On November 22, 2005, Angela Merkel became the first female German chancellor and has proceeded to serve three consecutive terms. On June 21, 1930, Odette Siko and Marguerite Mareuse became the first women to take the start at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in a Bugatti Type 40.

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24 Heures du Mans

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McLaren Racing is set to join the Hypercar grid for the 2027 season of the FIA WEC Endurance World Championship, with aspirations of a triumphant return to 24 Hours of Le Mans.

<p>This strategic decision marks a clear statement of intent: McLaren is ready to rekindle the glory days of its endurance racing past. Thirty years after its Le Mans <strong>victory</strong>, the iconic British marque &ndash; famed for its bold papaya orange livery &ndash; is aiming for a comeback worthy of its illustrious legacy at the Circuit de la Sarthe.</p>

<p>In that short but impactful statement, Zak Brown confirmed McLaren&rsquo;s return to the world of endurance racing &ndash; reviving a deep-rooted connection with both the FIA WEC and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.</p>

<p>In 1995, the team stormed to victory on its Le Mans d&eacute;but with the McLaren F1 GTR. That triumph, along with wins at the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 in 1975, earned McLaren the prestigious <strong>Triple Crown</strong> of motorsport &ndash; an honour claimed by only a select few.<br />
So this new <strong>Hypercar</strong> campaign, launching in 2027, is far more than a technical venture. It&rsquo;s a bold return to the pursuit of excellence &ndash; and glory.</p>

<h2>A star-studded Hypercar field</h2>

<p>McLaren will join the ever more impressive field of manufacturers competing in the premier league of endurance racing. It will follow <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>, set to enter in 2026, and make its d&eacute;but alongside <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/ford-in-the-top-class-at-the-24-hours-of-le-mans-in-2027-59293" target="_blank">Ford</a>, also confirmed for 2027.</p>

<p>The arrival of these high-profile competitors is a testament to the ever-growing allure of the <strong>FIA WEC&rsquo;s Hypercar class</strong> and the <strong>24 Hours of Le Mans</strong> &ndash; a stage where the world&rsquo;s biggest automotive names battle for supremacy at motorsport&rsquo;s most iconic race.</p>

McLaren Racing to join the Hypercar fray in 2027

At this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans (11–15 June), the Automobile Club de l’Ouest will be tipping its hat at two eminent motorsport personalities.

<h2>Yannick Dalmas, Grand Marshal of the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans</h2>

<p>Four-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Yannick Dalmas will have the honour of setting the pace for the 62 cars on the grid during the starting procedure on Saturday 14 June, shortly before 4&nbsp;p.m.<br />
<br />
The distinguished ex-Formula One driver triumphed at Le Mans with four different manufacturers: Peugeot in 1992, Porsche in 1994, McLaren in 1995, and BMW in 1999.<br />
Following a single-seater racing career, including Formula One, he went on to become an endurance racing specialist. Several generations of racing drivers have benefited from his wealth of experience, which he shares as a consultant to race teams and as an FIA ambassador. As Grand Marshal, Yannick Dalmas will contribute his undying passion and immense know-how to the 93rd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.</p>

<h2>Fran&ccedil;ois Perrodo, Spirit of Le Mans 2025</h2>

<p>Every year, the Spirit of Le Mans trophy is awarded to someone who embodies the values of endurance racing: commitment, passion, team spirit and perseverance. Fran&ccedil;ois Perrodo is this year&rsquo;s recipient.<br />
As an amateur driver, Fran&ccedil;ois has become an acclaimed figure of endurance racing paddocks in the last decade. He boasts several FIA World Endurance Championship GTE-Am wins and was LMP2 Pro-Am champion in 2022.<br />
Aside from running a company, Fran&ccedil;ois Perrodo is a car collector and accomplished racing driver. An ambassador for the endurance discipline, his unique combination of skills, resilience, humility and determination embodies the spirit of Le Mans.<br />
<br />
<strong>Pierre Fillon</strong>, President of the Automobile Club de l&#39;Ouest:&nbsp;<strong><em>&ldquo;We are delighted to pay tribute to Yannick Dalmas and Fran&ccedil;ois Perrodo at this year&rsquo;s 24 Hours of Le Mans. Yannick Dalmas is an endurance racing legend who has won Le Mans four times, with four different manufacturers. His track record and his ongoing commitment made him the ideal candidate to be Grand Marshal this year. Fran&ccedil;ois Perrodo represents the Spirit of Le Mans to perfection. A champion amateur driver, he radiates enthusiasm, and his sense of commitment is a real strength in this discipline. We are proud to celebrate their contribution to endurance racing this year.&rdquo;</em></strong></p>

