Hanson Targeting Parallel Hypercar, U.S. GT3 Programs

Ferrari factory driver Phil Hanson is targeting additional outings in GT3 machinery alongside his FIA World Endurance Championship commitments next year, and is particularly eager to race in the U.S.

It was announced earlier this month that Hanson has been re-signed as a Ferrari factory driver for 2027 and it is likely he will remain aboard the satellite No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P next season.

But the Briton said there is a “mutual expectation” that he will also compete in other series and race in GT3 machinery for the first time since he won the Britcar Endurance Championship in the UK as a teenager at the wheel of an Audi R8 LMS GT3 in 2016.

“There’s a clear direction from Ferrari to utilize drivers for their customer programs and racing in GT3 so, if I can fill a Phil Hanson-sized gap in the market for them, then that’s great — and I think I probably will be,” he said.

“Nothing’s confirmed yet but normally they plug and play us in GT programs so excited for whatever lies ahead.”

Hanson has specifically pinpointed American categories like the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship or GT World Challenge America powered by AWS as series he would particularly like to contest.

His previous WeatherTech Championship outings include several LMP2 appearances with United Autosports in 2018 and a handful of races in a JDC-Miller Motorsports Porsche 963 in 2024, during which he took a best result of third at Indianapolis.

“I got a taste of it in IMSA for a couple of years and had a very successful journey personally there doing the enduros with JDC in 2024,” he explained.

“While we didn’t get any results, I was able to lead races for them, I was able to out qualify Penskes for them.

“But, beyond that, America’s really grown on me in general — I like the racing out there, I like the tracks out there and WEC is my home now so if I can add to it, it would be somewhere like America.

“I actually get quite excited about the tracks and places you visit and the American way of going racing, which is quite different to WEC.

“I can appreciate both — I really enjoyed that year jumping between both dynamics.

“But obviously it’s not really what I want, it’s what Ferrari need.”

When asked if he had been pushing for additional outings alongside his WEC Ferrari 499P commitments, Hanson added: “I wouldn’t say pushing for, it’s just what’s required of me and I would be excited to do it. More racing in general is better.”

Despite a tough WEC season so far for Hanson, Robert Kubica and Yifei Ye aboard the No. 83 Ferrari, with only fifth being their best result, Hanson said it was “great for the confidence” to have his contract renewed.

“The ambition is to remain with this family for as long as possible,” he added. “I’m privileged to have this opportunity and to be renewed is great.

“Last year the highlight was winning Le Mans and finishing second in the championship, but there’s a lot of unfinished business.

“I’m hungry for more success in the future and confident in the team and people involved that they can actually produce that so it’s a great combination.”