Leclerc leads Rookies with late flyer for Ferrari as Rossi stars on Hypercar tryout
Ferrari development driver Arthur Leclerc put in an eye-catching performance in today’s FIA World Endurance Championship ‘Rookie Test’ at Bahrain International Circuit, setting the pace amongst the series newcomers as Valentino Rossi similarly starred.
A traditional fixture on the WEC calendar following the final race of the campaign, the Rookie Test offers drivers the opportunity to sample different cars and different categories.
Leclerc, of course, has already established his endurance racing credentials in the European Le Mans Series, but still, the step-up from LMP2 to the headlining Hypercar division is significant. The 24-year-old Monégasque ace handled it in his stride.
“There was a huge amount of information to take in for my first day in the Hypercar, but I’m quite happy with the job I did,” he reported. “Ferrari have done an amazing job with this car, and you can really feel that behind the wheel. It’s a good car that gives you a lot of confidence to push.”
After completing 61 laps inside the cockpit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning #50 Ferrari AF Corse 499P, Leclerc wound up less than eight hundredths-of-a-second adrift of Nicklas Nielsen, who has driven the car for the past two seasons.
Rossi was no less impressive. On his maiden Hypercar outing, the nine-time motorcycling world champion looked immediately at home in the BMW M Hybrid V8. The Italian legend ultimately placed second on the Rookie timesheets, barely a tenth-of-a-second shy of Leclerc.
“It was a special opportunity to drive a Hypercar for the first time, because it’s the Formula 1 or MotoGP of the prototype world,” Rossi reflected. “It’s a proper racing car and was a lot of fun. Being 15 seconds a lap faster than the LMGT3, the straights feel a lot shorter!”
‘The Doctor’ ended up two spots ahead of BMW works driver Max Hesse – another enjoying Hypercar power for the first time – with the pair split by FIA Formula 2 Championship front-runner, Victor Martins. Belying his complete lack of prior endurance experience, the Frenchman came out-of-the-blocks flying in the morning as he quickly got to grips with Alpine Endurance Team’s podium-finishing A424 prototype.
Thomas Neubauer placed fifth in the Rookie classification in Ferrari’s #51 499P, followed by new AF Corse recruit Philip Hanson, in the #83 car the Brit will race in 2025. After topping the timesheets for much of the afternoon session in TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s title-triumphing GR010 Hybrid, Lexus LMGT3 regular Esteban Masson ultimately slipped to tenth.
In the LMGT3 class, Ben Barnicoat produced a stellar effort to outpace the entire field in Akkodis ASP Team’s Lexus RC F LMGT3, going almost seven tenths-of-a-second faster than anybody else could manage.
Mahaveer Raghunathan piloted Saturday’s race-winning Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296 LMGT3 to second in the Rookie order, a fraction ahead of Aurélien Panis – son of former Monaco Grand Prix winner, Olivier Panis – in the car the Frenchman was sharing with Barnicoat.
Top Rookie Test Times
Hypercar
1. Arthur Leclerc Ferrari 499P 1m50.460s
2. Valentino Rossi BMW M Hybrid V8 +0.117s
3. Victor Martins Alpine A424 +0.257s
4. Max Hesse BMW M Hybrid V8 +0.359s
5. Thomas Neubauer Ferrari 499P +0.570s
6. Philip Hanson Ferrari 499P +0.964s
LMGT3
1. Ben Barnicoat Lexus RC F LMGT3 2m01.772s
2. Mahaveer Raghunathan Ferrari 296 LMGT3 +0.851s
3. Aurélien Panis Lexus RC F LMGT3 +0.870s
4. Matteo De Palo Ferrari 296 LMGT3 +1.194s
5. Tom Gamble McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo +1.399s
6. Mattia Drudi Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3 Evo +1.400s