<h4><strong>LAST CHANCE!</strong></h4>

<p>Enjoy the Practice &amp; Qualifying sessions and the new Hyperpole format and then head to the concert arena for the evening&rsquo;s live music. Tickets are on sale from &euro;23 for students and &euro;62 for Green Tickets, which reward sustainable transport choices.</p>

<p style="text-align: center;">&gt;&gt;&gt;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/tickets" target="_blank"> <u><strong>Ticketing</strong></u></a> &lt;&lt;&lt;</p>

24 Hours of Le Mans 2025: The Automobile Club de l’Ouest shows its appreciation of Yannick

The 4 Hours of Barcelona kicked off the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) with a bang this weekend. The 2025 season opener delivered a job-dropping overall win by AF Corse entered in LMP2 Pro/Am. Just two months ahead of the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans on 11-15 June, the performance set quite the tone for upcoming battles in the LMP2 and LMGT3 classes.

<p>AF Corse&#39;s Matthieu Vaxivi&egrave;re clinched the team&#39;s victory&nbsp;in the final moments of the race at&nbsp;the wheel of the #83 ORECA-Gibson. The French driver managed to overtake three&nbsp;LMP2s in the last lap. He shares the triumph with teammates&nbsp;Fran&ccedil;ois Perrodo and&nbsp;Alessio Rovera, LMP2 Pro/Am winners last year. They couldn&#39;t have hoped for a better&nbsp;launch to their&nbsp;2025 campaign just two months from the&nbsp;24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans where&nbsp;17 prototypes will go head to head in an&nbsp;LMP2 class more fiercely competitive than ever.</p>

<h2>Jamie Chadwick Makes History</h2>

<p>IDEC Sport claimed the top step on the&nbsp;LMP2 podium with the #18 ORECA driven by&nbsp;Jamie Chadwick, Daniel Juncadella and&nbsp;Mathys Jaubert. Chadwick became the first woman&nbsp;in ELMS history to win the LMP2 class. The team beat out&nbsp;VDS Panis Racing&#39;s #48 ORECA.</p>

<h2>The Iron Dames make their Mark in&nbsp;LMGT3</h2>

<p>The&nbsp;Iron Dames took the LMGT3 class with the #85&nbsp;Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 shared by&nbsp;C&eacute;lia Martin, Sarah Bovy and&nbsp;Michelle Gatting, scoring the outfit&#39;s third ELMS win after a flawless race. Gatting staved off constant pressure from&nbsp;Daniel Serra in Kessel Racing&#39;s #57&nbsp;Ferrari 296 LMGT3, earning this all-female driver line-up a breathtaking victory.</p>

<p>The showing sets the team up well heading&nbsp;into the 2025 24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans. The&nbsp;Iron Dames will aim for the top spot in&nbsp;the packed 24-car LMGT3 class.</p>

<p>This opening round in Barcelona is&nbsp;already resonating in the run-up to the 93rd running of the race. All eyes will be on AF Corse, Iron Dames and IDEC Sport where the battles promise to be more intense than ever in LMP2,&nbsp;LMGT3 and of course&nbsp;Hypercar.</p>

ELMS – AF Corse wins the 4 Hours of Barcelona

Suspense was the name of the game up to the end of qualifying at the 4 Hours of Barcelona this weekend. Duqueine scored pole position in LMP2, becoming one to watch in the 17-strong class field taking the start in the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans on 11-15 June.

