Twenty years ago mazda scored an amazing overall victory at le mans. they are still the only japanese manufacturer to have won the 24 hours of le mans.

As 2024 draws to a close, we look back at some of the outstanding images from the 92nd 24 Hours of Le Mans. With many exciting, unforgettable moments, the French endurance classic wrote yet another memorable chapter in the sport’s history. Enjoy our selection of the finest pictures captured by the official 24 Hours of Le Mans photographers.

<h2>Scrutineering: an event that&rsquo;s not to be missed!</h2>

<p>The 92nd 24 Hours of Le Mans began with the administrative and technical checks, known as scrutineering, held in Place de la R&eacute;publique in Le Mans city centre. The two days of checks provided an excellent opportunity for the public to get a close-up view of the cars, collect autographs, snap a few selfies and catch up with some of the pre-race stories. Among the most eagerly awaited cars were Lamborghini Iron Lynx&rsquo;s SC63 Hypercar, the Alpine Endurance Team&rsquo;s A424 and the BMW M Hybrid V8 entered by BMW M Team WRT.<br />
The scrutineering session also offered onlookers a chance to see the livery of the Iron Dames&rsquo; #85 Lamborghini Hurac&aacute;n LMGT3 Evo2. The design was based on the dreams of children from a priority education school in Le Mans.</p>

<h2>A city outing!</h2>

<p>This year, after scrutineering, 16 of the 62 cars entered in the three classes went for a drive through the city streets on Saturday afternoon. The 2.1-km route took in some of the city&rsquo;s iconic thoroughfares such as Quai Louis Blanc, Rue Gambetta, Place de la R&eacute;publique and Boulevard Ren&eacute; Levasseur, giving the spectators another chance to see the cars close-up but this time in motion! The roar of the #2 Cadillac V-Series.R&rsquo;s V8 engine echoed through the streets, reviving memories of an era when the cars joined the circuit by road. The ACO and Le Mans city council not only gave a nod to this historic tradition, but above all offered the public a day to remember!</p>

<h2>A studious Test Day favourable to Porsche</h2>

<p>Two three-hour track sessions were held on Test Day, offering teams the opportunity to adjust their set-up to the 13-km Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans and giving the rookie drivers a taster of the challenges they would face later in the week. This first day of track action also provided an insight into the runners and riders&rsquo; form. Porsche Penske Motorsport, in particular, showed their intentions with the #6 Porsche 963 topping the timesheets ahead of the #5 sister car.</p>

<h2>The traditional family portraits</h2>

<p>On the Tuesday of race week, the 186 drivers and then, later in the day, the 62 cars set to compete in the 24 Hours lined up on the Pit Straight for the now traditional family portraits. For their official photograph, the drivers were joined by the coveted trophy, ACO president Pierre Fillon and Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Lequien, director of LMEM.</p>

<h2>Speed and precision in the Pit Stop Challenge</h2>

<p>In just two years, the Pit Stop Challenge has become a big hit with spectators. This year&rsquo;s third edition was no exception. The event takes the men and women who are normally in the background &ndash; the mechanics of the competing teams &ndash; and thrusts them into the spotlight. They are faced with the task of changing all four wheels as quickly as possible.<br />
The Ferrari AF Corse mechanics in the #51 Ferrari 499P crew won in an impressive time of 9.680 seconds. In LMP2 and LMGT3, the winning crews were AO by TF (#14 Oreca 07-Gibson) and Team WRT (#31 BMW M4 LMGT3) respectively, proving that speed is a key factor not only on the racetrack.</p>

<h2>K&eacute;vin Estre clinches Hyperpole for Porsche</h2>

<p>Hyperpole was a melting pot of suspense and emotions. K&eacute;vin Estre of Porsche Penske Motorsport pulled out a perfect lap at the death&nbsp;to snatch pole position for the #6 Porsche 963. As the minutes ticked down, Cadillac appeared to have the fastest time in the bag until the Frenchman maximised the potential of his Porsche to offer the German manufacturer its 19th pole position at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.<br />
In LMGT3, Inception Racing&rsquo;s Brendan Iribe was fastest in the #70 McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo, securing the British constructor&rsquo;s first Le Mans pole position and marking a historic first step into this new class.<br />
In LMP2, Louis Del&eacute;traz dominated the session to take pole position to the AO by TF #14 Oreca 07-Gibson. He put in a remarkable performance to place his team in an ideal position before the start.</p>

<h2>The carnival atmosphere of the Drivers&rsquo; Grand&nbsp;parade</h2>

<p>The emblematic Drivers&rsquo; Parade is one of the highlights of Le Mans race week and, once again, it enthralled the crowds. With the event restored to its usual Friday late-afternoon time slot this year, almost 200,000 people lined the streets along the 4.4-kilometre route. The unmissable parade is a tremendous opportunity for fans to greet the drivers and enjoy a moment of fun with them before they return to the serious business.</p>

