Ferrari

The Ferrari 296 GT3 arrived at the start of the 2023 season, replacing the 488 GT3 EVO that had been a fixture on GT3 grids since 2016. Where the 488 used a twin-turbocharged V8, the 296 brought a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 — the same fundamental engine architecture as the road-going 296 GTS. It was a significant shift, and it immediately proved competitive.

The aerodynamic package is aggressive: a large rear wing, a pronounced front splitter, and bodywork shaped for high-downforce balance. Ferrari arrived with fewer teething problems than most new GT3 homologations. The 296 GT3 is not the loudest car on the grid — that crown still belongs to the V10s — but lap time is another matter.

Ferrari's modern GT3 history runs through three cars: the 458 Italia GT3, the 488 GT3 EVO, and now the 296. Across all three generations, AF Corse has been the de facto factory operation, winning GT World Challenge Europe titles and competing at every prestige endurance event.

The 296 extended that tradition immediately. In GTWCE, Ferrari entries were at the front from the first season. At Le Mans, the LMGT3 class has become Ferrari's annual showpiece, with multiple factory-supported entries chasing overall GT3 honours at the world's most famous race.

The 296 GT3 competes across GTWCE Sprint and Endurance, IMSA GTD and GTD Pro, the Intercontinental GT Challenge, and the LMGT3 class at Le Mans and in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Entries appear in Asia-Pacific championships, Middle Eastern series, and regional European competitions alongside the headline programmes.

The breadth of Ferrari's GT3 grid presence reflects both the car's competitiveness and the strength of the brand. Customer teams compete in Ferrari livery because winning in one is commercially meaningful.

AF Corse anchors Ferrari's factory-aligned customer racing effort with a level of factory access that most independent customer teams cannot match. Ferrari Client Racing manages the broader customer programme — technical support, driver development, and access to factory data.

The pathway through Ferrari's programme is real. Drivers who prove themselves in GT3 — like Nicklas Nielsen and Alessio Rovera — have stepped into Ferrari's Hypercar programme at Le Mans and in the WEC. GT3 is not a dead end; it is the first step on a well-defined ladder.