24h Le Mans
With a record number of Hypercars (23), a hotly contested LMP2 class and the LMGT3s making their début, all the racing classes are seemingly wide open. It was tough trying to work out the pecking order before the first practice sessions but now, after four free practice sessions, qualifying and Hyperpole, do we have a better picture? Things are a little clearer, yes, so let's review performances since the start of the week.
If we start with Hypercar, the top class, none of manufacturers really stands out head and shoulders above the rest. The Penske Motorsport Porsche #6 Porsche 963 driven by Kévin Estre/André Lotterer/Laurens Vanthoor clinched Hyperpole thanks to Estre’s performance, but the car hasn't topped the timesheets at any of the other sessions this week. However, it did clock the fastest time on Sunday's Test Day.
This week, Toyota first took the lead with the #8 GR010 Hybrid (Sébastien Buemi/Brendon Hartley/Ryo Hirakawa) in the first two FP sessions. Then the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 (Dries Vanthoor/Raffaele Marciello/Marco Wittmann) came out on top at Qualifying. In FP3, the #50 Ferrari 499P (Antonio Fuoco/Miguel Molina/Nicklas Nielsen) was fastest while the #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid was the quickest of the bunch in the final, cool and drizzly practice session..
One interesting detail: apart the #2 Cadillac V-Series.R, the #6 Porsche was the only car to improve its absolute best time between Qualifying and Hyperpole. Will this make a difference or not? Only time will tell! Hyperpole was contested in fairly cool, overcast conditions on yesterday but the elements seemed to favour of the 963. In comparison, there was a two-second drop in times between the two sessions in 2023.
And let’s not downplay the hard work put in by Estre, who is adept at making the right move in challenging situations. “It was a very tough session. There was a lot of things going on, trying to save fuel, trying to keep the tyres warm. It was quite stressful because, after the red flag, we weren't sure we had the fuel to do two laps. But I had excellent guidance from the pit wall”, explains the Porsche driver. “It was an amazing feeling to drive this car on low fuel. I had to overtake an LMP2 at Indianapolis but I benefited from its slipstream. It was far from a perfect lap. It’s an incredible feeling to start the world’s biggest endurance race from the very front. The entire team has done an amazing job over the past few months. We’ve entered a whole new realm. Now, with 24 hours of racing ahead of us, there’s everything to play for.”
Cadillac and its #2 V-Series.R driven by Earl Bamber/Alex Lynn/Alex Palou finished second in Hyperpole, but will only start from P7. It was handed a five-place grid penalty after stewards deemed Earl Bamber responsible for the accident that caused a lengthy red flag at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. However, the American marque came very close to clinching Hyperpole with Sébastien Bourdais at the wheel of the #3 Cadillac V-Series.R. Last year, Cadillac took all three of its cars to the chequered flag (P3, P4 and P17). For 2024, the aim is victory. For 2024, it is targetting the win.
Also worth noting – last year’s winners will have to contend with a handicap from the outset. Two Ferrari 499Ps (#50 and #83) will have to remain stationary for an extra ten seconds when they first stop to refuel during the race, after failing to comply with the stop procedure during practice. Those ten seconds could have an impact on the first round of pit stops.
Every car on the LMP2 grid is built with a Gibson-powered Oreca 07 chassis. This one-make design pushes teams to strive for the very best set-up. And it's also an important factor for the drivers. Each individual performance can be observed. And we all know that Louis Delétraz can be relied on to perform. The Swiss driver won the 12 Hours of Sebring in March, and has two European Le Mans Series (ELMS) titles and a World Endurance Championship (WEC) win under his belt, making him a linchpin in endurance racing. His wealth of single-seater experience – from Formula BMW to F2, plus his role as reserve driver in F1 – makes him valuable asset when it comes to chasing the clock. With teammates PJ Hyett and Alex Quinn in the #14 AO by TF Oreca 07-Gibson, he is a serious contender for the class win.
On the eve of the race, it's still hard to pick a favourite as the individual performances are so remarkable. The 14 absolute best times in the class were set by drivers in... 14 different cars. This shows that no crew has the upper hand. Once again, the teams’ strategy and synergy will make all the difference this weekend..
In 1995, McLaren pulled off a surprise when it won the 24 Hours of Le Mans on its first attempt, and almost 30 years later, under the LMGT3 regulations, McLaren is back (its F1 GTRs were last seen in 1998). And it’s a momentous comeback! The British manufacturer is well-armed with a three-car entry, and driver Brendan Iribe delivered the goods with Hyperpole. However, we mustn’t underestimate Lexus and Ford, who have often led the pack. Like the Hypercar class, there are also 23 entries and nine makes in LMGT3. The starting grid reflects the initial rankings, but this is a new class at Le Mans with its history yet to be written.
