AF Corse has announced that it will field a pair of Ferrari 499Ps in the 2026/27 Asian Le Mans Series, becoming the first team to confirm its presence on the series’ maiden Hypercar grid.
The #47 Ferrari will be run in conjunction with Cetilar Racing, and be piloted by Roberto Lacorte, Nicola Lacorte and 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Antonio Fuoco, with 58-year-old Roberto fulfilling the role of the mandatory Bronze-rated driver.
Roberto and FIA Formula 3 racer Nicola are set to become the first father-and-son pairing to share a Hypercar.
Cetilar Racing finished as LMP2 runner-up in last season’s Asian Le Mans Series, with Roberto Lacorte, Fuoco and Charles Milesi winning two races aboard an AF Corse-supported ORECA 07 – Gibson.
“The new challenge we’re about to take on alongside Ferrari, in a top-tier category like Hypercar and in a rapidly growing championship like the Asian Le Mans Series, is a milestone in Cetilar Racing’s history,” Roberto Lacorte said.
“And the fact that it coincides with the 10th anniversary of our first participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which took place in June 2017, speaks volumes about how much the team has grown over this decade, gaining experience and achieving success in the world’s most important endurance championships.
“With the usual, invaluable support of AF Corse, we’ll be taking to the track in a marvellous and winning prototype like the Ferrari 499P, and we’re truly thrilled to be the first private team to experience this moment, driven by the same passion that has always set us apart.
“A beautiful, challenging, and exciting challenge awaits us: we can’t wait to take it on and share it with all our fans who have supported us for years, starting with the unveiling of the new No.47 livery, which we’ll reveal towards the end of October.”
The sister #90 Ferrari will be driven by Luís Pérez Companc, and Le Mans winners Nicklas Nielsen and Ye Yifei, both of whom have recently signed multi-year contract extensions with Ferrari.
Two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans class podium finisher Pérez Companc has competed in both LMP2 and GT racing with AF Corse over the past two decades, including alongside Nielsen in the LMP2 class of the IMSA Sportscar Championship in 2024 and 2025.
Nielsen commented: “I’m very happy to be racing in the Asian Le Mans Series with Luís and Yifei. We’ve been doing quite a lot of LMP2 together with Luís, so I’m looking forward to driving with him again in such as competitive championship. It’s always nice to drive the 499P, so I’m looking forward to trying a new environment.”
The 2026/27 Asian Le Mans Series season will begin at the Circuit Paul Ricard, France on 14th to 15th November 2026 with a pair of four-hour races.
Images courtesy of Andrew Lofthouse, Asian Le Mans Series and Jack Webster/Dailysportscar