<h2>Zin&eacute;dine Zidane brandishes the start flag</h2>

<p>Former French international footballer Zin&eacute;dine Zidane signalled the start of the 92nd 24 Hours of Le Mans at precisely 4 p.m. Although Laurens Vanthoor, at the wheel of the #6 Porsche 963, held off his rivals into the Dunlop Chivane, the #50 Ferrari 499P driven by Nicklas Nielsen completed the first lap in the lead.</p>

<p>The same car was also the first to the chequered flag 24 hours later, as Nielsen, Antonio Fuoco and Miguel Molina secured Ferrari&rsquo;s 11th outright win and the second in a row. Strategies went out of the window as the rain-affected race was severely interrupted by safety car periods.&nbsp;<br />
The LMP2 class was won by United Autosports&rsquo; #22 Oreca 07-Gibson driven by Oliver Jarvis, Bijoy Garg and Nolan Siegel, whereas Porsche came out on top in LMGT3 with the Manthey EMA trio of Yasser Shahin, Morris Schuring and Richard Lietz bringing home the #91 911 GT3 R LMGT3 in top spot. As they say, a picture paints a thousand words! We are therefore giving you the opportunity to relive the race through a selection of the finest taken by the ACO&rsquo;s official photographers (scroll left to view).&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Release of emotions</h2>

<p>After 24 hours of intense effort, stress and pent-up feelings, the various class podiums were scenes of unbridled joy as the winners proudly showed their trophy to the fans crowded below. The 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans role of honour:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Overall classification: #50 Ferrari 499P &ndash; Ferrari AF Corse &ndash; Antonio Fuoco/Miguel Molina/Nicklas Nielsen</li>
	<li>LMP2: #22 Oreca 07-Gibson &ndash; United Autosports &ndash; Bijoy Carg/Oliver Jarvis/Nolan Siegel</li>
	<li>LMGT3: #91 Porsche 911 GT3-R LMGT3 &ndash; Manthey EMA &ndash; Richard Lietz/Yasser Shahin/Morris Schuring</li>
	<li>LMP2 Pro/Am: #183 Oreca 07-Gibson &ndash; AF Corse &ndash; Ben Barnicoat/Fran&ccedil;ois Perrodo/Nicol&aacute;s Varrone</li>
</ul>

<p>The 24 Hours of Le Mans once again delivered an unforgettable spectacle for the 92nd staging of the event. Thanks to the skilled eye of our photographers, key moments and scenes of emotion were captured for eternity.<br />
We now look forward to the 93rd edition (11-15 June 2025) when the camera lenses will once again be focused on the world&rsquo;s greatest endurance race.<br />
</p>

2024 Review – The finest photographs from the 24 Hours of Le Mans

The 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans cemented the race's pioneering role in committing to responsible and sustainable best practices. Several initiatives aimed at reducing its environmental impact were implemented involving cutting-edge technologies as well as increased public awareness and societal commitment. Here is a look back.

<p>Excellium Racing 100 has fuelled&nbsp;the cars at&nbsp;24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans and in the&nbsp;FIA WEC since 2022, representing&nbsp;the values ​​of reduced consumption and carbon-free mobility&nbsp;in sync with the goals of the ACO,&nbsp;FIA ​​and TotalEnergies</p>

<p>Tyre&nbsp;manufacturers have also played their part. Goodyear has decreased by&nbsp;33% the LMGT3 and LMP2 tyre quota thanks a special&nbsp;specification, and Michelin outfitted the 23 Hypercars at the start with tyres capable of lasting four stints without&nbsp;loss of&nbsp;performance. Also, the&nbsp;Michelin Pilot Sport Wet tyre for the&nbsp;Hypercars is made with&nbsp;45%&nbsp;renewable and recycled materials.</p>

<h2>Hydrogen Takes Center Stage</h2>

<p><br />
The programme for the 92nd edition provided&nbsp;an excellent&nbsp;showcase for hydrogen cars with&nbsp;a&nbsp;spectacular running of four prototypes&nbsp;including Alpine&#39;s Alpenglow. The&nbsp;H24EVO, the third hydrogen-electric&nbsp;prototype released by&nbsp;MissionH24, was unveiled.&nbsp;The crowd&nbsp;was able to check out&nbsp;the car&#39;s&nbsp;sleek and revolutionary lines, ushering in a new and promising era. A hydrogen tuk-tuk also achieved an endurance record with&nbsp;only 2 kg of hydrogen while driving for 24 hours on the Alain Prost karting circuit!</p>

