Official: Isotta Fraschini will not finish WEC season
The news broke late this afternoon, Wednesday August 21. Isotta Fraschini will not be continuing his World Championship adventure this year. Sao Paulo will be his last race.
The beginning of the end? Struggling since its first race in the Endurance World Championship, Isotta Fraschini has decided to call it quits. At least for this 2024 season. The Italian manufacturer has announced its withdrawal from the championship for the last three rounds to be played.
We are extremely proud of what we have accomplished during our first season. Participating in the WEC has been an honor and an incredible experience, with the 24 Hours of Le Mans as the highlight. This very difficult decision was not taken lightly, but it allows us to build on our successes, promoting the growth of our brand and the development of our products in the racing and hypercar markets. As a new manufacturer with great ambitions, not continuing in the 2024 WEC season is a strategic necessity to preserve our resources and ensure the continuity of our project,” admitted Miguel Valldecabres, director of the sports department and CEO of Isotta Fraschini.
A compromised return in 2025?
With much more modest means than the big players in the championship: Peugeot, Ferrari, Alpine, Porsche or Toyota, the Milan-based manufacturer was clearly lagging behind in terms of performance.
In Qatar, the Hypercar with the number 11 had to retire. At Imola, the prototype finished 14 laps behind the Toyota #7. In Spa, the gap was much smaller, due to race interruptions and various incidents, but the Isotta completed the race 3 laps down. At Le Mans, the trio Wattana Benett / Vernay / Serravalle had a trouble-free race, but the pace wasn’t there. Finally, in Sao Paulo, the most recent race, the Hypercar was the first car to retire.
With the Peugeot #94, the Isotta Fraschini was the only car that did not score any points this season.
The Italian constructor had expressed its desire to field two cars for the upcoming season, as the regulations require. But considering the situation, the brand may not be allowed to race by the FIA and the ACO. It also remains to be seen if the Duqueine team, which operates the car, will still be around in the coming months and if the few sponsors will be willing to stay.
An enthusiastic Jean-Karl Vernay at the start of the season
The only truly experienced driver within the team, Jean-Karl Vernay had shared his enthusiasm for this season of the World Endurance Championship during the first round. The brand had completed more than 12,000 km of testing to fine-tune the car. However, he admits that we had to adapt to a very complex car, especially with the hybrid system.
