The German-Irish actor was a guest of honour at the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he revealed his love of racing. This year, he will be competing in the European Le Mans Series which kicks off next weekend (19 July) at Le Castellet, and hopes to race at Le Mans in the future.

BrightLoop, a specialist in high-performance DC-DC converters with a decade's experience in motorsport, has joined the MissionH24 program. As a technical partner, BrightLoop shares the strategy of decarbonization, and more sustainable racing pursued by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest and H24Project.

The MissionH24 program, a collaboration between the Automobile Club de l&#39;Ouest and H24Project to promote hydrogen in racing,&nbsp;has a new member, who is also a stakeholder in the brand-new H24EVO prototype. 
BrightLoop, a leading supplier of advanced power conversion solutions, specializing in high-performance DC-DC converters for a variety of industries, will be equipping the H24EVO fuel cell prototype. 
The company offers adaptable converters capable of managing all power flows, both AC and DC, positioning itself as a key partner for players in the energy transition. 
The technology developed by BrightLoop enables intelligent management of power flows while offering unmatched compactness and power density, thereby optimizing space, energy efficiency, and control. 
This specification corresponds in every respect to the expectations of the operating team of the future H24EVO. 
Prior to its involvement in hydrogen racing, BrightLoop gained experience in the unusual world of motor racing, offering DC-DC converters of unique size (power density) and modularity to teams competing in Formula E, IndyCar and Extreme E... Performance, reliability and innovation are necessary values shared by MissionH24 and BrightLoop. 
&nbsp; 
This technical partnership will see members of BrightLoop integrated into MissionH24 for the first test sessions of the H24EVO.

BrightLoop, technical partner of MissionH24

Théo Pourchaire was given the chance to drive the Team Peugeot TotalEnergies Peugeot 9X8 at the FIA WEC Rookie Test in Bahrain. It was a chance for him to get a taste of the gruelling world of endurance racing. The former Formula 2 champion shares his thoughts on this remarkable experience, the transition to a closed cockpit and the technical discussions he had with the engineers. He also reveals his ambition to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

What were your first impressions at the wheel of the Peugeot 9X8?

&ldquo;The Peugeot&nbsp;9X8 and the Hypercars are very fast, powerful cars. Their braking and aerodynamics are very different from anything I&rsquo;ve known in the past. Nonetheless, it was a superb experience. It felt amazing. The team were very welcoming and it was a fantastic opportunity. It was a chance to show the World Endurance Championship who I am. It was my first experience in the discipline and in a closed cockpit, it made a real change!&rdquo;

Were you surprised by any aspect of the car?

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great mix of the various classes. You have plenty of power at your disposal. The hybrid system is similar to what you see in Formula&nbsp;1. Still, you can feel that the car is built for long races. The brakes are less powerful but they last longer. I also had to get used to the traction control. The Peugeot&nbsp;9X8 Hypercar is a great drive.&rdquo;

It was the first time for you in a closed cockpit. How did you adapt to that?

&ldquo;I used the Peugeot Sport simulator to gear up for the Rookie Test. In a closed cockpit, the visibility and heat are very different. Physically, the 9X8 is not the hardest car to drive, but you have to get used to the heat and to breaking out in a sweat! The simulator proved to be a great help in that respect. It&rsquo;s very realistic so I was able to settle in right from the first few laps.&rdquo;

What was the most important kind of the feedback for you and the team?

&ldquo;I shared my impressions with the team&rsquo;s engineers and for them, feedback from drivers from other classes is invaluable. I&rsquo;ve driven some fast cars over my career, all very different from one another, so I&rsquo;m able to provide relevant technical feedback. What impressed me most was the brakes&thinsp;&ndash;&thinsp;you have to dose your braking very precisely to keep the wheels from locking. My comments therefore focused on that, so that the engineers can explore solutions to make things easier for the regular drivers.&rdquo;

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a goal for many drivers. Does the race appeal to you?

&quot;Yes, definitely! It would be a dream to win the race. At the wheel of the 9X8, I thought how amazing it would be to drive the car at Le Mans, with the grandstands packed with spectators. Competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship would be incredible too. The standard of driving is very high and the manufacturers really fight to the nearest thousandth of a second. 
I attended the 24 Hours of Le Mans a few years ago. I took a helicopter flight over the race and have great memories of it. What amazed me most was the atmosphere among the fans. It&rsquo;s similar to the vibe at the Indy&nbsp;500. The drivers must feel it too. And it must be really cool to drive on that circuit. It&rsquo;s definitely one for my list!&rdquo;

How would it feel to represent France in such an illustrious race, at the wheel of a car like the Peugeot 9X8?

