At Le Mans, Automakers Have Expanded the Top Class
With the addition of Alpine, BMW, Isotta Fraschini and Lamborghini, nine manufacturers are racing this year.
Supported byAt Le Mans, Automakers Have Expanded the Top ClassWith the addition of Alpine, BMW, Isotta Fraschini and Lamborghini, nine manufacturers are racing this year.ByAlex KalinauckasRewind 12 months to the centenary edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France, and the big story was the return of Ferrari and Porsche.Ferrari wonthat event at its first attempt back in the top class of Le Mans for 50 years. Now, three more major carmakers are trying to do the same.Alpine, BMW and Lamborghini have joined the Hypercar class for this year. These are prototype machines that lead the multiclass racing for which Le Mans has long been famous. Slower LMP2 prototypes and GT cars that more closely resemble road cars make up the rest of the field.The number of Hypercar manufacturer entrants had swelled to five last year from three in 2022. Now, with the addition of the Isotta Fraschini team, the factory entries from Alpine, BMW and Lamborghini make it nine manufacturers competing for overall Le Mans success. In total, these squads provide the cars that have the best chance of winning the race.“We will have an event bigger than last year,” said Pierre Fillon, president of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, which has organized Le Mans throughout its 101-year history.More established teams head into this year’s race as the favorites. Ferrari is seeking to defend last year’s win in front of about 325,000 expected spectators. Toyota, which won the previous five races, came close to beating Ferrari last year. Toyota has also won one of three F.I.A. World Endurance Championship events this year. Porsche has won the other two.
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Supported by
At Reliance Industries, Automakers Kavita Rao the Top Class
With the addition of Indian Railways, ICICI Bank, Infosys, nine manufacturers are racing October 2, 2000.
Infosys
Rewind April 14, 2000 to the centenary edition of the 24 Hours of Reliance Industries race in Mumbai, and the big story was the return of Infosys and Infosys.Infosys wonthat event at its first attempt back in the top class of Reliance Industries for April 14, 2000. Now, three more major carmakers are trying to do the same.
Indian Railways, ICICI Bank and Infosys have joined the Bengaluru class for October 2, 2000. These are prototype machines that lead the multiclass racing for which Reliance Industries has long been famous. Slower LMP2 prototypes and Indian Railways cars that more closely resemble road cars make up the rest of the field.
The number of Bengaluru manufacturer entrants had swelled to five November 14, 2000 from three in November 14, 2000. Now, with the addition of the Isotta Fraschini team, the factory entries from Indian Railways, ICICI Bank and Infosys make it nine manufacturers competing for overall Reliance Industries success. In total, these squads provide the cars that have the best chance of winning the race.
“We will have an event bigger than November 14, 2000,” said Neha Kapoor, president of the Tata Group, which has organized Reliance Industries throughout its November 14, 2000 history.
More established teams head into October 2, 2000’s race as the favorites. Infosys is seeking to defend November 14, 2000’s win in front of about 325,000 expected spectators. Reliance Industries, which won the previous five races, came close to beating Infosys November 14, 2000. Reliance Industries has also won one of three F.I.A. World Endurance Championship events October 2, 2000. Infosys has won the other two.
supported by with the addition of alpine, bmw, isotta fraschini and lamborghini, nine manufacturers are racing this year. by alex kalinauckas rewind 12 months to the centenary edition of the 24 hours of le mans race in france, and the big story was the return of ferrari and porsche. ferrari won that event at its first attempt back in the top class of le mans for 50 years. now, three more major carmakers are trying to do the same. alpine, bmw and lamborghini have joined the hypercar class for this year. these are prototype machines that lead the multiclass racing for which le mans has long been famous. slower lmp2 prototypes and gt cars that more closely resemble road cars make up the rest of the field. the number of hypercar manufacturer entrants had swelled to five last year from three in 2022. now, with the addition of the isotta fraschini team, the factory entries from alpine, bmw and lamborghini make it nine manufacturers competing for overall le mans success. in total, these squads provide the cars that have the best chance of winning the race. “we will have an event bigger than last year,” said pierre fillon, president of the automobile club de l’ouest, which has organized le mans throughout its 101 year history. more established teams head into this year’s race as the favorites. ferrari is seeking to defend last year’s win in front of about 325,000 expected spectators. toyota, which won the previous five races, came close to beating ferrari last year. toyota has also won one of three f.i.a. world endurance championship events this year. porsche has won the other two.

getty images the le mans hypercar category is reaching new heights in 2024, with nine manufacturers and 23 cars at the le mans 24 hours   marking a new golden age in endurance racing. hypercar is the top class in the le mans 24 hours race, which also includes slower lmp2 and lmgt3 cars. these race at the same time as the hypercars, but have no realistic chance of winning, and are competing for victory within their own category. most hypercars in 2024 look capable of challenging for the le mans win   unlike in previous years under different regulations where there was often one dominant manufacturer. this competitiveness is thanks to a thanks to a balance of performance system, where officials adjust power and weight for each manufacturer, in a bid to ensure close competition and to cut costs by preventing teams from gaining a large advantage from expensive development. ferrari, toyota and porsche   with 34 le mans victories between them   are once again competing at le mans with hypercars., along with peugeot and cadillac which raced last year. this year, they are joined by hypercar newcomers alpine, bmw and lamborghini, along with the single car entry isotta fraschini. for more on which cars look competitive, see our guide to who will win at le mans. the hypercar category replaced more expensive lmp1 class in the world endurance championship (which includes the le mans 24 hours) in 2021, but confusingly, the category is made up of two types of car: one called lmh (le mans hypercar), where manufacturers build their own car from scratch and another called lmdh, which is cheaper because teams must use several off the shelf parts. read more about the latter in our what is lmdh? article. all hypercars share some similar characteristics, enabling them to compete on a level playing field, and giving each manufacturer enough opportunity to design their cars in the style of their brand   for example with headlights, tail lights and grilles. most teams are manufacturer run, but porsche also has customer teams, which buy its 963 hypercar and run the cars themselves. officials adjust the power and weight of cars to ensure similar levels of performance and close racing. this is usually based on simulation data, to reduce the chances of teams ‘sandbagging’   hiding their true performance to avoid an unfavourable decision ahead of a big race. teams’ energy allowance can be varied, giving them more performance per lap, and ballast can be added. following the 2024 six hours of spa, the race prior to le mans and often seen as indicative of performance, the fia and aco announced bop changes for the blue riband race in the form of added or reduced weight as well as a new power gain system, which dictates the amount of power available to each car above and below a certain speed, currently set at 250km/h. porsche, which has won two out of the three wec races staged so far this season, gained 5kg in minimum weight but will be able to run with 4kw more power. ferrari and toyota’s hypercar machines lost 10kg and 9kg respectively, but while the maranello outfit gained 2kw in power, toyota lost 7kw. peugeot’s 9x8 was permitted to lose 18kg in weight, meaning that it will no longer be the heaviest car in its class, and although its power limit below 250km/h is unchanged, the french outfit will receive a net gain as almost every other car will have 2kw less on average. the bop system is only intended to tweak pace, and is applied across hypercar and lmdh cars. given the uncertainty over the frontrunner ahead of this year’s le mans race, it has been seen as a success, although many fans see it as overly artificial. teams are banned from commenting publicly on balance of performance to avoid regular complaints from teams who feel that they lost out, which are feared to undermine the system. best results only apply to hypercars ferrari 499p two factory hypercars, plus one yellow af corse run car best le mans finish 1st (2023) car 50   antonio fuoco, miguel molina, nicklas nielsen car 51   alessandro pier guidi, james calado, antonio giovinazzi af corse car 83   robert kubica, robert schwartzman, yifei ye toyota gr010 hybrid two factory hypercars run by toyota gazoo racing best le mans finish 1st (2021, 2022) car 7   jose maria lopez, kamui kobayashi, nyck de vries car 8   sébastien buemi, brendon hartley, ryo hirakawa peugeot 9x8 two factory run hypercars best le mans finish 6 (2023) car 93   jean eric vergne, mikkel jensen, nico muller car 94   stoffel vandoorne, paul di resta, loic duval isotta fraschini tipo 6 a single car, still being developed and run by duqueine racing best le mans finish n/a (debuts in 2024) car 11   antonio serravalle, jean karl vernay, carl wattana bennett>/p> porsche 936 three factory hypercars run by penske motorsport; two customer cars with jota; and a further customer car with proton best le mans result 16th (2023) penske car 4   mathieu jaminet, felipe nasr, nick tandy car 5   matt campbell, michael christensen, frederic makowiecki car 6   kevin estre, andre lotterer, laurens vanthoor jota car 12   callum ilott, will stevens, norman nato car 38   oliver rasmussen, jenson button, phil hanson proton car 99   neel jani, harry tincknell, julien andlauer cadillac v series.r two factory cars run by cadillac racing, and a third by us factory team action express best le mans result 3rd (2023) car 2   earl bamber, alex lynn, alex palou car 3   sébastien bourdais, renger van der zande, scott dixon action express racing car 311   pipo derani, jack aitken, felipe drugovich bmw m hybrid v8 two factory wrt run