Isotta Fraschini WEC Hypercar team completes first run “without a hitch”

The Isotta Fraschini team, which aims to participate in this year’s World Endurance Championship with its new Hypercar, says it has successfully completed a two day run of its Tipo 6 LMH machine.

The historic Italian manufacturer whose team is operated by Vector Sport – which already runs an LMP2 entry in the championship – completed a two-day test at the Vallelunga circuit in Italy over Tuesday and Wednesday. Michelotto Engineering test driver Maurizio Mediani was at the wheel.

The team intends to join other LMH entries to WEC this year – Ferrari, Porsche, Vanwall and Cadillac – which have arrived to compete against existing manufacturers Toyota, Peugeot and Glickenhaus.

However, Isotta Fraschini have only been permitted to join the championship on a race-by-race basis, rather than a full season entry. The team will not compete in June’s Le Mans 24 Hours but may have the opportunity to compete in this year’s championship in the later rounds.

That effort will have been boosted by the team completing its first run with its new Hypercar, the Tipo 6. The team reported on social media the two-day test had been completed “without a hitch”. Its motorsport managing director Claudio Berro said the team’s first laps with its hybrid system passed without issue.

“The first time of our car with wheels on the asphalt is obviously an exciting sensation for everyone,” said Berro, “starting with the technicians who built it who were present and thus finally saw it on the track.

“For all of us it was a good moment also because the day went according to plan, with major stops to fine-tune the car and analyse the data. I would say the last few laps with the hybrid system activated completed the first day with satisfaction for all.”

Vector Sport team principal Gary Holland said he hoped the team’s successful run would help their bid to join the championship in the later rounds of the season.

“The first roll-out of the test car that went relatively trouble-free and that’s very impressive,” Holland said. “We’re now looking forward to get the performance-running done and hopefully the homologation process, looking forward to the race-by-race entry until the end of the year.

“I hope the ACO [Automobile Club de l’Ouest – Le Mans organisers] can see the effort and the trajectory we’re on and can grant us the entry, so we can go and compete against the other LMH teams.”

The second round of the WEC season, the Six Hours of Portimao, takes place this weekend at the Autodromo do Algarve circuit in Portugal.

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