Ferrari’s legacy at Le Mans: 11 overall wins

The images of Prancing Horse cars – etched into the collective imagination of endurance racing fans – and of the drivers whose faces are part of the legend of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, recount a special relationship. One that has always bound Ferrari to the world’s oldest and most technically and competitively demanding endurance race, and, for all these reasons, also the most coveted. With 11 overall wins – the last two back-to-back, courtesy of the 499P – and 29 class victories, a strong bond has always united the Maranello-based manufacturer and the Circuit de la Sarthe, a red thread of epic feats and prestigious results running from 1949, when Ferrari claimed the overall win on its Le Mans debut.

Here are some key moments in the story of the Prancing Horse’s overall victories.

1949 – The Prancing Horse claimed victory on its debut in the world’s most important endurance race. This legendary feat saw Lorenzo Chinetti – paired with Lord Selsdon – drive the Ferrari 166 MM Barchetta Touring for over 23 hours. 

1954 – After completing 302 laps, Argentine driver José Froilán González and Frenchman Maurice Trintignant triumphed at the wheel of the Ferrari 375 Plus, a spider designed by Pinin Farina. Powered by a five-litre V12 engine delivering 330 hp (243 kW), it boasted a top speed of 280 km/h. 

1958 – The first of three victories achieved by one of the most iconic cars in the Prancing Horse’s history: the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa. Scaglietti designed this car with a 2,953 cc V12 engine that delivered 300 hp (221 kW). Its low weight of just 800 kilograms enabled a top speed of 270 km/h. Phil Hill and Belgian driver Olivier Gendebien were first over the finish line. 

1960 – On 26 June, an unusual date for the 24 Hours of Le Mans – typically held mid-month – Olivier Gendebien and Paul Frère claimed victory in France after a gruelling 314-lap race in the Ferrari 250 TR 59/60. 

1961 – The Ferrari 250 TRI/61 carried Gendebien and Phil Hill to the pairing’s first Le Mans triumph. That same year, Hill also achieved a historic double victory in Formula 1 with the Ferrari 156 F1, taking Ferrari’s first manufacturers’ title and his only drivers’ title. 

1962 – Olivier Gendebien – once again alongside Phil Hill – celebrated his fourth victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, completing an unmatched personal winning streak. The Belgian is the only driver to have won four times at Circuit de la Sarthe with the Maranello-based manufacturer. 

1963 – For the first time in history, the Prancing Horse secured victory with an all-Italian driver line-up. On 16 June, 27-year-old Lorenzo Bandini and 29-year-old Ludovico Scarfiotti took the chequered flag first in the Ferrari 250 P, Maranello’s first 12-cylinder mid-engined car, powered by a three-litre, 312 hp (229 kW) engine. 

1964 – Jean Guichet and Nino Vaccarella brought the Maranello brand its eighth overall victory and fifth consecutive win with the Ferrari 275 P. Powered by a V12 engine with a displacement of 3,285.73 cc that delivered 235 kW (320 hp), it achieved an impressive average race speed of 195.63 km/h, finishing ahead of two Ferrari 330 P models. 

1965 – Ferrari clinched its sixth consecutive victory with the 250 LM, an iconic car that became legendary with its outstanding performance – reaching a top speed of 287 km/h – and its unique styling. Jochen Rindt and Masten Gregory emerged victorious in this edition, completing 348 laps.

2023 – Ferrari returned to compete in the overall standings at Le Mans 50 years after its last participation and claimed victory with the Ferrari 499P number 51, the Le Mans Hypercar crewed by Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, and Antonio Giovinazzi, instantly cementing its place in motorsport history. 

2024 – The 499P triumphed again in the world’s most prestigious endurance race, with the number 50 crew of Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen taking victory. The celebrations at Le Mans were made all the sweeter by their teammates’ third-place finish in the number 51 car.