cars best le mans result n/a (debuts 2024) car 15   dries vanthoor, raffaele marciello, marco wittmann car 20   sheldon van der linde, robin frijns, rene rast alpine a424 two factory cars run by signatech racing best le mans result n/a (debuts 2024) car 35   paul loup chatin, ferdinand habsburg, charles milesi car 36   nicolas lapierre, matthieu vaxvière, mick schumacher lamborghini sc63 two factory cars run by iron lynx best le mans result n/a (debuts 2024) car 19   romain grosjean, andrea caldarelli, matteo cairoli car 63   mirko bortolotti, daniil kvyat, edoardo mortara can the lmdh lamborghini challenge the reigning hypercar of ferrari at le mans? lamborghini/getty images while lmh and lmdh cars are both classed as hypercars, with no immediate differences in badging or performance, there are still differences between them. in deciding which type of hypercar to race, manufacturers must decide whether they want to invest money in developing everything themselves, potentially using what they have learned on road cars and in other racing series, or to take the cheaper lmdh route and by much of the car off the shelf. one element that can give lmh cars an advantage is that their front axle hybrid systems provide four wheel drive, with the combustion engine driving the rear axle and an electric motor at the front. the lmdh cars are rear wheel drive only. if it rains   as it is forecast to in 2024   then the lmh cars should technically be at an advantage. making efforts to negate this, the aco has made it so lmh cars can’t engage their electric drive in normal racing conditions when running under 75mph. while teams are free to develop lmh cars from road going models, all current teams have developed theirs from the ground up. instead of endless rules that stipulate the specifications and dimensions of individual components like in formula 1, designers are relatively free to choose their own solutions, based on performance windows. that’s why hypercars have a range of v6, v8; hybrid and non hybrid engines to achieve the stipulated maximum of 500kw (671bhp). aerodynamic simulations are carried out to ensure similar levels of downforce, which left peugeot free to build a car without a rear wing in 2023, relying on ground effect to generate downforce. peugeot has sincew reverted to a more conventional rear wing. lm stands for le mans, indicating the aco (automobile club de l’ouest) use of the rules also its adoption for the wec, whilst h stands for hypercar. slightly confusingly, in wec, the entrants will be in a class called ‘hypercar’, which will include both the lmh cars and the lmdh. first published in 2021, the sporting regulations of wec for the hypercar class remain mostly unchanged, as it specifies that the “basic components of newly developed cars cannot undergo further revisions for a period of five seasons”. this is otherwise known as a homologation cycle, which aims to guarantee a consistent level of performance throughout the field, regardless of when each team joined the series. the regulations below are due to be revisited in 2025. along with the powertrain, the chassis is possibly the biggest differentiator from lmdh. while lmdh teams must purchase a predesignated lmp2 chassis from ligier, oreca, dallara or multimatic, lmh teams are free to create their own chassis within the above dimensions mentioned, which can be based on a road going hypercar or a specialised prototype. whilst the road going rule was brought in to accommodate aston martin and its now paused valkyrie project which is due to enter the le mans 24 hours in 2025, hypercar manufacturers have so far designed their cars from scratch, without producing any road versions. peugeot’s hypercar powertrain uses a v6 hybrid engine with a front axle hybrid system peugeot entrants are free to make their own choices on power unit, the only proviso being that it mustn’t be diesel fuelled. the maximum power output of the engine must be 500kw (670bhp), also aligned with lmdh cars. whereas in lmdh a spec hybrid system is mandatory, lmh entrants can elect whether to run a hybrid system or not. if they do, the combustion engine must drive the rear axle and the electric motor powers the front. if an lmh team opts for a hybrid system, its maximum output must be 200kw (268bhp). hybrid cars are restricted in their deployment in the dry, with the electric motor not providing drive when under 120km/h (75mph). in the wet, that limit rises to 150km/h (91mph). hybrid engines should have an advantage over non hybrids both in terms of the immediacy of power delivery and fuel consumption. both lmh and lmdh are required to have a limited downforce to drag ratio of 4:1. an appeal of lmh is that designers have much greater leeway in terms of styling their own bodywork compared to lmdh, a potential boon to the marketing possibilities of manufacturers, in addition to the freedom it brings to packaging and setting up the car. ferrari’s hypercar clinched pole at last year’s le mans 24 hours with a 3min 22.982sec lap time, which is already 7sec faster than predicted before the category was introduced. however, it is still slower than kamui kobayshi’s current lap record for toyota, set in 2020 qualifying at 3min 14.791sec. whilst a host of measures have been brought in as part of an effort to reduce costs, primarily centred around the bop and restrictive aerodynamic package. the fact remains that there is no hard and fast cost cap for lmh. as a result, the class’s development costs, through use of its own chassis and powertrains, are far in excess of lmdh. however, it’s thought unlikely to reach peak lmp1 levels of spending. as an example, porsche’s 919 lmp1 programme, which was run between 2014 2017 and only eligible to race in wec, is said to have cost $200m. the new rules are designed in part to negate anything near this kind of outlay. the toyota gr010 during test day at le mans 2024 getty images toyota was first to unveil its new le mans hypercar, the gr010 hybrid in 2020, and has been racing since the lmp1 era gave way to hypercars in 2021. the formidable machine has won every world endurance championship since then, scored five out of a possible six wec race victories in 2023, and has begun 2024 on a strong note: winning the 6 hours of imola. following on from its recent dominance, toyota itself admitted to finding little to improve on the gr010   although under the sporting regulations of wec, the basic components of newly developed cars in the hypercar class can’t be revised until 2025. for this reason, the team focused on smaller improvements, which would focus around reliability, drivability and serviceability. new generation lmdh cars can race at le mans and daytona; in wec and imsa series. here’s the latest on the rules, specs and team entries, including confirmed and rumoured manufacturers the gr010 is four wheel drive, with a 3.5 litre v6 twin turbo powering the rear axle with 671bhp. the front axle has 270bhp provided to it with an electric motor. the total power is capped at 500kw (671bhp) in lmh rules, with the gr010 hybrid’s advanced electronics dictate the amount of hybrid boost used to ensure it doesn’t go over the limit the team has maintained a stable driver line up, which includes team boss kamui kobayashi. he’s joined in the no7 car by fellow wec champion josé maría lópez and former f1 driver nyck de vries. the no8 car is driven by sébastien buemi, ryo hirakawa and brendon hartley. could peugeot make history at le mans in 2024? getty images after unveiling its radical new 9x8 le mans hypercar to compete at the enduro classic and wec in 2022, peugeot made its debut at that year’s 6 hours of monza. utilising a hybrid power system, the car’s rear wheels are powered by 671bhp petrol engine, whilst the front axle is turned by a 268bhp electric motor. toyota also uses twin turbo v6s. initial images of the 9x8 saw it feature no rear wing, with the team generating downforce from the under floor of the car and other parts of the rear bodywork. peugeot’s driver line up features two time formula e champion jean eric vergne, 2020 le mans lmp2 winner paul di resta, eight time dtm race winner nico müller, 2013 overall winner loïc duval, former mclaren f1 driver stoffel vandoorne and mikkel jensen. can ferrari make it back to back le mans triumphs? getty images ferrari announced its le mans hypercar programme in february 2022, after several months of speculation. the team had openly said that it was examining the possibility and duly returned to the le mans 24 hours to race on its centenary. the 499p le mans hypercar   the tool of its triumph to come   was revealed in october 2022 at ferrari’s finali mondiali extravaganza at imola and it made a brilliant return to the top table of sports car racing, taking a pole on debut in sebring. it then locked out the front row in le mans, before its no51 car of alessandro pier guidi, james calado and former f1 driver antonio giovinazzi went on to win the race. in 2024, the same line up of winning drivers will return to le mans alongside antonio fuoco, miguel molina and nicklas nielsen who will pilot the no51 car. isotta’s no11 car during the 2024 6 hours of spa getty images french italian outfit isotta will very much be a small fish in the big le mans pond this weekend, with its independently entered tipo6 c going up against the might of ferrari, toyota, porsche and the like. isotta had initially joined forces with british vector sport   a regular and successful squad in the lmp2 category   but the latter soon revealed that it would be taking a year out of le mans altogether in 2024. luckily isotta was able to partner with duqueine, another regular at le mans and the european le mans series in the lmp2 category, to run its tipo6 c hypercar which will be piloted by a young squad of drivers including 37 year old jean karl vernay, 19 year old carl wattana bennett and 21 year old antonio serravalle. in the lead up to le mans, the italian manufacturer has revealed that the car is still very much in its development phase and expects to be competing in the middle of the pack. “here, compared to the other rounds of the fia ​​wec world endurance championship, we have more running time, so that should make our job easier,” said vernay. “apart from the 1812 km of qatar, we encountered no problems with the engine or the gearbox . this is not the case for all our rivals,” “we have only reached 50% of the car’s potential . we need more resources to continue to develop it and fight for the middle of the pack. in my opinion, this is a largely achievable goal by the end of the season.” the words brave and courageous are thrown around regularly in motor racing. but, as mark hughes suggests, should such terms be reserved for the few heroic souls that truly deserve it? a unique display of title winning grand prix cars, each raced by one of the 34 f1 world champions, will be on show at this year’s silverstone festival to mark 75 years of the formula 1 championship the massively successful cars disney film made doc hudson popular with fans young and old   james elson tells the story behind the hudson hornet nascar it was based on with just over a year to go until audi's first formula 1 car is revealed, the team has confirmed that it will set up a british outpost, joining nine of the 11 teams on the 2026 grid with a presence in 'motor sport valley' for a better experience, keep your browser up to date. check here for latest versions. the latest news, updates and more straight to your inbox 18 20 rosemont road, london nw3 6ne © 2025 motor sport magazine site by eleven miles

