With WEC crown, Ferrari is the new Hypercar benchmark

Toyota may have produced a throwback performance under the floodlights in Bahrain, dominating the final race of the 2025 FIA WEC season, but with a championship sweep secured by Ferrari and its No. 51 crew, the Prancing Horse has solidified its position as the new benchmark in Hypercar.

Ferrari is the fourth marque to claim a world manufacturers’ championship in the WEC after Audi, Toyota and Porsche. The 499P program, meanwhile, also delivered Ferrari its first top-class endurance world championship crown in 53 years, and it came in fine style, with the three AF Corse-operated cars finishing line-astern in third, fourth and fifth, putting both Porsche and Cadillac’s hopes of glory to the sword comfortably.

It was a mature run to the championship. Off the back of two seasons in which it claimed consecutive Le Mans wins but failed to string enough strong results together to take any full season titles, Ferrari set itself the target of winning the championship above all else in 2025. It did so by taking further strides in its operational capabilities, optimizing its package and making intelligent strategic decisions throughout the campaign.

Many will bemoan the role which balance of performance played in Ferrari’s title romp and its third straight win at La Sarthe with the No. 83 privately-entered prototype. There are debates to be had, but the reality is, in the aftermath of its wild celebrations in the pit lane, Ferrari deserves the highest of praise for its tireless work behind the scenes to take strides forward in key areas, which were crucial in helping write another champagne-soaked chapter for the brand in sports car racing. 

It did an admirable job of maximizing its potential on weekends, when the 499P – which became bulletproof reliable – was at its best early in the season, and limiting the damage after Le Mans, when it became clear that wins and podiums were going to be harder to come by. 

For the manufacturers’ world championship race, the factory cars' three-race win streak to kick off the year created a rock-solid platform to build on. Porsche and Cadillac mounted challenges, but in the end, Ferrari never looked back, and the tough finale for its closest rivals saw Toyota vault from fourth to second at the death with pole and a 1-2 finish in Sakhir.

Antonio Giovinazzi, Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado – a dream team of reliability. Jakob Ebrey/Getty Images

As for the drivers’ title, the No. 51 crew of Antonio Giovinazzi, Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado finished the season as the only crew to win multiple races outright. That, plus podiums in Qatar and Le Mans, and top-five finishes at COTA and the final race of the season in Bahrain, got them over the line. Only twice did they finish outside the points. To win titles, you’ve got to snatch every point possible, and this year, nobody else in the field could boast such consistency.

“After Le Mans, we made a goal in Ferrari to try to win the title,” Giovinazzi said post-Bahrain. “For me, it’s the first time, so for sure, it’s really emotional. For them (Calado and Pier Guidi), not, but to do it with them is something that we have worked really hard for these last three years. 

“We grew up like a team every year, every race. We managed to execute a fantastic season together.”

It was Giovinazzi's first world championship in the WEC. His teammates, meanwhile, now have four WEC titles – three in GTE Pro and now one overall on their CV. For both, when the car crossed the line, it was a goosebumps moment, with Calado jumping for joy in the garage and Pier Guidi clearly in shock behind the wheel.

“When you've got everything to lose, you start to think of things which you shouldn't. You start to hear funny noises and all these vibrations,” Calado said. “After the years of experience, I expected that going into this weekend, and I think we all kept really calm. We kept out of trouble. 

“That was the key – no mistakes, perfect pit stops and no penalties. The reward is there for that. Like I said, it was a tricky race. We weren't necessarily the quickest, but we were there.”

Pier Guidi was still stunned when he entered the press conference room after celebrating in the pit lane.

“Being a Hypercar world champion is something that I [can't] believe yet,” he added. “I think I need a bit of time. Maybe in an hour I will go to sleep, tomorrow I will wake up and understand that it is real.”

The second half of the season was packed with head-turning performances from the chasing, surging pack. Cadillac took a step up with its two-car JOTA effort, Alpine has a win with the A424 to its name, Aston Martin found speed with the Valkyrie and Peugeot continues to knock on the door of its first win with the 9X8. Add into the mix how Toyota suddenly looks ready for war in 2026 with an updated car in the pipeline and positive momentum, it’s apparent Ferrari has a brutal task on its hands to defend the titles. 

But that’s a bridge to cross next year. For now, it’s party time here in Bahrain and at home in Maranello, and nobody celebrates like the Italians.

"I've been with Ferrari for 25 years. In F1, we had incredible joy, and we were missing this great result. We build up a project – a multi-year project. Honestly, this was incredible,” Giuliano Salvi, Ferrari’s race and test team manager, explained.

“We step up every season, always raising our target, more and more beyond. It was incredible from the first demand in 2023, and then repeated every year. Then there was this final target that, for sure, for everybody who spends all their life inside the factory of the Prancing Horse, is something incredible. We are really extremely proud to achieve that today.”

“It's extremely emotional, of course, but it's really down to the team. Since we started in Sebring in ‘23 to now, you can't imagine the improvements and the effort that's been put into this whole program to get us to where we are today.

“The last time we won [a world sportscar championship overall] was 1972. It’s easy for me to remember because it’s the year I was born, so I’ve never seen this kind of championship.

“[Becoming] manufacturers’ champions and drivers’ champions just shows our strength, and we never give up.”