Although Ferrari lost its FIA World Endurance Championship titles this season for the first time since the championship was instigated in 2012, the 458 Italia was the GT to beat in 2015. The car won the LM GTE Pro class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2012 and 2014 and LM GTE Am this year. It was a historic win as SMP Racing was the first ever Russian team to win at Le Mans. Victor Shaytar, Aleksey Basov and Andrea Bertolini went on to take two more WEC races, the 6 Hours of Nürburgring and the Circuit of the Americas, which secured them the driver and team titles.

Danish team Formula Racing also won the LM GTE class in two European Le Mans Series races with the Italia this year. WEC and ELMS combined, the Ferrari 458 Italia can boast twelve championship victories this year, with AF Corse, SMP Racing, Formula Racing and AT Racing. Will the car still be fielded next year? It is more than likely, because LM GTE Am regulations stipulate that cars must have competed in the previous season. If it remains in competition, we wager more success for the Ferrari 458 Italia.

Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO - Translated from French by Emma Paulay

Photo: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, LE MANS 24 HOURS, SUNDAY 14 JUNE 2015, RACE. Two Ferrari 458 Italias run by AF Corse made the podium in LM GTE Pro at Le Mans this year: second place for Davide Rigon, James Calado and Olivier Beretta (pictured) and third for Gianmaria Bruni, Toni Vilander and Giancarlo Fisichella.