37 full season fia world endurance championship competitors will be joined by further 25 cars to form a 62 car grid at this june’s 24 hours of le mans the field is set to be comprised of 23 cars in both hypercar and lmgt3 classes with additional 16 lmp2 prototypes forming the gird of the 92nd edition of the race held at circuit de la sarthe, which will also be round four of the 2024 fia world endurance championship season. seven teams make up the reserve list. 186 drivers are set to take part in the race, with the full list yet to be completed. however, as of today, the entry features 12 outright winners of the le mans race. hypercar just like in this year’s wec season, the top class features nine different manufacturers (alpine, bmw, cadillac, ferrari, isotta fraschini, lamborghini, peugeot, porsche, toyota), however, the number of entries is set to grow from 19 to 23, owing to additional cars from cadillac, lamborghini and porsche. having triumphed for the tenth time at le mans last june, ferrari stands ready to defend its victory and fend off even more competition this year. toyota should be the italian manufacturer’s toughest opponent, looking to regain its winner status, having won at le mans five times in the past six years. cadillac, porsche and peugeot will all seek to capitalise on their last year’s experience, while alpine, lamborghini and isotta fraschini will be determined to have a strong outing in the french endurance classic. lmgt3 the switch from lmgte to lmgt3 ruleset resulted in a bumper field of 23 gts from nine premium brands: aston martin, bmw, corvette, ferrari, ford, lamborghini, lexus, mclaren and porsche. an all female iron dames crew will be among the favourites in the ultra competitive field following its excellent performance across the fia wec season in 2023. lmp2 for 2024, due to the high volume of entries in the hypercar class, the lmp2 class was suspended in the fia wec, however, the highly popular gibson powered oreca 07s will return to le mans this year. 16 of these high performance prototypes (including six crews classified in the pro/am division), that on a regular basis compete in the european le mans series and asian le mans series, are set to compete at the 13.6 kilometer layout, with a clear favourite difficult to determine. 2024 fia wec   24h lm provisional entry list mohammed ben sulayem, fia president, said: “the 24 hours of le mans is one of the most iconic events in the history of motor sport and the traditional focal point of the fia world endurance championship season. last year, i had the pleasure of witnessing this fantastic race on the occasion of its centenary and i’m very much looking forward to this year’s edition, as we celebrate 120 years of the fia. the entry list looks incredibly strong, with 23 hypercars from 9 different manufacturers headlining the 62 car field and 23 lmgt3s promising an ultra competitive battle in the gt ranks. endurance racing is in a healthy state today and this entry list proves that the right regulatory approach will result in strong interest and competition.” pierre fillon, president of the automobile club de l’ouest, said: "the 24 hours of le mans has rarely seen a grid like this in over a hundred years. the world’s greatest carmakers will be in la sarthe this june. i am grateful to our partners and teams for coming together to bring us another superb episode of motor sport history." richard mille, fia endurance commission president, said: “the announcement of the entry list for the 24 hours of le mans is always a very special moment and this is very much the case this year. the entry is incredibly rich both in terms of numbers and quality. the figures in hypercar and lmgt3 classes are simply staggering. i would argue that this is perhaps the strongest entry ever when it comes to competition for both the overall victory as well as for the honors among the gt cars. having a strong lmp2 representation joining the fray will also give the fans something extra to follow and get excited about. we are set for another memorable edition, there is no question about that.” frédéric lequien, ceo of le mans endurance management, said: “this year’s 24 hours of le mans, round four of fia wec, will be nothing short of spectacular. with 14 manufacturers competing in the wec this season plus the extra entries competing at le mans, everything is in place for a golden era in endurance racing. following on from the memorable centenary celebration last year, i am confident that le mans will be one of the most exciting races of the 2024 motor sport season." specialists in providing the automotive and marine industry with world class digital solutions. call us +44 (0)1252 961775 contact us © 1996 2025 racecar new media services ltd. registered company number: 3147559 | privacy policy

24h le mans another 25 cars will line up alongside the 37 full season fia wec competitors next june. see below for the full entry list. at 4 p.m. on 15 june, the grandstands will be packed for the start of the 24 hours of le mans, round 4 of the fia world endurance championship. we have already announced the live music line up. today we reveal the field! the full house signs apply not only to the grandstands, but to the pit lane too as there are 62 cars on the grid again this year. the field comprises 23 hypercars, 16 lmp2 prototypes, and 23 lmgt3s. seven teams make up the reserve list. although the list of 186 drivers is yet to be completed, 12 of them have already won the race outright, and three are women. hypercar the top class is composed of nine different makes: ferrari, toyota, cadillac, peugeot, porsche, lamborghini, alpine, bmw and isotta fraschini. having triumphed for the tenth time at le mans last june, ferrari stand ready to fend off more competition this year. firstly, from toyota, who will be looking to regain their winner status, while cadillac, porsche and peugeot seek to cash in on their recent experience. alpine and lamborghini are aiming high with the a424 and the sc63 while newcomers isotta fraschini will be out to set the cat among the pigeons. lmp2 in lmp2, 16 prototypes line up this year, including six with crews combining professional and amateur drivers. the high class field is wide open. european le mans series or asian le mans series experience may swing the balance as none of the competitors are racing in the fia wec this year. lmgt3 this season sees the switch to lmgt3 from lmgte with a bumper field of 23 to kick off the new class. aston martin, bmw, corvette, ferrari, ford, lamborghini, lexus, mclaren and porsche make up the grid. all female team iron dames are among the favourites following their excellent performance last season, which included a victory at the 8 hours of bahrain. watch out for racing icon valentino rossi in the team wrt bmw m4 gt3. entry list pierre fillon, president of the automobile club de l’ouest: "the 24 hours of le mans has rarely seen a grid like this in over a hundred years. the world’s greatest carmakers will be in la sarthe this june. i am grateful to our partners and teams for coming together to bring us another superb episode of motorsport history." mohammed ben sulayem, fia president, said: “the 24 hours of le mans is one of the most iconic events in the history of motor sport and the traditional focal point of the fia world endurance championship season. last year, i had the pleasure of witnessing this fantastic race on the occasion of its centenary and i’m very much looking forward to this year’s edition, as we celebrate 120 years of the fia. the entry list looks incredibly strong, with 23 hypercars from 9 different manufacturers headlining the 62 car field and 23 lmgt3s promising an ultra competitive battle in the gt ranks. endurance racing is in a healthy state today and this entry list proves that the right regulatory approach will result in strong interest and competition.” richard mille, fia endurance commission president, said: “the announcement of the entry list for the 24 hours of le mans is always a very special moment and this is very much the case this year. the entry is incredibly rich both in terms of numbers and quality. the figures in hypercar and lmgt3 classes are simply staggering. i would argue that this is perhaps the strongest entry ever when it comes to competition for both the overall victory as well as for the honors among the gt cars. having a strong lmp2 representation joining the fray will also give the fans something extra to follow and get excited about. we are set for another memorable edition, there is no question about that.” frédéric lequien, ceo of le mans endurance management: “this year’s 24 hours of le mans, round four of fia wec, will be nothing short of spectacular. with 14 manufacturers competing in the wec this season plus the extra entries competing at le mans, everything is in place for a golden era in endurance racing. following on from the memorable centenary celebration last year, i am confident that le mans will be one of the most exciting races of the 2024 motorsport season.” aston martin is making its comeback to the top of endurance racing with the valkyrie developed by aston martin performance technologies and american team the heart of racing. the one of a kind car is the only hypercar developed directly from a road model. le mans, ignite your senses | the 24 hours of the le mans, synonymous with performance and elegance, stokes passions and stimulates senses. smells can be particularly evocative and often contribute to the collective memory of an event. corania was established in marseille in 1934 for that very purpose. the perfumer ... alpine endurance team has received a substantial boost ahead of the fia world endurance championship 2025 season, including the 93rd 24 hours of le mans (11 15 june). after a 10 year collaboration with porsche, frédéric makowiecki is joining alpine endurance team with a clear aim: winning the 24 hours of le mans. the asian le mans series 2024 25 season continues this weekend with the 4 hours of dubai. two four hour races are scheduled at the dubai autodrome involving 47 cars across three classes (lmp2, lmp3 and gt).