&ldquo;It would be extraordinary and competing for a French marque would make it all the more special. I can&rsquo;t wait to see what the future has in store for me. Peugeot is an emblematic brand for me. I grew up watching and admiring the battles between Peugeot and Audi at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.&rdquo;

Are there any endurance drivers or teams that inspire you?

&ldquo;I know Lo&iuml;c Duval well, he&rsquo;s had an amazing career in endurance. We talked a lot in Bahrain. Tom Kristensen is another iconic driver. He has always remained very humble with regard to the race. I try and support French teams. What&rsquo;s great about endurance is the team spirit. The drivers and the technical staff all have to work together and encourage one another if they want to win. I&rsquo;d like to experience that.&rdquo;

Finally, do you have any memories to share about your experience at the 2023 GP Explorer event?

&ldquo;It was a great experience. There was a lot of excitement, a great atmosphere. I watched the first edition on my phone in my gym! I really wanted to be a part of it the following year. So I did a demonstration with ART Grand Prix and I think it really pleased the spectators who were there.&rdquo;

Théo Pourchaire : "The Peugeot 9X8 hypercar is a great drive"

The 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans will take place from 11-15 June 2025. Take a look at the poster unveiled on Tuesday 5 November and get ready to book your tickets.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans official poster mirrors the event itself&thinsp;&ndash;&thinsp;a fascinating combination of long-standing tradition and modern design. Over the years, it has become a true work of art that portrays the spirit and aura of the world&rsquo;s greatest endurance race.

The poster&rsquo;s design has changed significantly since the very first version in 1923. Often the culmination of a partnership between the Automobile Club de l&rsquo;Ouest and a communications agency, the Centenary poster was created by the graphic design team within the ACO&rsquo;s Communication &amp; CSR department. Regardless of who they work for, the talented designers entrusted with the task always seek to capture the spirit of the race, its historical legacy, and its future.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans poster is a snapshot of the race&rsquo;s stellar history or of the main protagonists entered in the World Endurance Championship. For race fans, it is a cherished collector&rsquo;s item. Some of the posters have become extremely rare, reflecting their significance in the worlds of art and racing. 
 
The poster for the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans illustrates the ongoing legacy of the iconic race combined with a resolutely modern vibe. It bridges generations in its evocation of the hand-painted posters of yesteryear. The compelling image fast-forwards us to the race start. The triumphant driver in the centre symbolises the personal and collective performance involved in getting to that moment. 
 
TICKETS GO ON SALE FOR ACO MEMBERS TOMORROW 
 
Tickets for the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans will first go on sale for ACO Members tomorrow, Wednesday 6 November. Tickets can be purchased online or at the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans (Village Square, from 10&nbsp;am from 6-12 November, except Sunday 10 and Monday 11 November). For more information about Club ACO offers,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lemans.org/en/news/aco/club-aco-2025-24-hours-of-le-mans-tickets-on-sale-to-members-from-6-november-59064" target="_blank">click here</a>.&nbsp;ACO Members can also buy tickets during this period at the official stores in Paris, Tours and Rouen. For online purchases, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://ticket.lemans.org/en" target="_blank">https://ticket.lemans.org/en</a>! 
 
Tickets then go on sale to the general public from 13 November. Log on to&nbsp;<a href="https://ticket.lemans.org/en" target="_blank">https://ticket.lemans.org/en</a>&nbsp;or drop into one of the ACO&rsquo;s official stores or agencies. Fans can also buy tickets at the Village Square outlet at the circuit from 13-16 November..&nbsp;

<a href="https://assets.lemans.org/explorer/pdf/courses/2025/24-heures-du-mans/2025-gb-affiche-24h-60x40.pdf" target="_blank">&gt;&gt;&gt;&nbsp;Download the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans poster &lt;&lt;&lt;</a>

24 Hours of Le Mans : check out the poster for the 93rd race!

BMW M Motorsport invited Valentino Rossi to test-drive the BMW M Hybrid V8 at the FIA WEC World Endurance Championship Rookie Test. The former MotoGP champion appeared at ease and demonstrated real speed at the wheel of the German hypercar.

The day after the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain, the finale of the 2024 FIA WEC season, Valentino Rossi took his place in the cockpit of the BMW M Team WRT #20 BMW M Hybrid V8. The nine-time motorcycle Grand Prix world champion is now pursuing a career in endurance in the LMGT3 class, and readied himself for the Rookie Test using&nbsp;the BMW simulator in Munich. Rossi was able to get to grips with the German hypercar over the course of two sessions, totalling five hours of track time. He also benefited from advice from Ren&eacute; Rast.

Rossi recorded the&nbsp;second-fastest time among the rookie drivers, just a tenth of a second behind Arthur Leclerc.

