WEC

Isotta Fraschini Hypercar test plan outlined ahead of Monza WEC debut

The revived Isotta Fraschini marque’s new Le Mans Hypercar will be on track by early April and remains on course for a World Endurance Championship debut at Monza in July.

Gary Watkins

Edited: Mar 23, 2023, 7:47 AM

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Tipo 6 LMH Competizione

Development of the Tipo 6 LMH Competizione led by Michelotto in Italy has continued since the launch at the end of February of the completed car powered by a bespoke three-litre twin-turbo V6 developed by HWA and a hybrid system supplied by Williams Advanced Engineering.

It is currently running on an all-wheel-drive dyno at automotive engineering specialist AVL in Italy for a second time and has also been to the Sauber wind tunnel in Switzerland for aerodynamic testing.

Isotta motorsport boss Claudio Berro told Motorsport.com that the car should be ready to start track testing in conjunction with the British Vector Sport team in “one or two weeks”.

“We need the functionality to be perfect before we run the car for the first time, whether that’s on a proper race track or in straightline testing,” said Berro.

“We are planning an extensive test programme, and after that we will begin the homologation process with the FIA.

“The target is still to be at Monza [round five of the WEC on 9 July], and we believe that is realistic.

“But that depends on the car performing correctly on track and the FIA and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest [the WEC promoter] accepting our entry.”

Vector Sport team principal Gary Holland, whose operation announced a partnership with Isotta in late December, added that “the way things are going so far means that everything is pointing towards us being at Monza provided we get the race-by-race entry”.

Tipo 6 LMH Competizione

Photo by: Isotta Fraschini

“We have a lot of venues booked or on standby, so that the moment the car is ready to run we can be flat-out testing on track,” he said.

Holland explained that the Tipo 6 will remain based in at Michelotto, Ferrari’s former partner for its GT programmes, during initial development leading up to its projected Monza debut.

“This is a real collaboration: it’s not just Isotta and Michelotto handing over a car to us,” he said.

“They are immersed in the project, as we are, and the car will be based at Michelotto through the development phase because logistically that makes sense.”

Berro outlined an intent for Tipo 6 to take part in all remaining rounds of the 2023 WEC once its makes it debut, which would mean it also competing at Fuji and Bahrain in Septemer and November respectively should Isotta hit its target of competing at Monza.

No drivers have been revealed for the programme so far, but Berro suggested an official test driver could be announced shortly. Vector regular Ryan Cullen is expected to be heavily involved in the LMH programme.

Holland revealed that talks are on-going “with a lot of drivers, a number with LMP1 experience”.

Isotta went public with its LMH programme as recently as October last year, outlining an intent to make a full-season entry and then join the series at round three at Spa at the end of April.

It was subsequently turned down by the FIA and the ACO and revised its plans to join the series later in the season racing on a non-points basis.

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