Planned debut for Isotta Hypercar postponed to Bahrain WEC round

The revived Italian car maker is now looking to the Bahrain series finale of the 2023 WEC in November to race its Tipo 6 LMH Competizione for the first time ahead of a full programme in 2024 with partner team Vector Sport.

Isotta motorsport boss Claudio Berro explained that the focus through the summer would now be on testing the car developed by Michelotto Engineering in Italy rather than rushing it into competition in the WEC's Hypercar class at Monza on 9 July.

“We need to develop the car properly on the track, because once we homologate the car for racing we freeze the specification,” Berro told Autosport.

“This decision was made together with the FIA and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest.

“We need to race once this year, which will be in Bahrain, but most important is to develop the car in testing.”

What will be the second run for Tipo 6 LMH after its shakedown at Vallelunga last month is planned for Monza on 16-17 May, which Berro explained will be followed by “a very strong test programme”.

“We will go back to Vallelunga, we will go to Monza again and Aragon; the plan is to complete 10-15,000km before we start to race,” he said.

Former Audi LMP1 driver Marco Bonanomi, who has links with Michelotto, will join the test programme at Monza.

Maurizio Mediani, who undertook the shakedown, is also likely to drive again, while Gabriel Aubry and Ryan Cullen from Vector’s 2023 LMP2 line-up in the WEC will also be involved.

Maurizio Mediani, Isotta Fraschini Tipo 6 LMH Competizione

Photo by: Isotta Fraschini

Homologation is planned for October, enabling the car powered by a three-litre twin-turbo V6 developed by HWA to begin racing at the Bahrain 8 Hours on 4 November.

The Tipo 6 LMH will need to be granted an invitational entry for the Middle Eastern race and would compete on a non-points basis.

Isotta will still have a presence at its home race at Monza. It plans to show both the LMH race car and a track day version dubbed the Tipo 6 Pista, which Berro said was “97% the same” as the WEC contender.

Isotta has stated that the delivery time for the second car would be nine months from the point of order, but has yet to reveal a price.