Let’s look at the possibilities for each team, taking them in their grid pecking order: Toyota (1 and 2), Alpine (3), and Glickenhaus (4 and 5).

Toyota doubly pioneering? – A win for the Toyota GR010 Hybrid could set a precedent. The first major constructor to confirm a Hypercar entry, Toyota could also be the first to win with a car on its maiden Le Mans. A triumph this weekend would take the glittering record of reigning world champions Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and José María Lopez, the crew of the #7 Toyota, to new heights.

Cherry on the cake for Alpine and Signatech? – LMP2 competitors since 2013, Signatech Alpine boast a glowing track record with three 24 hours of Le Mans class wins, and European Le Mans Series and World Endurance Championship titles. Having upgraded to the Hypercar class, the French team is now in a position to claim overall victory. Four-time LMP2 class winner Nicolas Lapierre and his teammates Matthieu Vaxivière and André Negrão would not say no to the “Le Mans winner” label! The latter would become the first Brazilian to win Le Mans.

Glickenhaus, already a success? – By entering the first private Hypercar team, film producer and director Jim Glickenhaus is already among the firsts of the 89th 24 Hours of Le Mans and his team also set the best time on Test Day. Although one of his drivers, Frenchman Romain Dumas, is wary of the technical gremlins that often mar performance on a car’s first few outings, Glickenhaus Racing is still in with a hope of a podium place and maybe even a win first time out.

PHOTOS: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, HYPERPOLE, THURSDAY 19 AUGUST 2021. Kamui Kobayashi (#7 Toyota) claimed his second consecutive pole position by winning the Hyperpole session. The #36 Alpine is in third place on the grid. La première Glickenhaus qualifiée est la n°708.