What does it mean to be a Factory Ferrari driver?

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Phil Hanson’s ascent to Ferrari factory driver status is the stuff of endurance racing dreams, sealed by a string of triumphs that turned heads in Maranello. Now officially part of the Scuderia’s endurance program with a multi-year deal, the British ace earned his stripes through grit, speed, and results that spoke louder than promises.

From Karts to Prototypes

Hanson’s journey kicked off in karting, where he claimed the Super One Junior X30 title in 2015 before leaping into single-seaters and prototypes as a teenager. By 2017, at just 17, he debuted at Le Mans—the youngest overall finisher at the time—and quickly stacked wins in LMP3 with DragonSpeed, then dominated LMP2. Teaming with United Autosports, he secured ELMS and WEC LMP2 titles in 2020, including a class win at Le Mans, building a reputation as a relentless performer.

2025: The Hypercar Breakthrough

Hanson’s 2025 season with AF Corse’s #83 Ferrari 499P was electric, starting strong with a second place at Qatar behind the factory #51. At Le Mans, despite a night stint mistake that handed the lead to James Calado, he, Robert Kubica, and Yifei Ye fought back for overall victory—the first customer team win in 20 years and Ferrari’s third straight. They kept the pressure on, finishing runner-up in the Drivers’ Championship and winning the independent Hypercar Teams’ title.

#83 AF Corse – Ferrari 499P – Hybrid: Yifei Ye, Robert Kubica, Phillip Hanson FIA WEC TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps, Free Practice 1, Circuit de Spa Francorchamps, Route du Circuit, Stavelot, Belgium © Paul Foster
#83 AF Corse – Ferrari 499P – Hybrid: Yifei Ye, Robert Kubica, Phillip Hanson FIA WEC TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps, Free Practice 1, Circuit de Spa Francorchamps, Route du Circuit, Stavelot, Belgium © Paul Foster
#83 AF Corse – Ferrari 499P – Hybrid: Yifei Ye, Robert Kubica, Phillip Hanson FIA WEC TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps, Free Practice 1, Circuit de Spa Francorchamps, Route du Circuit, Stavelot, Belgium © Paul Foster
#83 AF Corse – Ferrari 499P – Hybrid: Yifei Ye, Robert Kubica, Phillip Hanson FIA WEC 6 Hours of Imola, Free Practice 3, Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
#22 United Autosports – Oreca 07 – Gibson – Frederick Lubin, Philip Hanson, Ben Hanley 6 Hours of Portimão, Free Practice 1, Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, Portimão, Algarve, Portugal
#22 United Autosports USA Oreca 07 – Gibson LMP2: Philip Hanson, William Owen, Filipe Albuquerque Bapco 8 Hours of Bahrain, Free Practice 1, Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Kingdom of Bahrain
#22 UNITED AUTOSPORTS – Oreca 07 – Gibson: Philip Hanson, Filipe Albuquerque, Paul Di Resta, 2019/2020 FIA WEC, Lone Star Le Mans, Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas, USA
#22 United Autosports – ORECA 07 – Gibson: Phil Hanson, Filipe Albuquerque, Paul di Resta Podium, 24 Heures du Mans, Circuit des 24 Heures ,Le Mans ,Pays da la Loire, France