AF Corse retains Le Mans winning trio for 2026 FIA WEC campaign
AF Corse has officially retained its championship winning driver lineup for the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season. Robert Kubica and Phil Hanson have been re-confirmed to join the already announced Yifei Ye in the #83 Ferrari 499P hypercar. This ensures that the same trio that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2025 will stay together to defend their title and push for a world championship in 2026. In 2025, this trio finished as runners up in the hypercar World Endurance Drivers’ Championship missing out by a mere 16 points. By maintaining the status quo while other teams are shuffling their line ups (Mick Schumacher leaving Alpine for IndyCar), the #83 crew enters 2026 as arguably the most cohesive and dangerous threat on the grid.
The retention of this specific group highlights Ferrari’s long term talent strategy. After a standout season in 2025 where Hanson “showed his worth” following a move from JOTA Porsche, the 26 year old Brit was signed to a multiyear Ferrari factory contract in January 2026. Despite being 41 and facing rumours of retirement at the end of 2025, Kubica stated he still feels “super motivated” and physically capable of competing at the highest level. As a Ferrari factory driver since 2024, Ye has become the technical anchor for the satellite program, entering his third consecutive year with 499P.
Antonelli Coletta, Global Head of Ferrari Endurance provided the rationale for why this specific line up was preserved for 2026. “After a successful season … during which he not only won the 24 Hours of Le Mans … but also showed consistency and excellent performance throughout the championship, we are delighted to welcome [Phil] into our family.”
By maintaining its winning trio, Ferrari is exploiting the rare advantage of total technical and human stability in a year when the hypercar field is becoming increasingly fragmented. There is a subtle regulatory risk underpinning this analysis. WEC has a capped grid and with Genesis entering two cars in 2026, there was speculation that “third” cars from existing manufacturers might be cut to make room. Ferrari’s commitment to the #83 car ensures the FIA World Cup for hypercar teams remains viable. Without the yellow Ferrari, the “privateer” side of the sport would lose its most marketable and competitive entry, which is likely helped secure their 2026 entry slot.
The success of this line up is the primary reason Genesis (Hyundai) and other manufacturers are entering the grid in 2026. The consequence of AF Corse’s 2025 Le Mans win is that it proved a customer car can win the biggest race in the world. This has established the hypercar class by showing independent teams that there is a path to the podium, preventing a “manufacturing only” monopoly that killed endurance era in the past.
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