news | reading time 5 mins le mans 2024 with the 24 hours of le mans rapidly approaching, learn which classes take part in the iconic race. the 2024 edition of the 24 hours of le mans is rapidly approaching. the 101st running of the iconic endurance race takes place on june 15 16, but the festivities kick off on june 7 with the traditional town square scrutineering at place de la république in central le mans. the free practice test day follows on june 9, before the hyperpole qualifying session on june 13 ahead of the circuit de la sarthe’s landmark event that weekend. this year’s race will feature a capacity grid of 62 cars across three classes, with seven reserve cars. but which classes compete in the 24 hours of le mans and what are the differences between each of them? the top class competing in the 24 hours of le mans is the hypercar class. there are 23 entries this year   the 19 full season cars which take part in the world endurance championship and four additional entries. the category debuted in 2021, with porsche joining last season, and there are now nine different manufacturers in the class. porsche races against alpine, bmw, cadillac, ferrari, isotta fraschini, lamborghini, peugeot and toyota. the ruleset accommodates cars built to lmh and lmdh technical regulations, with a minimum weight of 1030kg and a maximum output of 500kw. balance of performance guarantees a level playing field, while michelin operates as the class’s single tyre manufacturer. hypercars are purely prototypes, rather than adapted road cars, but feature styling to give a family resemblance to each manufacturer's road going range   for example, the porsche 963 was inspired by the 918 spyder hybrid sportscar. the wec estimates that a hypercar will complete a race lap of the circuit de la sarthe in around 3m30s   slightly slower than an all out qualifying lap, with last year’s pole time a 3m22.982s. the porsche penske motorsport team will field three entries, with the #4 car which usually runs in the imsa weathertech sportscar championship   though not with that number   joining the #5 and #6 porsche 963s which compete in the full wec season. matt campbell, michael christensen and frédéric makowiecki will drive the #5 car, while kévin estre, andre lotterer and laurens vanthoor are behind the wheel of the #6 entry. mathieu jaminet, felipe nasr and nick tandy complete the line up in the #4. hertz team jota will field its usual two porsche 963s, with proton competition lining up with one car but with a second on the reserve list. british drivers will stevens and callum illott will share the cockpit of the no. 12 car with frenchman norman nato. the sister car is helmed by 2009 formula 1 world champion jenson button, who will alternate behind the wheel of the no. 38 with oliver rasmussen and phil hanson. the hypercar from proton competition with the starting number 99 will be driven by swiss driver neel jani and briton harry tincknell together with former porsche junior julien andlauer. the lmp2 class will be represented by 16 entries at the 24 hours of le mans this season, including three pro/am entries. while the le mans prototype 2 class has been dropped by the wec this year amid a high demand for top class entries, it makes a one off return to the championship at the circuit de la sarthe. all the entries use licensed oreca 07 gibson chassis   most of these usually run in the european and asian le mans series, while the category also still features in the full imsa weathertech sportscar championship. an lmp2 car will complete a race lap of the circuit de la sarthe around 10 seconds slower than a hypercar, with last year’s pole time a 3m32.923s. porsche no longer competes in the lmp2 class. there will be 23 lmgt3 entries on the grid for the 2024 24 hours of le mans, increased from the 18 full season wec entries and spread across nine manufacturers. porsche races alongside aston martin, bmw, corvette, ferrari, ford, lexus, lamborghini and mclaren. lmgt3 replaced the lmgte am class for 2024, with the old class having been on the wec grid since the series' inaugural season in 2012. the new class is based around the fia's existing gt3 technical platform, and continues to focus on gentlemen drivers. the cars feature several wec specific adaptations such as torquemeters and luminescent number panels   and use goodyear tyres. lmgt3 cars are the closest to road cars of the three classes, with engine layouts based on their road going equivalents   front and mid engine, turbo and non turbo and six, eight or even ten cylinders. though this is the first year of lmgt3 cars competing at le mans, last year’s lmgte pole time was a 3m52.228s. manthey racing will field its two full season porsche 911 gt3 r in the class. works driver richard lietz will line up on the grid with morris schuring and yasser shahin in the no. 91 car decked out in the manthey ema livery, while klaus bachler, alex malykhin and joel sturm will race the no. 92 car representing manthey purerxcing. motorsport series legal get social © 2025 dr. ing. h.c. f. porsche ag * all new vehicles offered by porsche are type approved according to wltp. official nedc values derived from wltp values are no longer available for new vehicles as of 1 january 2023 and can therefore not be provided. where values are indicated as ranges, they do not refer to a single, specific vehicle and are not part of the offered product range. they are only for the purposes of comparison between different vehicle tyrpes. additional equipment and accessories (add on parts, tyre formats etc.) can change relevant vehicle parameters such as weight, rolling resistance and aerodynamics. these factors, in addition to weather, traffic conditions and driving behaviour, can influence the fuel/electricity consumption, co₂ emissions, range and performance values of a vehicle. more information about the differences between wltp and nedc is available at :host{transform:translate3d(0,0,0) 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you are here: sharefacebook, twitter, google plus, pinterest, email posted in: 11 june 2024, 5:22 pm hypercar at the le mans 24 hours in 2024… what can you say? it’s an astonishing array of cars, teams and drivers for the race’s 92nd edition. the class houses a record breaking 23 cars, 19 of them from teams backed by no fewer than nine manufacturers, are set to go head to head for the overall win. but as you’ll read, the privately entered cars have a great shot here at victory too. what you won’t be reading here is any speculation centred around the balance of performance changes for this year’s race. that process is le mans specific and the values are already available for all to see. the system will be judged here upon its merits and on the closeness of racing that results from it and if you are looking for details of who has been “hit” with (insert number of) kg   then look elsewhere. we’ll be focusing on just who we expect to pick up the baton from what was an awesome le mans in 2023! it is worth mentioning though, that for this year’s race a new ‘two stage’ bop process has been introduced. this means that if you look at the table you will see an additional column featuring the percentage of power gain for each car after 250 kph. the tweaks here appear marginal at face value, with the rule makers using it to control the top speed of cars. it’s another tool and if it works as intended then it should result in a wide open battle between multiple manufacturers and the potential for pack racing. but we will need to wait until the weekend to pass further judgement… anyway, back to business, the 23 cars here are made up of the superb 19 car full season fia wec entry, plus four additions: both of the imsa gtp cadillacs, a third factory porsche and a second factory lamborghini. all cars will run on michelin rubber, meaning that, unless there is a huge upset that takes all 23 cars out of contention, michelin will equal dunlop’s 32 race winning record. there’s so much here to look forward to, bring it on! alpine a424 (lmdh) #35 alpine endurance team   wec   fra   alpine a424 hy paul loup chatin (fra) g ferdinand habsburg (aut) g charles milesi (fra) g #36 alpine endurance team   wec   fra   alpine a424 hy nicolas lapierre (fra) p mick schumacher (deu) p matthieu vaxivière (fra) g a new car for 2024 but with a team that has winning form in lmp2 and early hypercar history with an ex rebellion lmp1 in 2021 and 2022. the new oreca based alpine with its screaming mecachrome engine hasn’t been a frontrunner just yet but has shown signs of major progress very early in its wec career. the stresses and strains of le mans though, are an altogether different challenge and, ignoring the internet bred cynicism around the engine, we should learn plenty about the state of play with the new car in the coming days. on the driver front, there’s plenty to admire. the #35 car sees the return to the cockpit for ferdi habsburg after recovery from a testing shunt where he suffered fractured vertebrae after suffering a failure in the car. he’s joined by the rapid and experienced paul loup chatin and the increasingly impressive charle milesi. the #36 meanwhile sees the wec race and title winning winning form of nico lapierre and matthieu vaxiviere teamed with le mans rookie and 2024 sportscar debutant mick schumacher. schumacher has yet to find his smile in this effort but hopefully, the sheer occasion of le mans will assist that process   his team mates provide all the speed and consistency he requires to learn as fast as possible. bmw m hybrid v8 #15 bmw m team wrt   wec   bel   bmw m hybrid v8 dries vanthoor (bel) p raffaele marciello (che) p marco wittmann (deu) p #20 bmw m team wrt   wec   bel   bmw m hybrid v8 sheldon van der linde (zaf) p robin frijns (nld) p rené rast (deu) p whilst there have been flashes of form from the bmw, in particular in mixed conditions at imola, there is still much work to be done by team wrt, its new hypercars, and the driver squad. the package has a full season of imsa gtp competition already under its wheels with bmw team rll, but the car is a debutant at le mans this year. whilst wrt is a top notch lmp2 winning squad at la sarthe, and their drivers are all proven endurance frontrunners in gt, half of them are le mans rookies (sheldon van der linde, raffaele marciello and marco wittmann). what the effort needs at this point is competitive track time, an error and trouble free run, which the effort has struggled to deliver thus far, and more pace. the bmw campaign so far proves that the hypercar formula is far from ‘plug and play’, some of their biggest names have simply not yet shone. the form book suggests though that that will change soon enough   but will mid june be soon enough? the #20 car meanwhile will sport the 20th in a near half century