Valentino Rossi:&nbsp;&ldquo;Today was a fantastic day. I had the chance to drive the BMW M Hybrid V8 for the entire day, with the whole crew and Ren&eacute; Rast who gave me advice. I enjoyed it a lot, the car is fantastic, very fast and very strong.&nbsp;&nbsp;It has a lot of power. The lap times were 15 seconds faster than in GT3. The tyres have great grip.&nbsp;&nbsp;It is a real race car. I was quite worried because I had never driven the Hypercar before, but I felt good from the first lap because the car is stable and gives good feedback.&nbsp;&nbsp;To go fast is very difficult, but it&rsquo;s a lot of fun. I have to say thank you for the great experience and I hope that I have another chance to try the car.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2>Arthur Leclerc excels</h2>

Ferrari development driver Arthur Leclerc certainly made his mark at the Rookie Test. He took the wheel of the #50 Ferrari&nbsp;499P of Ferrari AF Corse, winner of the last 24 Hours of Le Mans, and proved to be the fastest among the rookie drivers, finishing just&nbsp;eight hundredths behind Nicklas Nielsen. Victor Martins, who competes in the FIA Formula&nbsp;2 world championship, drove the Alpine&nbsp;A424 and came third. Phil Hanson made his debut at the wheel of the AF Corse #83 Ferrari&nbsp;499P&nbsp;which <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/fia-wec-af-corse-signs-up-phil-hanson-for-the-ferrari-499p-59095" target="_blank">he&rsquo;ll be driving next season</a>. He achieved the sixth-fastest time.

In the LMGT3 class, Ben Barnicoat put in a remarkable performance, outclassing the field in the Akkodis ASP Lexus RC F&nbsp;LMGT3 and setting a time almost seven-tenths of a second quicker than his rivals. Meanwhile, Mahaveer Raghunathan drove the Vista AF Corse Ferrari&nbsp;296 LMGT3, Saturday&rsquo;s race winner, and secured second place among the rookies, just ahead of Aur&eacute;lien Panis, son of former Monaco Grand Prix winner Olivier Panis, who shared the car with Barnicoat.

.

<h4>Hypercar top&nbsp;6:</h4>

1. Arthur Leclerc&thinsp;&ndash;&thinsp;Ferrari&nbsp;499P 1:50.460 
2. Valentino Rossi - BMW M Hybrid V8 +0.117s 
3. Victor Martins - Alpine A424 +0.257s 
4. Max Hesse - BMW M Hybrid V8 +0.359s 
5. Thomas Neubauer - Ferrari 499P +0.570s 
6. Philip Hanson&thinsp;&ndash; Ferrari 499P +0.964s

<h4>LMGT3 top&nbsp;6:</h4>

1. Ben Barnicoat - Lexus RC F LMGT3 2:01.772 
2. Mahaveer Raghunathan - Ferrari 296 LMGT3 +0.851s 
3. Aur&eacute;lien Panis - Lexus RC F LMGT3 +0.870s 
4. Matteo De Palo - Ferrari 296 LMGT3 +1.194s 
5. Tom Gamble&thinsp;&ndash;&thinsp;McLaren&nbsp;720S LMGT3 Evo +1.399s 
6. Mattia Drudi&thinsp;&ndash;&thinsp;Aston Martin Vantage AMR&nbsp;LMGT3 Evo +1.400s

The 2024 FIA WEC season concluded with victories for Toyota Gazoo Racing and the #6 Porsche&nbsp;963 drivers Laurens Vanthoor, Andr&eacute; Lotterer and Kevin Estre. In 2025, the FIA WEC will count eight rounds, with the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans (11-15 June 2025) as the highlight. The season will kick off with the Prologue (21-22 February 2025) and the Qatar&nbsp;1812&nbsp;km (28 February 2025).

&nbsp;

FIA WEC: Valentino Rossi impresses at the Rookie Test in the BMW M Hybrid V8

Michael Fassbender came to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2018 as ACO president Pierre Fillon&rsquo;s guest of honour, and was treated to a drive around the 13-plus kilometre track in a prototype with four-time Le Mans winner Yannick Dalmas at the wheel. The actor reiterated his intention to take up racing and has recently starred in the Road to Le Mans documentary&nbsp;with Porsche. Today, he has announced that he will be competing in the 2020 European Le Mans Series, sharing the wheel of the #93 Porsche 911 RSR with works drivers Richard Lietz and Felipe Fern&aacute;ndez Laser. The first round will take place next week (19 July) at Le Castellet in the south of France.

24H LE MANS

Michael Fassbender on the road to Le Mans!

Related News

BrightLoop, technical partner of MissionH24

Théo Pourchaire : "The Peugeot 9X8 hypercar is a great drive"

24 Hours of Le Mans : check out the poster for the 93rd race!

FIA WEC: Valentino Rossi impresses at the Rookie Test in the BMW M Hybrid V8

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