24h Le Mans
Five classes will compete in the 89th 24 Hours of Le Mans – five races within the race. The LMGTE Pro class will see Ferrari, Porsche and Chevrolet Corvette battle it out for a much-coveted win.
#51 – Ferrari 488 GTE Evo – Alessandro Pier Guidi (ITA) – James Calado (GBR) – Côme Ledogar (FRA)
#52 – Ferrari 488 GTE Evo – Daniel Serra (BRA) – Miguel Molina (ESP) – Davide Rigon (ITA)
The Ferrari 488 GTE Evo has embarked on its sixth endurance campaign. AF Corse has its sights set on repeating its 2019 achievement of an LMGTE Pro class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Last year, the #51 finished second in its class, a minute and a half behind the victorious Aston Martin. This year the #51 will be driven by familiar faces: Alessandro Pier Guidi (five starts) and James Calado (six starts) are joined by Côme Ledogar (three starts) who has moved into the class from LMGTE Am. Davide Rigon (seven starts), Daniel Serra (four starts) and Miguel Molina (four starts) will be at the wheel of the #52. Ferrari will be entering the Hypercar class in 2023.
#63 – Chevrolet Corvette C8.R – Antonio García (ESP) – Jordan Taylor (USA) – Nicky Catsburg (NLD)
#64 – Chevrolet Corvette C8.R – Tommy Milner (USA) – Nicholas Tandy (GBR) – Alexander Sims (GBR)
Corvette Racing returns to Le Mans after missing out on the race last year due to the pandemic and subsequent travel restrictions. It’s a much-awaited comeback as the US team will be racing the new C8.R Chevrolet Corvette. The car proved its worth when it won the American championship last season. In preparation for the 89th 24 Hours of Le Mans, a C8.R raced at the Total 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps where it came fourth in LMGTE Pro behind a Porsche and two Ferraris. The #63 will be driven by Antonio García (13 starts), Jordan Taylor (six starts) and Nicky Catsburg (two starts). The #64 line-up consists of Tommy Milner (11 starts), Nick Tandy – overall winner in 2015 – and Alexander Sims (two starts). Catsburg said “I think the C8.R will be a good car for Le Mans. I feel that it’s such a good all-rounder that Le Mans won’t be a problem. It should be a track that we do well on. We’ve got a team that makes good decisions in terms of strategy. The biggest challenges will be the rules and regulations specific to the 24 Hours. Corvette Racing raced at Spa in preparation, but other teams have got a lot more experience with WEC rules. That will be hard for us, but I think it’s a challenge that we welcome and we’ll do quite well.”
#72 – Porsche 911 RSR-19 – Maxime Martin (BEL) – Alavaro Parente (PRT) – Dries Vanthoor (BEL)
The team from Taiwan was initially entered in LMGTE Am class but has moved into LMGTE Pro with a Porsche 911 RSR-19. This will give Porsche a numerical advantage in a highly competitive class. Last year, Hub Auto Racing entered a Ferrari 488 GTE Evo in LMGTE Am but had to retire less than four hours before the finish due to engine failure. The team has put together a solid line-up to take on the pros, with Maxime Martin, who won the LMGTE Pro class in 2020 with Aston Martin, Alvaro Parente (two starts) and Dries Vanthoor, who won the LMGTE Am class in 2017 at the wheel of a Ferrari fielded by JMW Motorsport.
#79 – Porsche 911 RSR-19 – Cooper MacNeil (USA) – Laurens Vanthoor (BEL) – Earl Bamber (NZL)
This is the second Le Mans appearance for the American team who won the 12 Hours of Sebring earlier this year and has had a good run in the European Le Mans Series. The team fielded a Ferrari in LMGTE Pro last year. The car was hampered by a broken shock absorber before leaving the race after a collision with Racing Team Nederland’s Oreca. This year, Cooper MacNeil (seven starts) will team up with two Porsche factory drivers: Laurens Vanthoor who has four starts to his name including an LMGTE Pro win in 2018 with Porsche, and Earl Bamber, overall winner in 2015 with Porsche. This Porsche 911 RSR-19 is a strong contender for a place on the LMGTE Pro podium.
#91 – Porsche 911 RSR-19 – Gianmaria Bruni (ITA) – Richard Lietz (AUT) – Frédéric Makowiecki (FRA)
#92 – Porsche 911 RSR-19 – Kévin Estre (FRA) – Neel Jani (CHE) – Michael Christensen (DNK)
The German manufacturer is hoping to clinch its 108th class win at the 89th 24 Hours of Le Mans. It last won the LMGTE Pro class in 2018. Porsche didn’t make the cut against the Aston Martins and Ferraris on track last year; now the team is back, fired up with grit, determination and an appetite for victory. As one would expect, Porsche has rustled up two elite driver trios. The #91 will be in the experienced hands of Gianmaria Bruni (12 starts), Richard Lietz (14 starts) and Frédéric Makowiecki (10 starts), while Kévin Estre (six starts), Neel Jani, overall winner in 2016, and Michael Christensen (six starts) will share the wheel of the #92. As well as these two works entries, there will be two private Porsche 911 RSR-19s to take on AF Corse and Corvette Racing.
LMGTE Pro class cars are derived from the production cars seen on public roads. Technical regulations stipulate that the Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance (LMGTE) class is for cars with an aptitude for sport with 2 doors, 2 or 2+2 seats, of which at least 300 units have been produced and made available for sale over 24 months. The cars’ performance is adjusted using a Balance of Performance (BoP) to ensure an equal footing and fair competition across teams. They have a maximum 5.5L naturally aspirated petrol engine and 18-inch wheels. The LMGTE Pro car numbers appear on a green background.
Check out the entry list for the 89th 24 Hours of Le Mans.
