The story of the Piquets at Le Mans dates back to 1996 when Brazilian driver Nelson Piquet senior took the wheel of the McLaren F1 GTR, the car that had won Le Mans the previous year. The triple Formula One world champion (1981, 1983 and 1987) shared a car with Danny Sullivan and Johnny Cecotto for the Bigazzi team. The crew finished eighth in a hard-fought race.

24H Le Mans

24 Heures du Mans

A new challenge awaits Wayne Taylor Racing. The team is fielding a #101 Cadillac V-Series.R Hypercar in the hands of Ricky and Jordan Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans (11–15 June). A dream come true. Finally.

They have that most coveted of prizes: an invitation to take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans! Team Principal and former driver Wayne Taylor set his sights on competing for the outright win long ago. &ldquo;It has always been our plan to go to Le Mans with a shot at the overall win. When I was there with Cadillac in 2002, I was driving and both my kids were with me as spectators. Now, 20 years later, they are driving for me with Cadillac. It is very exciting&rdquo;, he says, visibly moved.

With Cadillac WTR, Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA and Cadillac Whelen, there will be four US Hypercars at the start this June. &quot;Cadillac has built an amazing race car. This is such an important event and to be competitive you must arrive with everything in place. I believe we now have the car to beat.&quot;

<h2>A well-versed crew</h2>

Taylor can count on three seasoned drivers. First, his sons Ricky and Jordan Taylor, who total 15 Le Mans 24 Hours starts between them, not to mention several Rolex&nbsp;24 at Daytona victories. They are joined by fast-paced Portuguese driver Filipe Albuquerque, winner of the 2020 LMP2 class with United Autosports.

Wayne Taylor&rsquo;s Cadillac V-Series.R finished fifth overall at the Rolex&nbsp;24 at Daytona in January.

<h2>Cadillac&rsquo;s quest for the 24 Hours of Le Mans crown</h2>

With 12 starts, including two with Cadillac in 2000 (22nd) and 2002 (9th), Wayne Taylor has ample Le Mans 24 Hours experience of his own. This year&rsquo;s entry is a sign that Cadillac and its partners are as eager as ever to claim their share of 24 Hours of Le Mans glory. &ldquo;With the combination of Cadillac and our team partners at JOTA and AXR, we have really strong organisation. We are grateful to have a chance to compete at Le Mans,&rdquo; concludes Wayne Taylor.

See <a href="https://assets.lemans.org/explorer/pdf/courses/2025/24-heures-du-mans/uocyygucshl9wt73upgk.pdf" target="_blank">the full entry list</a> for the next 24 Hours of Le Mans (11&ndash;15 June).&nbsp;

Wayne Taylor Racing's dream come true

Today, International Women’s Rights Day (8 March) is the right time to train the spotlight on the women taking part in the 93rd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This year, the driver line-up includes five women, adding to the 65 others who have taken part in the race since it began in 1923.

<h2>Jamie Chadwick with IDEC Sport</h2>

Triple W series champion Jamie Chadwick boasts an illustrious single-seater career. She won the MRF Challenge Formula&nbsp;2000 in 2019, and has achieved two podium places, including one win, in the United States Indy NXT last year.

Chadwick, 26, from Bath, UK is just at ease at the wheel of a sportscar. She triumphed in the British G4 championship in 2015 with Ross Gunn, now an Aston Martin factory driver and won her class at the 2019 24 Hours of N&uuml;rburgring.

The Briton has recently joined the Genesis hypercar project, the luxury brand from Hyundai is preparing a FIA World Endurance Championship campaign to begin in 2026. Chadwick will be laying the foundations by competing in the European Le Mans Series this year, with 2019 winners IDEC Sport. She will share the wheel of the LMP2 #18 Oreca&nbsp;07-Gibson with Mathys Joubert and <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/andre-lotterer-set-to-race-with-idec-sport-at-the-2025-24-hours-of-le-mans-59403" target="_blank">three-time Le Mans winner Andr&eacute; Lotterer</a>.

&ldquo;I think we can be proud of how far our sport has come. But there&rsquo;s still a long way to go. I&rsquo;m looking forward to sharing the track with other talented women and to work with the women on our team. Bring on the new season!&rdquo;

<h2>Lilou Wadoux back with Richard Mille AF Corse</h2>

The first woman to win an FIA World Endurance Championship race&thinsp;&mdash;&thinsp;the 2023 TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps&thinsp;&mdash;&thinsp;Lilou Wadoux continues her route to stardom as Ferrari factory driver. At Le Mans, the French woman will be one to watch in the LMGT3 class, at the wheel of the Richard Mille AF Corse #150 Ferrari&nbsp;296.

