15 November, followed by a double-header at Jerez on 16–17 January, and concludes with two races at Portimão on 20–21 February. Each round features two four-hour sprints, meaning the team will contest a total of six races in the inaugural hypercar class for the series. The shift to a European schedule was driven by unavoidable clashes with MotoGP at Buriram and the high cost of staging events in Southeast Asia.
Why the hypercar field is limited this season
Only two hypercars will line up on the grid: Cetilar’s 499P and a sister entry fielded by AF Corse, driven by Luis Perez Companc, Yifei Ye and Nicklas Nielsen. Earlier in the year, several prospective programmes – up to three Peugeot 9X8s, four Porsche 963s, and potential entries from Acura and Lamborghini – failed to materialise. Former WEC contenders such as Glickenhaus, Isotta Fraschini (now partnered with High Class Racing), and Vanwall were also linked to the series but could not secure a spot. Industry insiders point to a shortage of Bronze-rated drivers, a category of amateur racers mandated by the Asian LMS regulations, as the primary bottleneck. The limited pool of eligible drivers, combined with the calendar’s European focus, prompted a number of well-funded Asian amateurs to withdraw, leaving the hypercar grid thin but highly competitive.
Roberto Lacorte summed up the mood within the team: “We face a demanding but extremely exciting challenge with Cetilar Racing – a new chapter, undoubtedly the most significant one yet, for a team that has written important pages in the history of global endurance racing over the past ten years.” As the squad prepares to fire up the 499P at Paul Ricard (Le Castellet) in just two weeks, the Italian outfit hopes its bold colour scheme and all-Italian driver trio will turn heads and earn points in a historic season for the Asian Le Mans Series.