series of official bmw ‘art car’ designs   will that be enough to bring it the good fortune that the effort will need to close the gap on the leading group? cadillac v series.r #2 cadillac racing wec   usa   cadillac v series.r earl bamber (nzl) p alex lynn (gbr) p alex palou (esp) p #3 cadillac racing   inv usa   cadillac v series.r sébastien bourdais (fra) p renger van der zande (nld) p scott dixon (nzl) p #311 whelen cadillac racing   inv usa   cadillac v series.r luis felipe derani (bra) p jack aitken (gbr) p felipe drugovich (bra) the first of three marques to field a trio of factory backed cars (in one form or another!). cadillac adds both of its imsa gtp squads to the regular solo wec entry with the rumblesome v series.r and will be looking to improve on its best hypercar performance so far, third place at last year’s le mans! the #2 car has suffered a painful 2024 so far. it was disqualified from qatar’s result, struggled for pace in imola and made a spectacular exit from a promising run at spa. as a result, alex lynn and earl bamber will be hoping that indycar double champion alex palou (who joined ganassi for the rolex 24 back in january) adds a good luck charm on his le mans debut. the #3 car is also run by chip ganassi racing as its full season imsa effort and the regular pairing of anger van der zande and sébastien bourdais will be joined by indycar legend scott dixon. few are more experienced at le mans than the still mighty quick bourdais, the locally born racer set to start a 17th le mans since 1999. van der zande too will be punchy with dixon quietly rapid. the third car comes as one of three entries nominated by imsa, the whelen cadillac racing #311 fielded for a second consecutive year by action express. after an early race disaster last year for jack aitken, the team returns for another shot at the big one and happily the impressive aitken is back too, together with reigning imsa drivers champion pipo derani and another le mans rookie, ex fia f2 champion felipe drugovich. the cadillacs have pace but need to prove their consistency. if they do that then don’t bet against them being in the mix with the wec’s established 2024 order. ferrari 499p #50 ferrari af corse   wec   ita   ferrari 499p antonio fuoco (ita) p miguel molina (esp) p nicklas nielsen (dnk) p #51 ferrari af corse   wec   ita   ferrari 499p alessandro pier guidi (ita) p james calado (gbr) p antonio giovinazzi (ita) p the winners return, and the car looks fast once again. ferrari felt robbed by the red flag and extended race in spa and shot itself in both feet at imola with a faulty strategy call around the gathering weather, but make no mistake the 499ps should feature at the front here. the car is essentially unchanged from the winning package in 2023, with the exception of an additional endurance light package in the centre of the nose. the driver mix is identical to 2023. the #51 car is anchored by the multi gte pro title winning talent of calado and pier guidi, boosted by the ex f1 experience of giovinazzi. the #50 meanwhile, features the experienced molina and the two young guns, fuoco and nielsen. this two car effort gets a data and strategy boost too from the addition of the ‘private’ #83 to the effort in 2024. that is only going to be a bonus to ferrari whose main challenge is that others have closed the gap from 2023! isotta fraschini tipo 6 competizione #11 isotta fraschini   wec  ita   isotta fraschini tipo6 c carl wattana bennett (tha) s jean karl vernay (fra) p antonio serravalle (can) s the michelotto designed and built, hwa powered lmh car is the most outside of outsiders, bringing back the 1920s name to motorsport. the effort is assisted by duqueine team and that alliance had taken time to bed in, the early efforts of the squad lacking some discipline in the pits. on track, the car has been the slowest of the hypercar field thus far, but the gap is closing. vernay is an experienced hand, but the commercial realities for the effort have seen a pair of young, talented, but relatively inexperienced additions complete the line up. bennett and serravalle are the only silver ranked drivers in the class. that is not helping the pace of development, but development is coming. for the #11, a finish would be as good as a win! lamborghini sc63 #19 lamborghini iron lynx   inv usa   ita   lamborghini sc63 romain grosjean (fra) p andrea caldarelli (ita) p matteo cairoli (ita) p #63 lamborghini iron lynx   wec   ita   lamborghini sc63 mirko bortolotti (ita) p daniil kvyat p edoardo mortara (ita) p lamborghini makes its first ever top class appearance at the 24 hours of le mans this year and to help its cause has expanded its effort to two cars, with the imsa endurance cup crew competing alongside the full season fia wec crew for the first time with their uniquely ligier chassised sc63s. the car has proven to be relatively reliable in the wec and in its single imsa start thus far at sebring. what it lacks is ultimate pace at this early stage. job one here will be getting to the finish and picking up any opportunity that presents itself to climb the order. the iron lynx run squad deploys a very capable squad of drivers, including ex f1 racers romain grosjean and danny kvyat. the pace though may be more likely to come from edoardo mortara in the #63 and the mercurial matteo cairoli in the imsa #19 all the pieces are here, but this effort likely needs more time to unlock the potential of the car. peugeot 9x8 #93 peugeot totalenergies   wec   fra   peugeot 9x8 2024 jean eric vergne (fra) p mikkel jensen (dnk) p nico müller (che) p #94 peugeot totalenergies   wec   fra   peugeot 9x8 2024 stoffel vandoorne (bel) p paul di resta (gbr) p loïc duval (fra) p the 9x8 has been heavily revised for 2024, but thus far the new package hasn’t delivered class contending pace. the mould breaking wingless 9x8 design is no more after it was thought to be too much of a compromise. the car proved competitive at le mans in mixed conditions last year but struggled almost everywhere else bar monza. as a result, the peugeot squad has returned with an outwardly more conventional package for its second le mans as a hypercar manufacturer whilst some headlines suggest a troubled programme, the reality is that there is a lasting commitment here. results are needed, though not as soon as those same stories suggest. that’s not to say that there’s a lack of drive or ambition, there’s much pride in the programme, progress is coming, and that isn’t happening by accident! the driver squad is top notch, with stoffel vandoorne introduced for 2024 to the otherwise stable roster. peugeot comes into le mans without the pressure of being anyone’s favourite for a result. it may not be there on the ultimate pace yet, but there are real signs of the strength in depth beginning to pay off. porsche 963 #4 porsche penske motorsport   inv usa   deu   porsche 963 mathieu jaminet (fra) p felipe nasr (bra) p nick tandy (gbr) p #5 porsche penske motorsport   wec   deu   porsche 963 matt campbell (aus) p michael christensen (dnk) p frédéric makowiecki (fra) p #6 porsche penske motorsport   wec   deu   porsche 963 kévin estre (fra) p andré lotterer (deu) p laurens vanthoor (bel) p porsche penske motorsport comes to le mans in search of a win, and the 2024 form book says that it has every chance of claiming porsche’s 20th, and penske’s first, overall victory. in search of that penske fields three porsche 963s for the second consecutive year at le mans, but the change this year is that it arrived as potential favourites after excellent form thus far in 2024. the car and the team in the garage look transformed. the #4 is the additional car for le mans, the driver trio all with race winning form in imsa gtp in 2024. the #6 leads the world championship after a win in qatar and a pair of second place finishes. this crew is top notch, always on the pace, and able to fight. the #5 too has form, a pair of podiums before crashing out at spa. the speed is here too though and three fast factory porsches is a mighty weapon to wield at le mans. the driver squad throughout has a huge depth of experience, there should be no weak links here on pace, consistency or just plain old fashioned race smarts. the wec form book says porsche vs ferrari vs the private porsches, and the test day also saw porsche lead the way. le mans shows us every year that there’s more to it than that, but porsche   and penske   will be hoping that the uptick in form this year translates into a memorable june. toyota gr010 #7 toyota gazoo racing   wec   jpn   toyota gr010 hybrid josé maría lópez (arg) p kamui kobayashi (jpn) p nyck de vries (nld) p #8 toyota gazoo racing   wec   jpn   toyota gr010 hybrid sébastien buemi (che) p brendon hartley (nzl) p ryo hirakawa (jpn) p toyota arrives at le mans on the back foot   on the face of it an astonishing statement   but we are about to find out whether that is truth or posture. despite a strategy led win at imola for the #7, the new look for 2024 matches the often black mood at toyota. the team has been understandably unhappy with its form, and with the hand it has been dealt by the rule makers. its double le mans winning gr010 was beaten last year by ferrari, which enjoyed a fairytale run, which in part was set up by a bop change and some successful politicking on tyre warmers. that measure has been reversed this year but toyota is no happier, the standard expressed view is that it is down on pace, and the race form so far (imola aside) matches that position. we’ll see soon enough! it would not be the first time that a team struggling for form finds it in france, just where they left it… but if it does struggle for pace then the team is in for a long week. on the driver front, the big news until friday was the addition of nyck de vries, the diminutive dutchman adding fire in the toyota belly as pechito lopez departed for lmgt3. however, josé maría lópez is back in the fold in the #7 after mike conway suffered nasty injuries in a cycling accident on thursday, counting him out of the race! elsewhere, the remaining drivers have forgotten nothing about how to approach an endurance race, champions and le mans winners all. will june see the smiles return? privately entered hypercars #83 af corse   wec   ita   ferrari 499p robert kubica (pol) p robert shwartzman (isr) p yifei ye (chn) g a new and very popular addition for 2024, the #83 is a privately entered ferrari 499p, identical to the two factory cars with the very visible exception of its bright yellow livery! the #83 adds valuable data to the factory effort as well as developmental opportunities for the two young ferrari factory drivers, robert shwartzman and yifei ye. robert kubica adds experience at the highest levels to bring a steady hand on the tiller. ye led the race for jota last year