<h2>The Iron Dames bent on performance</h2>

The Iron Dames pursue their participation in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This year they have the backing of <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/fr/actualites/fia-wec-les-irhttps://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/fia-wec-iron-dames-team-up-with-manthey-for-2025-59153" target="_blank">Manthey Racing</a>,

one of the most successful Porsche customer teams. In 2023, the Iron Dames claimed victory with the German brand at the Bapco 8 Hours of Bahrain. They are back at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with refuelled ambitions and a team that combines experience with emerging talent. The #85 Porsche&nbsp;911 GT3 R LMGT3 will be in the hands of C&eacute;lia Martin, Rahel Frey and Michelle Gatting. They will be aiming to top the LMGT3 tables.

&ldquo;I&rsquo;m overjoyed to be one of the women drivers on the 2025 FIA WEC grid. I can&rsquo;t wait to take part in my first 24 Hours of Le Mans. It&rsquo;s going to be wild, especially the French crowd,&rdquo; warns C&eacute;lia Martin. 
&ldquo;With twenty years driving behind me, I&rsquo;m really glad to see more and more women taking up this male-dominated sport. My advice is to stay true to yourself and make your own way. There&rsquo;s no stopping us!&quot; enthuses Rahel Frey. 
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m more than proud to be on the grid of the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans for the seventh time in succession. Being one of the Iron Dames makes it even more incredible,&rdquo; says Michelle Gatting.

<h2>Women at the 24 Hours of Le Mans</h2>

To date, 65 women have competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 1935 race boasted ten women competitors. Odette Siko&rsquo;s fourth place overall in 1932 still resonates today.

It is rare in the sporting world to see men and women compete on an equal footing. Today, like Siko, Jamie Chadwick, Lilou Wadoux, C&eacute;lia Martin, Rahel Frey and Michelle Gatting do just that, fully at home on the grid of the world&rsquo;s greatest endurance race.

2025 24 Hours of Le Mans: five women on the grid

André Lotterer, three-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner (2011, 2012 and 2014 with Audi), will take part in the 93rd running of the French endurance classic (11-15 June 2025) with IDEC Sport. The German driver will replace Dani Juncadella at the wheel of the #18 Oreca 07-Gibson, in partnership with Genesis Magma Racing

Seasoned driver Andr&eacute; Lotterer (43) is all set to make his fourteenth 24 Hours of Le Mans start. He will share the wheel of IDEC Sport&rsquo;s #18 Oreca 07-Gibson with&nbsp;Mathys Jaubert and Jamie Chadwick. With Lotterer already committed to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/genesis-takes-the-wraps-of-its-gmr-001-hypercar-59196" target="_blank">Genesis Magma Racing</a>&#39;s Hypercar programme next year, this LMP2 appearance provides an excellent chance to work with the team in the Le Mans environment before stepping up to the top class.&nbsp;&ldquo;This opportunity was discussed from the beginning of our collaboration, but the priority was always the drivers from the &#39;Trajectory&#39; programme,&rdquo; the German revealed. &ldquo;Ultimately, Logan [Sargeant]&rsquo;s withdrawal gives me the chance to return to Le Mans and bring my experience to this young team. The car looks very competitive. I&rsquo;ve already spoken with Mathys and Jamie, and we will form a strong trio. Thanks to Genesis Magma Racing and IDEC SPORT for this opportunity. Racing at Le Mans is always special, and this experience will also help me stay sharp for the rest of the season.&quot;

The addition of Lotterer to the IDEC Sport/Genesis Magma Racing squad is a considered strategy, as&nbsp;Cyril Abiteboul, president of Hyundai Motorsport, explains.&nbsp;&ldquo;This is a logical choice. Andr&eacute; has immense experience and has already won the event three times,&quot; Abiteboul says. &quot;He is part of the Genesis Magma Racing family since he will race with us in Hypercar next year. This participation allows him to get familiar with the team, engineers, and mechanics this year while bringing his invaluable expertise from the 24 Hours of Le Mans.&rdquo;

