24h Le Mans
Tension builds as the field of this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, coming up next weekend, sets off for the pre-race Test Day. All 62 teams line up for six hours of track action, where the aim of the game is to gather data and eye up the opposition.
The Cool Racing #37 Oreca 07-Gibson #37 was first out at the green light, with Malthe Jakobsen in the cockpit. He shares the LMP2 with Lorenzo Fluxa and Ritomo Miyata.
This is a particularly important day for all teams. Test Day is when the car’s settings are reviewed and refined ready for the big day. The machinery has to be “just so”, to achieve top performance and reliability. Engineers and drivers work together to strike the perfect balance in terms of aerodynamics, tyre wear, bodywork and fuel consumption.
The rulebook states that to compete in the forthcoming race, drivers who have not taken part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the last five years (since 2019) must complete at least ten laps, five of them timed.
FIA World Endurance Championship fans will know that the 92nd edition of of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is the fourth round of the season. Keep track of today’s action with our live timing service and see who’s on best form with a week to go. Test Day can be an indication of winning potential, although some teams play coy and keep their hands close to their chest!
Last year, the #51 Ferrari 499P of Ferrari AF Corse clocked the best time: 03:29.504. And went on to win the race a week later.
In LMP2, the JOTA #28 Oreca 07-Gibson set the bar at 03:35.472. This year the British team has moved up to the Hypercar class, entering a Porsche 963.
JMW Motorsport’s #66 Ferrari 488 GTE topped the LMGTE Am table with 03:56.088. The LMGT3 class introduced this season replaces LMGTE Am, with an illustrious field: Aston Martin, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Lexus, Lamborghini, McLaren and Porsche.
Check out our reviews for everything you need to know about each class: Hypercar, LMP2 and LMGT3.
