62 cars, 14 manufacturers entered for this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans

At 4pm on June 15, the grandstands of France’s Circuit de la Sarthe will be packed for the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, round four of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Sixty-two cars will line up on the grid for this year’s event, including 23 Hypercars, 16 LMP2 prototypes and 23 LMGT3 sports cars. Seven teams make up the reserve list. While the list of 186 drivers is yet to be completed, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) on Monday confirmed 12 of them have previously won the race outright, while three are women.

“The 24 Hours of Le Mans is one of the most iconic events in the history of motorsport and the traditional focal point of the FIA World Endurance Championship season,” said FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

“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 strong, with 23 Hypercars from nine 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 and this entry list proves that the right regulatory approach will result in strong interest and competition.”

This is a short breakdown of what you can expect from the three classes.

Hypercar

The top class is composed of nine makes: Ferrari, Toyota, Cadillac, Peugeot, Porsche, Lamborghini, Alpine, BMW and Isotta Fraschini. Having triumphed for the 10th 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.

South African racer Sheldon van der Linde will be making his Le Mans debut in the No 20 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8. 

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 is 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 after 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 and South Africa's Kelvin van der Linde in the No 78 Akkodis ASP Team Lexus RC F LMGT3

“The 24 Hours of Le Mans has rarely seen a grid like this in over a 100 years,” said ACO president Pierre Fillon.

“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.”

Click here to view the full provisional entry list.