The Hypercar category in the FIA WEC is in full swing and is being dubbed the Platinum era for sports car racing! All the attention might be on the major heavyweight manufacturers, but the plucky independent underdogs can never be forgotten. The spirit lives on with Le Mans Ultimate.

The Isotta Fraschini Tipo 6 LMH Competizione follows in the footsteps of the Glickenhuas and Vanwall cars that proceeded it – taking the fight to the establishment.

Isotta Fraschini is one of the oldest names in motoring, and the return to competition for the marque, heralds a new beginning for the boutique Italian sports car manufacturer. The Tipo 6 has all the ingredients. With support from Michelotto and Williams Advanced Engineering, the team elected the Duqueine team to run the car in the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship.

Budget and resources were always going to put them on the back foot,  and with a young driver line-up, 2024 was always going to be a development year. The car made its debut in the Middle East – at the 1812km of Qatar – sadly retiring on its international debut.

Finishes would follow at their home round in Imola with 17^th,  which would be bettered by a 15^th in the Ardennes forest. At the big one, Le Mans in France, Le Mans Ultimate followed the team during the week for a mini documentary (which can be watched here) – seeing the plucky independent team take the car to 14^th overall beating Alpine and BMW in the process – with the larger manufacturers retiring both cars during the gruelling 24 hours.

The car took a step forward in Sao Paulo with a supportive BoP boost allowing the team to mix it with other Hypercars until the car retired with engine failure. The car was loaded and made its way to COTA. However the car sat in storage during the COTA round, with the team finishing their agreement with Duqueine and electing to pause their racing commitments – citing a focus on a 2025 programme and road car development. We hope to see the team return to Qatar in 2025.

Thanks to Le Mans Ultimate, the legacy of the Tipo 6 will live on. You can take the car to COTA, Fuji and Bahrain and fight your way into the points. Could you even push to victory and help David beat Goliath once and for all?