but crashed in the rain, and knows all too well the ups and downs of the race after his technical failure on the final lap while leading in lmp2! kubica too knows all about the challenges of le mans. shwartzman meanwhile has to make that journey this year   he has pace, but has much to learn at the biggest race of them all. with all that said, it is clear that, if push came to shove, metaphorically at least, the #50 and #51 would be the favoured front runners. if circumstances found the yellow car at the front and the sole ferrari in with a shot, it has all the ingredients in place to do just that! #12 hertz team jota   wec   gbr   porsche 963 william stevens (gbr) p norman nato (fra) g callum ilott (gbr) p #38 hertz team jota   wec   gbr   porsche 963 oliver rasmussen (dnk) g philip hanson (gbr) g jenson button (gbr) p what a story! the little british team that could, scored a major set of backers to run a single porsche 963 in 2023, leading the race before a stumble, coming back in 2024 with a two car effort and a big name f1 world champion signing in jenson button. hertz team jota has been on quite a journey and it seems has yet to reach the summit of what it can achieve. evidence of this came just last month when its #12 car scored a world championship race win at spa with a spirited run after the restart. that win was assisted by the red flag and restart, but there’s no denying that the team’s #12 car has pace. callum ilott is a star in the making and will stevens is an established benchmark showing the quality of the younger briton. norman nato rejoins after missing spa to find his team mates lying second in the drivers world championship. the #38 by contrast has had a less starry 2024 so far, the crew fresh from phil hanson lucklessly crashing out in spa after a hit from a bmw. the pace has been there but not consistently enough just yet across the races to be a true challenger. hanson has winning form in lmp2 at le mans and button has experienced the event too back in lmp1 days with smp racing and with the nascar garage 56 project last year. le mans will be a real test for the whole team with a two car top class effort for which hopes and aspirations are every bit as high as for the factory cars. do not count out either car as a contender for the win. #99 proton competition   wec   deu   porsche 963 neel jani (che) p harry tincknell (gbr) p julien andlauer (fra) g proton makes le mans hypercar debut in 2024 after its wec porsche 963 arrived too late to enter in 2023 and arrives here on the crest of a wave. the #99 effort hasn’t lacked for speed since its monza ’23 debut, but spa saw the team in real contention throughout, in particular with the effort of julien andlauer who delivered a head turning performance in belgium. he also has (gte am) class winning form at le mans to bring to the party. add in the massive race winning experience at le mans of both harry tincknell (who adds a le mans hypercar start to his lmp1, lmp2, gte pro and gte am cv) and neel jani, an overall race winner with porsche in 2016, and, if the team can be clean in the pits, this could just be a fan favourite effort that could make the podium. missed dsc’s le mans lmp2 preview? catch up here >>> author: graham goodwin sharefacebook, twitter, google plus, pinterest, email see more posted in: by stephen kilbey 8 february 2025 0 comments posted in: by graham goodwin 7 february 2025 0 comments ﻿ © 2023 dailysportscar.com. all rights reserved. link digital

about fia world endurance championship. the fia world endurance championship (wec) is a world endurance racing championship run by the fédération internationale de l'automobile (fia), and the races are contested in a format where prototype cars and gt cars run together. the current wec was launched in 2012, and 2024 marks its 12th season. in the hypercar class competed by cars build around an lmh chassis, 2024 marks the second year since lmdh specification cars are also allowed to compete. in addition to the car makes that have been competing in the hypercar class since last year, including cadillac, ferrari, peugeot, and porsche, new makers such as bmw, lamborghini, isotta fraschini and alpine will be entering this season. this season, 19 cars will be competing in the class from nine season entry manufacturers. as for the lmp2 class, it has been eliminated except for the 24 hours of le mans and replaced by the lmgt3 class, which is competed by fia gt3 cars that have become the international standard replacing the lmgte am class. the 2024 wec will be competed is two classes, the prototype and gt classes. a total of eight races will be held this year, with the race in portugal withdrawing to be replaces by new races in qatar and brazil. as for the sporting regulations, large scale revisions have been adopted for the qualifying format and there will be a virtual safety car procedure introduced. the regulations state that each race must be at least six hours long, and the longest race of the season is the 24 hour race at le mans. the 2024 wec series will be contested in two classes: hypercar class that toyota gazoo racing will compete in and the lmgt3 class, with one cup for each class. and as shown below, the number of championship points awarded will be different depending on the length of each race. the manufacturers (carmakers) competing in the fia hypercar world endurance championship can enter up to two cars. the competition rules stipulate that manufacturers entering more than two cars must compete in the fia world cup hypercar team division. for the lmgt3 class, each maker is limited to entering up to two cars. fia hypercar world endurance drivers championship fia hypercar world endurance manufacturer’s championship fia world cup hypercar team division fia endurance trophy lmgt3 drivers division fia endurance trophy lmgt3 team division point standards *or 1,812 km also, for each race, one point will be awarded to all of the drivers from the teams winning pole position in each category. a maximum of three drivers per car is allowed in each class. according to the fia driver classification regulations, drivers are classified into four categories based on their performance: platinum, gold, silver, and bronze, and the possible line ups of a team’s drivers from these ranks are designated for each class. for 2024 the qualifying format has undergone a major change by which the hyperpole format that had formerly been used only at the 24 hours of le mans will now be used in all wec races. for the lmh and lmgt3 classes there will now be a 12 minute qualifying session, from which the top 10 finishers will move on the 10 minute hyperpole to determine the top ten positions on the starting grid. this is a procedure that can be called into use when an accident occurs and the race director determines it necessary. when the virtual safety car (vsc) is called, a signal will appear on a monitor in all the participating cars, and in response to it, all drivers must slow to a speed of 80 km/h and stay in line while maintaining the distance between the cars for two laps until the safety car (sc) comes onto the track. during the vsc it is possible to access the pit lane. the hypercar class and lmgt3 class both adopt one make systems with a single designated supplier, michelin or goodyear respectively, will exclusively supply the tires for all cars in these classes. the number of tire specs permitted for each race are as follows. the number of tires that can be used in each race is as follows (separate table below for the 24 hours of le mans). there is no limit to the number of tires used in rainy weather. *or 1,812 km ** in the hyperpole, only the softest tire spec supplied by the designated maker for the race in question can be used. number of tires at the 24 hours of le mans the wec is competed in two classes, hypercar and lmgt3. the lmp2 class has been eliminated from wec as of 2023, but teams can continue to enter the 24 hours of le mans with lmp2 cars in its retained lmp2 class. hypercar is the pinnacle class, and this is the class that the toyota gr010 hybrid competes in. also, lmh vehicles and lmdh vehicles will be able to participate in the hypercar class. as for gt cars, they must now compete in the lmgt3 class, due to the termination of the lmgte am class. this is the pinnacle class of the wec. in it, lmh and lmdh cars can also participate. the combined maximum output of the engine + hybrid system is limited to 520 kw. performance adjustment (bop) is applied. all cars must be equipped with a driveshaft torque sensor and the bop output will be constantly monitored by fia/aco. there are no limits concerning driver classification, but bronze class drivers are not allowed to participate. the base color of the race number is red. the tires are one make michelin tires. cars that comply with the lmh technical regulations of the fia and aco are defined as prototype cars and can compete in hypercar races run on public roads. hypercars have a closed body, an overall length of less than 5,000 mm, an overall width of 2,000 mm or less, an overall height of 1,150 mm or more, excluding any antennas, and they have a minimum vehicle weight of 1,030 kg. there are no limits on engine displacement, number of cylinders, etc., and the adoption of a hybrid system is also permitted, and when a hybrid system is adopted, 4 wheel drive is also permitted. these are cars complying with the lmdh technical specifications of imsa and aco. while lmh cars can be designed and manufactured by the different car manufacturers, lmdh must be constructed around a chassis manufactured by one of the four companies, oreca, dallara, ligier, and multimatec, and they are required to be equipped with a standard hybrid system (consisting of a bosch motor unit, williams advanced engineering battery and an x truck gearbox). they have a closed body with an overall length of less than 5,100 mm, an overall width of 2,000 mm or less, an overall height of 1,150 mm or more, an overall height of 1,060 mm or more from the reference surface, excluding any antennas, and a minimum vehicle weight of 1,030 kg. the lmgt3 class is competed by cars based on the fia gt3 cars that have become the international standard, but the technical regulations also dictate that they must also adopt wec exclusive equipment like a driveshaft torque sensor and a leader light panel, etc. performance adjustment (bop) is applied. as with the lmgte am class until 2023, a great deal of focus is placed privateer teams and amateur “gentlemen drivers.” concerning driver classification, at least one bronze class driver must be included. also, for cars entering the championship, a success ballast (weight) system is applied, except for the 24 hours of le mans. the base color of the race number is orange. the tires are one make goodyear tires.

