This article is based on team announcements and does not constitute an official entry list. That will be released after the deadline of May 10, 2018 has passed (read Focus on the 24 Hours of Le Mans regulations: Driver nomination).

Though the LMP1 class is typically one of the first to complete its driver line-ups, this year is an exception to that rule as several spots are still vacant within certain private outfits fielding non-hybrid prototypes, like CEFC TRSM Racing (Manor), ByKOLLES Racing Team and SMP Racing.

The first team, entering two Ginetta G60-LT-P1 Mecachromes under the Chinese banner though based in the U.K., has recruited five of its six drivers: Léo Roussel (three Le Mans participations), Dean Stoneman and Charlie Robertson will share the wheel of the #6 car, while Alex Brundle (the son of 1990 24 Hours winner Martin Brundle) joins rookie Oliver Rowland in the #5 sister car.

The situation is identical for SMP Racing who snatched up Stéphane Sarrazin - former official Peugeot and Toyota driver with four second place finishes at Le Mans in 16 appearances to his credit - to support Mikhail Aleshin in the #11 BR Engineering BR 1-AER. On the other hand, the Russian team (LMGTE Am winner in 2015) has opted for a 100% Russian trio for the #17 car, including former F1 driver Vitaly Petrov and two rookies who made a sensation in the European Le Mans Series last year with a win for their very first start, Egor Orudzhev and Matevos Isaakyan.

ByKOLLES Racing Team is planning to conduct two track sessions with the Enso CLM P1/01 between now and the end of the month with the only driver it has named, Oliver Webb, even though Dominik Kraihamer did take the wheel of the car in Le Castellet for the Prologue, the official tests for the 2018-2019 Super Season of the World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC). The only private team in this class that participated in the 24 Hours last year, ByKOLLES Racing Team now has a Nismo engine from Nissan's motorsport division and has made improvements in several areas.

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing is the other team already a competitor in LMP1 last year, but with a hybrid prototype as a constructor entry. The Japanese team has kept Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima for the #8 Toyota TS050 Hybrid, to be joined by two-time F1 World Champion Fernando Alonso, as well as Kamui Kobayashi and Mike Conway for the #7 sister car, along with José María López, three-time World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) winner.

Rebellion Racing also participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2017, but in the LMP2 class. The Swiss team is therefore making its big return to LMP1 after a season in LMP2 with two Rebellion R13-Gibsons developed by ORECA. Both cars will sport the numbers 1 - traditionally reserved for the defending champion but left available by Porsche's withdrawal from the class - and 3, a little nod to the number 13 the team likes so much. The first car will be entrusted to Neel Jani (2016 winner with Porsche), André Lotterer (three-time winner with Audi) and Bruno Senna. The second will be shared by young driver Thomas Laurent, winner in LMP2 and second overall last year, Mathias Beche, the backbone of the team, and Gustavo Menezes who claimed the top step on the LMP2 podium with Signatech Alpine in 2016.

Lastly, like Rebellion Racing, DragonSpeed, debuting in LMP1, will use Gibson to supply its engines, but the U.S. team has chosen not to develop its own car, opting instead to put its faith in a BR Engineering BR1 to be shared by Ben Hanley, Henrik Hedman and Renger van der Zande.

LMP1 List

1 Rebellion Racing                  Rebellion R13 - Gibson                        André Lotterer - Neel Jani - Bruno Senna

3 Rebellion Racing                  Rebellion R13 - Gibson                        Thomas Laurent - Mathias Beche - Gustavo Menezes

4 ByKolles Racing Team        ENSO CLM P1/01 - Nismo                   Oliver Webb

5 CEFC TRSM Racing             Ginetta G60-LT-P1 - Mecachrome      Charlie Robertson - Léo Roussel - Dean Stoneman

6 CEFC TRSM Racing             Ginetta G60-LT-P1 - Mecachrome      Oliver Rowland - Alex Brundle

7 Toyota Gazoo Racing          Toyota TS050 Hybrid                            Mike Conway - Kamui Kobayashi - José María López

8 Toyota Gazoo Racing          Toyota TS050 Hybrid                            Sébastien Buemi - Kazuki Nakajima - Fernando Alonso

10 DragonSpeed                     BR Engineering BR1 - Gibson              Henrik Hedman - Ben Hanley - Renger van der Zande

11 SMP Racing                       BR Engineering BR1 - AER                    Mikhail Aleshin - Stéphane Sarrazin

17 SMP Racing                       BR Engineering BR1 - AER                    Vitaly Petrov - Egor Orudzhev - Matevos Isaakyan

PHOTO (Copyright - Pascal Saivet/MPSA): From left to right, CEFC TRSM's #6 Ginetta, the #7 Toyota and the #1 Rebellion in the official photo of the Prologue, the official tests for the FIA WEC, in Le Castellet.