AF Corse has introduced that Robert Kubica will stay in its Hypercar workforce as a part of an unchanged driver line-up for the 2026 World Endurance Championship.
The ex-Components 1 driver will as soon as once more workforce up with Ye Yifei and Phil Hanson within the #85 Ferrari 499P, the privately-run satellite tv for pc automotive campaigned by AF Corse.
This implies all three Ferrari Hypercar entries will contest the 2026 WEC with the identical drivers as final 12 months, with the manufacturing unit workforce having not made any adjustments to its two line-ups because it joined the highest class in 2024. Reigning champions James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi and Alessandro Pier Guidi will as soon as once more pilot the #51 499P, whereas Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen will once more drive the sister #50 automotive.
Kubica stepped as much as the WEC’s high class in 2024 with Ferrari’s satellite tv for pc workforce after a title-winning LMP2 marketing campaign with WRT the earlier 12 months.
He initially teamed up with Ye and Robert Shwartzman within the yellow-liveried Ferrari, earlier than Shwartzman’s departure to IndyCar in 2025 opened up a spot for Hanson.
Collectively, the trio gained the Le Mans 24 Hours outright in June final 12 months, beating the #6 Porsche Penske 963 LMDh of Laurens Vanthoor, Kevin Estre and Matt Campbell to the highest spot.
#83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Robert Kubica, Yifei Ye, Philip Hanson
Photograph by: AG Photograph – Daniele Paglino
Though there have been some query marks over whether or not Kubica will proceed within the WEC after turning 41 in December, Tuesday’s announcement confirms that he’ll lengthen his tenure within the high echelon of sportscar racing by not less than one other 12 months.
He would be the solely non-factory driver within the #85 line-up, with each Ye and Hanson now having works standing. Ye, who was beforehand affiliated with Renault and Porsche, turned a works driver forward of his first marketing campaign with AF Corse in 2024, whereas Hanson joined its works roster firstly of this month.
Ferrari will head into 2026 after a dominant marketing campaign final 12 months, through which it gained each the drivers’ and the producers’ championship, in addition to scoring an outright win at Le Mans.
The Prancing Horse has elected to not use any of its remaining evo jokers to replace the automotive that has develop into the benchmark in WEC, though it has made a number of different adjustments to the automotive to enhance its efficiency and reliability.
The 2026 WEC marketing campaign begins in Qatar on 28 March and options the identical eight rounds as final 12 months.
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