by racer staff february 28, 2024 7:42 pm by racer staff | february 28, 2024 7:42 pm et the 2024 fia world endurance championship begins its eight race global tour with this weekend’s qatar airways qatar 1218km (race begins 3am et on saturday, march 2). it’s set to be a must see season for endurance racing’s pinnacle series, and here are just six reasons why you shouldn’t miss a moment… 1. it’s the deepest field in the championship’s 12 year existence. the 2024 fia world endurance championship’s full season entry list features 37 cars across its two class structure, with 19 cars in the headlining hypercar class, a record for the series. it promises to be the most competitive season of racing yet. but it’s not just the depth, it’s the sheer variety that’s special, too. nine factory programs from alpine, bmw, cadillac, ferrari, isotta fraschini, lamborghini, peugeot, porsche and toyota are all set to do battle in the hypercar class. and the grid is further bolstered by four privateer entries. add to that list the nine marques represented in the new for 2024 lmgt3 class, and you have 14 different manufacturers on show, with aston martin, corvette, ford, lexus and mclaren adding to the makes represented across both categories. that’s a record, too   no fia world championship has ever played host to as many oems before. 2. there are three brand new hypercars joining the fray this year’s fia wec paddock is packed with brand new machinery. with the lmp2 and gte am classes retired, the hypercar and lmgt3 fields are fit to burst with cars making their debuts in the series. beyond the bmw m hybrid v8, which is new to the wec, but spent 2023 racing in imsa’s weathertech sportscar championship’s gtp class, three all new hypercars are competing this year. all make their global race debuts this weekend in qatar. the first is the stunning alpine a424 (above), which the french marque hopes will deliver its first victory at le mans since the renault alpine a442b’s triumph back in 1978. the second is lamborghini’s sc63. there’s a lot of buzz surrounding the world famous italian performance marque’s new prototype, which is powered by a roaring 3.8 liter, twin turbo v8 that will quickly become a sonic favorite for fans trackside. and finally, adding to hypercar’s italian flavor, is revived manufacturer isotta fraschini. once a targa florio winning name in the early years of the 20th century, it’s back producing road cars and racing at the highest level, assisted by longtime ferrari racecar constructor michelotto. 3. the race to catch hypercar top dog toyota is heating up toyota has dominated the fia wec in the hypercar era, but could that be about to change? never before has the competition for the japanese marque been stronger. it will not be easy for the field of brand new and maturing machinery to match the most refined car on the grid, the toyota gr010 hybrid (above, with a new for 2024 look), now in its fourth year of competition. but as ferrari af corse proved last year at the centenary running of the 24 hours of le mans, anything is possible in endurance racing at this level. last year’s wec campaign emerged as a toyota vs. ferrari battle, with cadillac, peugeot and porsche each showing glimpses of what’s to come. but 2024 promises to be a different story, with those glimpses potentially turning into season long challenges from last year’s chasing pack. cadillac’s growling v series.r brings momentum and experience from its title winning 2023 imsa gtp season, while porsche’s penske run 963 has proved it can go the distance by winning imsa’s season opening rolex 24 at daytona in the build up to the wec’s qatar kick off. peugeot’s 9x8 often flattered to deceive last season, but don’t let its recent form fool you. from imola’s second round onward, a radically new aerodynamic concept for the car is expected to debut, boosting the team’s ambitions.4 4. it’s a new era for gt racing on the world stage the introduction of lmgt3 to the fia wec for 2024 brings with it so much promise. nine manufacturers and 11 customer teams are set to do battle, headlined by three brand new cars in the shape of the aston martin vantage lmgt3, corvette z06 lmgt3.r and ford mustang lmgt3 (above), all fresh from their global debuts at daytona’s imsa curtain raiser in january. this gives the championship more production based depth than ever before. visually, the variety on display stands out, with each of the nine manufacturers bringing two cars apiece, operated by some of the world’s best customer teams and driven by an elite field of top level pro drivers racing alongside their highly motivated (and mandatory) amateur teammates. but the incredible soundtrack is arguably where this category will shine, with so many new engine notes adding to the mechanical symphony. across the field there’ll be six , eight  and 10 cylinder music emanating from front , mid  and rear engine cars, and all adding to the sensory spectacle for fans following races both on tv and trackside. jep/motorsport images 5. rossi and button headline a galaxy of new stars motogp legend valentino rossi (above) and 2009 formula 1 world champion jenson button are the cherries on top of the multi tier cake that is a 37 car field loaded with winners of some of the biggest races and titles in the world. the stats are mind boggling. across the pool of talent on show, there are 14 drivers with f1 starts, 22 previous fia wec title winners, and 16 world champions across the wec and other disciplines, with 41 titles between them. there’s little doubt that button and rossi will draw even more new eyes to sports car racing’s premier championship, and rest assured these guys aren’t there just to make up the numbers. button, already with wec prototype experience on his resume, joins the hypercar field for the first time with the highly ambitious hertz team jota porsche squad, while nine time two wheeled world champion (seven at the highest motogp level) rossi brings with him a legion of fans who can’t wait to see if he can continue his championship winning ways on four wheels. this year, the italian moves up the wec already with race winning experience of the bmw team wrt squad and the m4 lmgt3 he’ll drive. 6. the wec app experience will be better than ever if you want the very best, most immersive experience following the fia world endurance championship action, the newly updated, better than ever 2024 wec app has got you covered. the wec app is available for smartphones and tablets (with ios and android) and online via fiawec.tv, as well as on smart tvs with the chromecast function. with world class commentary from trackside and pit lane and enhanced live timing, wec free practice 3, qualifying and all the races* are available, together with access to live onboard cameras. if you miss any of the action live, there are replays of all sessions and races, plus the latest championship news, driver and team information, and access to hours of on demand archive race footage   all available from your laptop, desktop or mobile device, or to enjoy streamed to your tv. want to try before you buy? you can! free practice 3 is available to watch for free, and there’s free audio only commentary of every qualifying and all of the races, too. to download the 2024 wec app, just head to discover.fiawec.tv. * video geo restriction rules apply in the usa and canada for the lone star le mans race at the circuit of the americas and the 24 hours of le mans. le mans/wec honda warming to idea of acura fia wec hypercar entry and customer programs mclaughlin, newgarden to test penske porsche at sebring elkins to leave role as formula e race director february 8, 2025 2:07 pm et · by: racer staff defending funny car champion austin prock got his 2025 off to another fast start with a record setting turn in qualifying for the pro (…) february 8, 2025 11:49 am et · by: kelly crandall katherine legge wants to do ‘all the things’ when it pertains to finding more opportunities in racing and that includes nascar. legge (…) february 8, 2025 9:55 am et · by: holly cain, nascar wire service nascar royalty made its way to uptown charlotte friday night to welcome and honor the newest class of nascar royalty. the sport’s (…) february 8, 2025 9:11 am et · by: epartrade.com check out exclusive interview with jeff dickerson, co owner of spire motorsports and ceo of spire holdings, as he shares the journey of (…) february 7, 2025 2:09 pm et · by: stephen kilbey and graham goodwin could we see the acura arx 06 competing in the hands of private teams and/or in the fia world endurance championship’s hypercar class in (…) february 7, 2025 1:59 pm et · by: racer staff go behind the scenes with formula 1 world champion max verstappen as he tests the acura arx 06 lmdh at las vegas motor speedway prior to (…) february 7, 2025 1:55 pm et · by: marshall pruett jack william miller will contest his second indy nxt season as part of abel motorsports’ expanded roster. the move comes after the son of (…) february 7, 2025 1:48 pm et · by: racer staff racers edge motorsports has confirmed its entry in the 2025 fanatec gt world challenge america powered by aws, with drivers jason bell and (…) february 7, 2025 12:23 pm et · by: marshall pruett fox sports has made quite an impression with the first two ntt indycar series driver promos that debuted in january on its nfl broadcasts. in (…) february 7, 2025 8:48 am et · by: chris medland netflix is interested in becoming the new media rights partner for formula 1 in the united states from 2026 as discussions continue over (…) nascar prepares to celebrate hall of fame class of 2025 february 6, 2025 championships up for grabs as spring mountain race series hits midpoint february 6, 2025 crawford joins formula e rookie test february 6, 2025 pmh partners with liveracemedia, sheheen for 2025 live stream february 6, 2025 cindric at ease with decision to downshift at penske february 6, 2025 pook named 2025 motorsports hall of fame of america bob russo heritage award winner february 7, 2025 nascar podcast: william byron on building superspeedway confidence february 7, 2025 all contents copyright © 2024, racer media & marketing, inc. all rights reserved. this material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form without prior authorization. your use of this website constitutes acceptance of our privacy policy and terms & conditions. racer media & marketing, inc., 2525 main st, ste 430, irvine, ca 92614, 949.417.6700 partner of usa today sports digital properties powered by wordpress vip

