TOYOTA GAZOO RACING

#7 – Toyota GR010 Hybrid – Mike Conway (GBR) – Kamui Kobayashi (JPN) – José María López
#8 – Toyota GR010 Hybrid – Sébastien Buemi (CHE) – Brendon Hartley (NZL) – Ryo Hirakawa (JPN)

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing brilliantly ushered in the Hypercar era last year by winning the 24 Hours and the FIA World Endurance Championship title. The Toyota GR010 Hybrid has undergone some modifications for its second season. The Hypercar now uses different sizes of tyres and wheels: at the front, the 12.5 x 18-inch magnesium alloy wheels are equipped with Michelin 29/71-18 tyres while at the rear, the 34/71-18 rubbers are mounted on 14 x 18-inch wheels. As a result of these changes, small modifications were required to the bodywork in order to maintain airflow and stay within the aerodynamic performance regulations. The most visible change is to the enlarged wing end plates. The Japanese marque is seeking a fifth consecutive win at the 24 Hours after last year's fuel pump problems on Sunday morning. Thanks to tremendous teamwork, the team still triumphed. This season, the #8 Toyota won the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps ahead of Alphine Elf Matmut's #36 Alpine A480-Gibson.

ALPINE ELF TEAM

#36 – Alpine A480-Gibson – André Negrão (BRA) – Nicolas Lapierre (FRA) – Matthieu Vaxivière (FRA)

Alpine is gearing up for its ninth consecutive participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and second season in Hypercar, with a track record of six podiums in six runnings including third place last year. The French team is once again placing its trust in the trio of Nicolas Lapierre (age 38, 14 participations), André Negrão (age 29, five participations) and Matthieu Vaxivière (age 27, five participations). The three drivers share the same objective as last year, to give their all and put Alpine on top despite intense competition. Team manager Philippe Sinault: "With the arrival of new competitors in the class, the technical elements are subject to change and we have carried out a huge amount of significant work with the aim of doing better than last year. We have to be ambitious as we evolve among other top contenders, and we do our best every day to live up to this prestigious and exhilarating challenge."

The 24 Hours will be used to prepare the arrival of the future Alpine LMDh destined for the Hypercar class in 2024 and designed around an ORECA chassis and an Alpine engine developed in Viry-Châtillon.

The French team has enjoyed a successful early season thanks to its win at the 1000 Miles de Sebring and second place finish at the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. These results have placed Alpine Elf Team at the top of the provisional FIA Endurance Hypercar Manufacturers title classification.

GLICKENHAUS RACING

#708 – Glickenhaus 007 LMH – Olivier Pla (FRA) – Romain Dumas (FRA) – Felipe Derani (BRA)
#709 – Glickenhaus 007 LMH – Ryan Briscoe (AUS) – Richard Westbrook (GBR) – Franck Mailleux (FRA)

Fourth and fifth last year, Glickenhaus Racing's two Glickenhaus 007 LMH proved surprisingly reliable. Few marques have managed to finish the race in their rookie attempt. The chase with Alpine kept fans on the edge of their seats last year and now team owner and former film producer James Glickenhaus is all the more determined to fulfill his dream of winning the 24 Hours. For the upcoming 90th running, the American team will once again field two 007 LMHs. Glickenhaus has already had a promising start to the 2022 season with the #708 finishing third in the 1000 Miles of Sebring and securing pole position at the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. Unfortunately, the team suffered from poor strategy at the end of the race in Belgium. Thanks to experience gained last year, Glickenhaus Racing's main goal is to improve on its 2021 result and finish ahead of Alpine. 

The FIA Endurance Hypercar Manufacturers trophy classification ahead of the 90th 24 Hours of Le Mans

1. Alpine – 57 points
2. Toyota – 52 points
3. Glickenhaus – 39 points

Click for the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans entry list.