<p>The hydrogen village welcomed visitors with educational and fun activities, notably thanks to Horizon Educational and its remote-controlled car circuit and&nbsp;hydrogen fuelling demonstrations. No less than 20 partners and exhibitors participated.</p>

<h2>YOUTH, innovation AND&nbsp;accessibilitY: COMMITTMENTS FOR THE FUTURE</h2>

<p>YOUTH, innovation AND&nbsp;accessibilitY: COMMITTMENTS FOR THE FUTURE</p>

<p>The Green Ticket, available for the third year in a row, earned funds for&nbsp;M&eacute;c&eacute;nat Chirurgie Cardiaque.&nbsp;Those donations financed a life-saving operation for Abdoulaye, a&nbsp;Guinean boy, who suffered from a dysfunctional&nbsp;Ductus Arteriosus (the operation took place on 23 September at the hospital in&nbsp;Nantes, France). Meanwhile,&nbsp;efforts in carpooling, public transportation and soft mobility&nbsp;intensified.</p>

<p>The circuit also opened its gates to&nbsp;young&nbsp;fans on Tuesday&nbsp;11 June, Wednesday&nbsp;12 June and Friday&nbsp;14 June. On Tuesday,&nbsp;330 students from eight schools got to meet&nbsp;Lo&iuml;c Duval and&nbsp;Team Peugeot TotalEnergies driver&nbsp;Stoffel Vandoorne.&nbsp;These schoolchildren were able to discover the values ​​of endurance racing&nbsp;through educational projects.</p>

<p>During the&nbsp;24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans press conference, the positive innovation facet&nbsp;of the&nbsp;2024 Sustainable Endurance Award by DHL rewarded&nbsp;Ferrari AF Corse, Team WRT and&nbsp;Alpine Endurance Team for their efforts. These teams received a new trophy made in Brittany out of sustainable French wood by Ewan Bryce. The ACO has also expanded facilities for individuals&nbsp;with reduced mobility with 11 dedicated areas and personalised support.</p>

<p>With its&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/24-hours-of-le-mans-granted-iso-20121-and-fia-3-certifications-58882" target="_blank">ISO 20121 certifications and FIA 3* environmental accreditation</a></strong>&nbsp;(the F&eacute;d&eacute;ration Internationale de l&rsquo;Automobile&#39;s highest distinction), the&nbsp;24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans has solidified its status as a model for&nbsp;responsible event management. The greatest endurance&nbsp;race in the world continue to inspire and pave the way towards a more sustainable future.</p>

2024 Review – The 92nd running champions sustainability

Le Mans, Ignite your senses | Since 1923, the 24 Hours of Le Mans has been regarded as the ultimate test in endurance racing. Only 145 drivers and 25 brands have ever reached the top step on the podium. The race is regarded as the Everest of motorsport by fans and competitors alike. Every triumph recorded in the history of the French endurance classic tells the story of an extraordinary conquest, destined to be remembered for all time.

<h2>The rich flavour of victory</h2>

<p>The 24 Hours of Le Mans is so much more than just a race. It is a monumental challenge, where the taste of victory is rich and complex. For some, it&rsquo;s the long-awaited redemption, a dream finally achieved after years of hard work and sacrifice. For others, it&rsquo;s <strong>the&nbsp;joy of coming through a gruelling ordeal</strong>, with every lap a battle against time, mechanical issues and the ever-changing elements.</p>

<p>Yet, triumph can leave a more bittersweet aftertaste. 2013 was a poignant example of this. As <strong>Tom Kristensen</strong> secured a record-breaking ninth victory, the tragic loss of his compatriot Allan Simonsen cast a sombre shadow over the celebrations</p>

<h2>Reaching the chequered flag, a victory in itself</h2>

<p>Taking part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans means competing at the pinnacle of endurance racing, while confronting a challenge unlike any other. For many teams, simply crossing the finish line is considered a victory in itself. It&rsquo;s a feeling that reflects the remarkable nature of the event, where the experience holds almost as much weight as the outcome. As the teams overcome technical, sporting and human challenges, the very essence of endurance is brought to the forefront.</p>

<p>In the last two years, Ferrari AF Corse has savoured two wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.&nbsp;<strong>Kenji Concy</strong>, a mechanic for the Italian team assigned to the Ferrari&nbsp;499P, enjoyed the even sweeter taste of triumph at the Centenary edition.&nbsp;He tells us what victory feels like.</p>