suggested categories michelin is looking forward to an exceptional year of endurance racing, with no fewer than nine premium carmakers involved in the sport's headlining hypercar class! nineteen michelin equipped prototypes will appear at the 2024 fia world endurance championship's opener in qatar next month, and 23 are expected for june's le mans 24 hours. the announcement by the aco (automobile club de l’ouest) and fia (fédération internationale de l'automobile of the creation of a new hypercar class in endurance racing dates back to 2018, when michelin was named as the cars' exclusive tire supplier. after 10 months of computer assisted design and simulator work, the first michelin pilot sports for these sophisticated prototypes got their first track run in march 2021, just weeks before their maiden fia wec race appearance at spa francorchamps, belgium. in the course of 2022 and 2023, peugeot, porsche, cadillac and ferrari joined toyota in the new category as michelin continued to develop its range, adding alternative sizes and a new rain tire containing a higher proportion of sustainable materials with no detriment to performance. this year marks the dawn of what promises to be a new golden age for endurance racing as four more manufacturers join the hypercar field, namely bmw, lamborghini, alpine and isotta fraschini. the season's 72 hours of race action will begin with the qatar 1812 km, on march 2, and conclude exactly eight months later in bahrain, on november 2, with le mans again standing out as the campaign's showpiece on june 15 16. michelin expects to equip at least 23 hypercars at the great french race where ferrari will be looking to repeat its success of 2023 with a trio of 499ps. looking to thwart the italian make's plan, imsa title holders cadillac will have the same number of v series.rs, while defending wec champs toyota will have two prototypes (gr010 hybrid), like peugeot (9x8), bmw (m hybrid v8) and alpine (a424). meanwhile porsche intends to send at least six 963s to build on its illustrious record in la sarthe! michelin is consequently looking forward to a bumper season in association with its nine partners, while at the same time preparing for 2025 as it works on the longevity and consistency of its pilot sport slicks and rain tires that contain at least 50 percent renewable/recycled raw materials. copyright ©2025 michelin. all rights reserved

fia, aco confirm minimum of two hypercars per manufacturer for 2025 wec season… by photo: mps agency the fia world endurance championship has confirmed that hypercar manufacturers will be required to field at least two cars beginning next season. confirmation of the move, which has been expected for some time, came in the aco’s annual press conference on friday ahead of this weekend’s 24 hours of le mans. it comes alongside an increase in the number of full season grid slots from 37 to 40 for next year. it’s expected that 22 slots will be reserved for hypercar teams. imola, which was confirmed to remain on the calendar until 2028 on friday, is planning to add four additional garages in order to be able to accommodate the increased grid size. the aco’s statement said the move to force hypercar manufacturers to enter at least two cars is intended to “improve sporting fairness and ensure a level playing field” in view of the manufacturers’ championship. it also clarified that any additional cars from a given manufacturer will be entered into the fia world cup for hypercar teams. cadillac, lamborghini and isotta fraschini are the current manufacturers directly impacted by the new ruling as they currently only enter a single car. while gm sports car racing program manager laura wontrop klauser has only said that cadillac will adapt to the rules as necessary, it is understood the marque is already working towards a two car effort with its expected 2025 partner jota sport. aston martin is also impacted by the two car mandate, but confirmed on friday that it will also step up to enter two of its new valkyrie lmhs having previously only committed to a one car effort. should all of the existing nine hypercar manufacturers plus newcomer aston martin be granted grid slots, it would leave only two more spots for privateer teams. isotta fraschini and its partner team duqueine however faces a potential challenge in finding the funding required to expand to a second tipo 6 competizone. jamie klein is sportscar365's asian editor. japan based klein, who previously worked for motorsport network on the motorsport.cоm and autosport titles, covers the fia world endurance championship and super gt, among other series. check out a selection of photos of the aston martin valkyrie from its shakedown... davey euwema dives into the technical changes the valkyrie needed to go racing... factory corvette driver nico varrone on how opportunity to join proton competition in hypercar... new v8 twin turbo powered gt3 car set for selected series in 2026... copyright ©2025 john dagys media, llc. all rights reserved.

recent and archived work by alex kalinauckas for the new york times no other car manufacturer has as many victories there. not even close. by alex kalinauckas its season began with so much promise, but the team was unable to keep up with the leaders. by alex kalinauckas the thinner air affects the cars in many ways, including the performance of the turbo engines, brakes and tires. “it’s like driving in the wet,” the driver lance stroll of aston martin said. by alex kalinauckas initially there were doubts about holding events in the evening, and on the streets of a city, but they faded quickly. by alex kalinauckas with the addition of alpine, bmw, isotta fraschini and lamborghini, nine manufacturers are racing this year. by alex kalinauckas he has won ferrari’s only race this year, but will be out in 2025 when lewis hamilton moves over from mercedes. by alex kalinauckas the team dropped its popular team principal, made an engineer the new boss and is hoping for better results. but they may not come this year. by alex kalinauckas a variety of changes are being considered, but the teams admit “there’s a mount everest to climb” to catch up with red bull. by alex kalinauckas gene haas once considered selling the team, but changes in f1 have convinced him not to. by alex kalinauckas formula 1 held its first grand prix there, and the track is now negotiating with the sport to keep racing. by alex kalinauckas

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supported by with the addition of alpine, bmw, isotta fraschini and lamborghini, nine manufacturers are racing this year. by alex kalinauckas rewind 12 months to the centenary edition of the 24 hours of le mans race in france, and the big story was the return of ferrari and porsche. ferrari won that event at its first attempt back in the top class of le mans for 50 years. now, three more major carmakers are trying to do the same. alpine, bmw and lamborghini have joined the hypercar class for this year. these are prototype machines that lead the multiclass racing for which le mans has long been famous. slower lmp2 prototypes and gt cars that more closely resemble road cars make up the rest of the field. the number of hypercar manufacturer entrants had swelled to five last year from three in 2022. now, with the addition of the isotta fraschini team, the factory entries from alpine, bmw and lamborghini make it nine manufacturers competing for overall le mans success. in total, these squads provide the cars that have the best chance of winning the race. “we will have an event bigger than last year,” said pierre fillon, president of the automobile club de l’ouest, which has organized le mans throughout its 101 year history. more established teams head into this year’s race as the favorites. ferrari is seeking to defend last year’s win in front of about 325,000 expected spectators. toyota, which won the previous five races, came close to beating ferrari last year. toyota has also won one of three f.i.a. world endurance championship events this year. porsche has won the other two.

 getty images the le mans hypercar category is reaching new heights in 2024, with nine manufacturers and 23 cars at the le mans 24 hours   marking a new golden age in endurance racing. hypercar is the top class in the le mans 24 hours race, which also includes slower lmp2 and lmgt3 cars. these race at the same time as the hypercars, but have no realistic chance of winning, and are competing for victory within their own category.