<p>With a time of&nbsp;1:27.664 clocked in the final seconds of qualifying, Reshad de Gerus&nbsp;placed Duqueine Team&#39;s #30 ORECA&nbsp;07-Gibson&nbsp;in&nbsp;pole position at the first race of the 2025&nbsp;ELMS season. The French driver beat Proton Competition&#39;s #9 ORECA driven by&nbsp;Matteo Cairoli&nbsp;by&nbsp;0.219.</p>

<p>The small gaps reflect a particularly competitive LMP2 class with Tom Dillmann (Inter Europol Competition), Charles Milesi (VDS Panis Racing), Th&eacute;o Pourchaire (Algarve Pro Racing) and&nbsp;Tom Blomqvist (CLX-Pure Rxcing) among the fastest.</p>

<p>This performance level is certainly promising for the 93rd&nbsp;24 Hours&nbsp;where&nbsp;17 LMP2 prototypes will take the start, including&nbsp;15 directly from the&nbsp;ELMS. The class always delivers extremely tight battles&nbsp;and this year will be no different.</p>

<h2>LMP2 Pro/Am |&nbsp;Roda and&nbsp;Proton Competition in the Lead</h2>

<p>A heavy-hitter in&nbsp;2024 with five&nbsp;poles in six races, Giorgio Roda&nbsp;turned in a time of&nbsp;1:31.11&nbsp;in the last moments of the Pro/Am session, giving&nbsp;Proton Competition&nbsp;its first&nbsp;point of the season. AO by TF&#39;s #99 ORECA and TDS Racing&#39;s&nbsp;#29 rounded out the&nbsp;top 3.</p>

<p>Proton Competition, like&nbsp;TDS Racing, is among the&nbsp;LMP2 teams expected at the 2025&nbsp;24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans, ready to take on&nbsp;top European and international&nbsp;rivals.</p>

<h2>LMP3 |&nbsp;CLX Motorsport Reigns at Barcelona</h2>

<p>In LMP3, Adrien Closmenil snatched the pole in CLX Motorsport&#39;s #17&nbsp;Ligier with a time of&nbsp;1:36.188, earning the Swiss team its&nbsp;fourth&nbsp;consecutive pole at&nbsp;Barcelona. French driver&nbsp;Rik Koen (Team Virage) and&nbsp;Ian Aguilera (Eurointernational) will take the start in P2 and P3.</p>

<h2>LMGT3 | Positive First Showing&nbsp;for&nbsp;Mercedes-AMG with&nbsp;Iron Lynx</h2>

<p>For its first effort in the ELMS, Mercedes-AMG did not disappoint. Martin Berry clocked a time of&nbsp;1:42.257, placing Iron Lynx&#39;s #63 in the lead of the&nbsp;LMGT3 field, followed by Iron Dames&#39; #85&nbsp;Porsche driven by C&eacute;lia Martin and Racing Spirit of L&eacute;man&#39;s Aston Martin and Kessel Racing&#39;s&nbsp;Ferrari.</p>

<p>The&nbsp;4 Hours of&nbsp;Barcelona have kicked off the&nbsp;2025 European Le Mans Series season, serving as a barometer for the upcoming&nbsp;24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans starting on Saturday&nbsp;14 June at 16:00. With&nbsp;17 LMP2s lining up to compete, the&nbsp;Barcelona results are sure be heavily scrutinezed.</p>

<p>Several drivers like&nbsp;Charles Milesi, Tom Blomqvist, Th&eacute;o Pourchaire and&nbsp;Giorgio Roda will look to perform well in the both the ELMS and at the 24 Hours.</p>

<p>Check out qualifying highlights in the video below.</p>

Qualifying Highlights | 4 Hours of Barcelona 2025 | ELMS

ELMS : revivez les qualifications des 4 Heures de Barcelone

ELMS – Duqueine Team takes pole at 4 Hours of Barcelona

24 Heures du Mans 1930

<p>The duo crossed the finish line in seventh place overall,&nbsp;second in its class, and returned the following year with the same car (disqualified). In 1932, Odette Siko -&nbsp;who would be at the start four times in all - achieved&nbsp;the best&nbsp;performance for a woman to-date at Le&nbsp;Mans, finishing fourth overall and winning her class with&nbsp;Louis Charavel, alias Sabipa, in an&nbsp;Alfa Romeo&hellip;</p>

<p>Photo: Copyright -&nbsp;Archives/ACO</p>

24H LE MANS

Today's Photo Story - Marguerite Mareuse and Odette Siko, first women at Le Mans in 1930

Related News

McLaren Racing to join the Hypercar fray in 2027

24 Hours of Le Mans 2025: The Automobile Club de l’Ouest shows its appreciation of Yannick

ELMS – AF Corse wins the 4 Hours of Barcelona

ELMS – Duqueine Team takes pole at 4 Hours of Barcelona

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