<p>For him, the feeling is above all &ldquo;<strong>insatiable</strong>.&rdquo; &ldquo;<em>Once you&rsquo;ve won the race, you want to savour that taste of victory again.&nbsp;At the start of the race, you never know what to expect. But when you&rsquo;re at the top of the leaderboard, the more the time goes by, the more you start to believe it can happen. Paradoxically, though, the doubts grow stronger because anything can happen, right up to the very last moment. It&rsquo;s only when the chequered flag is lowered that you finally realise.&nbsp;That&rsquo;s when the real taste of victory hits</em>,&rdquo; he says.</p>

<p>When asked what epitomises the taste of success, the mechanic quickly replies, &ldquo;<em>Champagne, though enjoyed in moderation!</em>&rdquo;&nbsp;But beyond the celebration, it&rsquo;s the memory of the team effort that will stay with him. &ldquo;<em>Since the start of our campaign, we&rsquo;ve come through a lot together.&nbsp;For six months, it was test after test. And before the tests, there was the entire assembly of the car. It was exhausting. I&rsquo;ll always think back to the path that led to victory. It was filled with obstacles and sleepless nights</em><em>.&quot;</em></p>

<h2>An indelible taste</h2>

<p>Engaging our sight, sense of smell, touch, taste and hearing, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is a powerful, multi-sensory experience. Victory, when it comes, is the culmination of a journey fraught with challenges. Yet it is this blend of perseverance, doubt and hope that gives it a flavour both distinctive and deeply cherished. At Le Mans, victory embodies the essence of teamwork, the sweet taste of accomplishment, and the lasting resonance of a dream fulfilled.</p>

The taste of victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans: hard work, dreams and emotion

In 2024, MissionH24, the collaborative program between the Automobile Club de l'Ouest and H24Project for the promotion of hydrogen in Endurance, has multiplied numerous experiments, some quite special.

<p>What can we say about <strong>the highway trip</strong>, between Paris and Le Mans, for the H24 with <strong>St&eacute;phane Richelmi</strong> at the wheel? Users of the A11 that April day still remember it.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The flight over the H24 by a PC21, a fighter pilot training aircraft, will remain in the memory of all participants in this exchange organized in Cognac then on the Paul Ricard circuit, on high performance and the energy transition between MissionH24 and the Air and Space Force.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
In June, alongside the various activities of the H24, the future <strong>H24EVO was presented by the team at the 24 Hours</strong>. With its futuristic lines, the H24EVO looks full of promise, for a zero-emission competition, which Zin&eacute;dine Zidane was able to discover aboard the Alpine Alpenglow.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
In January, in Birmingham, the H24 began a tour of Europe, for various benchmark events in motorsport or mobility. In May at Spa in Belgium, the H24 took to the track while being at the heart of a Hydrogen forum organized with Hydrogen Europe.&nbsp;During the summer, the H24EVO participated in&nbsp;the crucial system set up in Dreux by Toyota&nbsp;on sustainable mobility<br />
&nbsp;<br />
In Brussels, in November, it joined members of the Hydrogen ecosystem at the&nbsp;European Hydrogen Week. Find these great 2024 moments on video...And see you in 2025 for other surprises!</p>

2024: a lively year for MissionH24

2024, une année animée pour MissionH24

<h2>Twenty years ago Mazda scored an amazing overall victory at Le Mans. They are still the only Japanese manufacturer to have won the 24 hours of Le Mans.</h2>

<p>The car was the Mazda 787B and it was one of the noisiest cars ever heard at Le Mans and was powered by a remarkable 700-horsepower, four-rotor Wankel engine. It completed 362 laps at an average speed of 127.62 mph</p>

<p style="text-align:justify;">To celebrate this event Mazda have brought the car along to run here today. It will be driven at speed by Johnny Herbert, he was one of the three young racers who drove the Mazda 787B to victory. Herbert has not driven the car since. He started 161 Grand Prix and had three victories between 1989 and 2000.</p>

<p style="text-align:justify;">The car has been on display at the Mazda Museum in Hiroshima Japan. The car in the Museum at Le Mans is one of four replicas built soon after the event. Mazda themselves have restored the car back to ‘driveable’ condition, the work was done by employees who took part in the original Le Mans Challenge Project, It has been tested by Mazda’s own development drivers and it performed well. The car was driven yesterday by the popular American actor and star of 'Grey's Anatomy', Patrick Dempsey who is no stranger to racing Mazdas.</p>

24H LE MANS

The Mazda 787B returns to Le Mans

Twenty years ago Mazda scored an amazing overall victory at Le Mans. They are still the only Japanese manufacturer to have won the 24 hours of Le Mans.

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2024 Review – The finest photographs from the 24 Hours of Le Mans

2024 Review – The 92nd running champions sustainability

The taste of victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans: hard work, dreams and emotion

2024: a lively year for MissionH24

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