IDEC SPORT Team Principal&nbsp;Nicolas Minassian&nbsp;is equally pleased to have Lotterer on board.&nbsp;&ldquo;Racing at Le Mans with Andr&eacute; is something special. He&rsquo;s proven to be fast, no matter which manufacturer he races for. This collaboration will be beneficial for everyone.&rdquo;

<h2>Dani Juncadella makes way</h2>

Dani Juncadella&nbsp;was expected to line up at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with IDEC Sport, but will now make way for Lotterer owing to his LMGT3 commitment with TF Sport (#33 Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R). The Spaniard, who won the first round of the FIA WEC &ndash; the Qatar 1812km &ndash; will nonetheless compete in the 2025 European Le Mans Series&nbsp;with IDEC Sport. &nbsp;The season opens in Barcelona on 6 April.&nbsp;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an incredible opportunity for me to start out in ELMS with such an experienced team,&rdquo; Juncadella says. &ldquo;Although I&rsquo;m currently in LMGT3, I&rsquo;ve already raced in LMP2 at the 24 Hours of Daytona.&rdquo;&nbsp;

<h2>A pre-Le Mans test session</h2>

Lotterer will get a chance to familiarise himself with the Oreca 07-Gibson by taking part in a test session with IDEC Sport and Genesis Magma Racing before the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The German stalwart will hope to add further success to his sparkling track record in La Sarthe in a particularly challenging LMP2 class.

André Lotterer set to race with IDEC Sport at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans

On the occasion of the 3rd round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, and while motor racing will demonstrate on the Belgian track its research for more sustainable racing and mobility, European teachers will discover hydrogen during a forum organized on the circuit by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest, the FIA World Endurance Championship, MissionH24, Automotive Skills Alliance, Green Skills for H2, Hydrogen Europe and Hydrogen Europe Research.

In 2018, at Spa-Francorchamps, the Automobile Club de l&#39;Ouest, organizer of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, among other competitions, unveiled MissionH24, a collaborative program carried out today with H24Project. The objective: the deployment of hydrogen in competition for zero CO2 emission racing and mobility.

Logically, it is at Spa-Francorchamps, setting for the 3rd round of the FIA ​​World Endurance Championship (May 8-10), that it was decided with European entities committed to the energy transition to organize an H2 forum dedicated to European teachers, curious to discover hydrogen and its potential.

In 2025, this is the 2nd edition of this forum, which combines theoretical courses and practical sessions with hydrogen experts.

For teachers only, registrations take place until April 11 <a href="https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=V7X_BgZPOE2mN05d_Xh9oii_fqpz5j9OsCNXUSaIMVBUOEhQWUYwQVJEMUpEMzgxRTlKR1pYQUcwRi4u&amp;route=shorturl" target="_blank">here</a>.

The public will have the opportunity to enjoy the Hydrogen village, located in the fan zone, and to attend demonstrations of hydrogen vehicles on the track, Friday and Saturday.

A European Hydrogen forum during the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps

The following year, the Brazilian contested the 24 Hours of Le Mans again, this time in the long version of the McLaren F1 GTR. Unfortunately, the car he shared with JJ Lehto and Steve Soper was forced to withdraw. After that episode, Piquet decided to focus on his son&rsquo;s career, although not before finishing second at the 24 Hours of Spa and completing the 1,000 miles of Interlagos (in a McLaren F1 GTR) &ndash; which he was to race again ten years later.

	Piquet&rsquo;s son, Nelson Piquet Jr (30), first entered the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2006 with Team Modena, aboard an Aston Martin DBR9. He and teammates David Brabham and Antonio Garcia finished ninth overall and fourth in GT1. Since then Nelson Piquet Jr has proved himself worthy of his illustrious name, with 28 Grand Prix for Renault F1 Team and a FIA Formula E championship title under his belt.

	He will no doubt attract attention at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this June when he will be competing as part of Swiss team Rebellion Racing. Piquet Jr will be sharing the #12 Rebellion R-One AER with Nicolas Prost and Nick Heifeld.

	David Bristol / ACO - Translated from French by Emma Paulay 
	&nbsp;

24H LE MANS

The Piquets at Le Mans. Like father, like son.

Related News

Wayne Taylor Racing's dream come true

2025 24 Hours of Le Mans: five women on the grid

André Lotterer set to race with IDEC Sport at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans

A European Hydrogen forum during the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps

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