This coming weekend, the name Simonsen will again figure on an Aston Martin as Benny Simonsen replaces Roald Goethe in the No. 96 Vantage in the LM GTE Am class at the 6 Hours of the Circuit of the Americas in Texas - the fifth round of the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season.

Le Mans Series

FIA WEC

BMW M Motorsport has officially announced its driver line-up for the forthcoming LMGT3 FIA World Endurance Championship season. Nine-time Grand Prix Moto champion Valentino Rossi is on the list.

Valentino Rossi is about to embark on his second FIA WEC season at the wheel of the #46 LMGT3 BMW M4 GT3 EVO. He is to share the car, which bears his lucky number, with new recruit Kelvin van der Linde and Ahmad Al Harthy. &ldquo;I am very happy to continue my experience in the FIA WEC, as last year was a strong debut season. We had some good races including two podiums and we want to try to be stronger and faster. We will work hard together with BMW M Motorsport to improve our performance and be more competitive in every race. It&rsquo;s great to once again race at some fantastic tracks, that I know well from racing motorcycles, and this makes me enjoy racing in the FIA WEC. Le Mans is of course the most important one, we were unlucky last year, but we will fight for the podium in 2025!&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Last November Rossi performed <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/fia-wec-valentino-rossi-impresses-at-the-rookie-test-in-the-bmw-m-hybrid-v8-59103vvv">an impressive FIA WEC Rookie Test in the BMW M Hybrid V8</a>.

The #31 The Bend Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 will be in the hands of Augusto Farfus, Timur Boguslavskiy and Yasser Shahin. Boguslavskiy competed in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe with BMW factory driver Raffaeke Marciello, taking the title in 2020 and 2023.

BMW M Motorsport team principal Andreas Roos: &ldquo;As with our Hypercar works programmes, we can look forward to great BMW M Motorsport driver line-ups in the GT3 customer racing programmes of the FIA WEC and IMSA series in 2025. I congratulate Team WRT on once again securing some of the best Silver and Bronze drivers for the cockpits of our two new BMW M4 GT3 EVOs. They will hopefully create many great moments alongside our three works drivers.&rdquo; 
Bj&ouml;rn Lellmann (Head of Customer Racing at BMW M Motorsport) added: &quot;In the 2025 season, the BMW M4 GT3 EVO makes its debut, and the FIA WEC and IMSA series are two of the most prestigious arenas for the car. Accordingly, our determination to achieve immediate success and demonstrate what the car is capable of is great. The strong driver line-ups of the WRT, provide the optimal conditions for this.&quot;

Team WRT finished last season in fourth and sixth place in the LMGT3 class of the FIA Endurance Trophy. The #31 BMW M4 LMGT3 in the hands of Leung/Gelael/Farfus achieved second place in LMGT3 at the last 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Valentino Rossi to take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the second time

Cadillac Racing and Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA proudly lifted the veil on their Hypercars entered for the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans (11-15 June 2025).

The ceremony was staged at Cadillac City Paris, the American carmaker&rsquo;s flagship EV outlet. &ldquo;The unveiling of the Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R livery here at our iconic flagship in Paris reflects Cadillac&rsquo;s unwavering commitment to innovation and performance on the global stage,&rdquo; said Pere Brugal, Managing Director and President, GM Europe. &ldquo;As we expand our footprint in Europe, this partnership represents a powerful opportunity to showcase Cadillac&rsquo;s pioneering spirit in one of the most prestigious racing championships in the world. We are proud to work alongside JOTA Sport and Hertz to bring our V-Series.R to life and look forward to an exciting season ahead.&quot;

Cadillac, in its third FIA WEC Hypercar season, is fielding two Cadillac V-Series.Rs (#12 and #38) under the Hertz Team JOTA banner. British outfit JOTA Sport, one of the most experienced and successful teams in recent years, won the FIA World Championship in the Hypercar category last season and took six podium places in the LMP2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 2011 and 2023. The team can even boast second and third place overall in 2017. They switched to Hypercar in 2023. Said&nbsp;David Clark, Co-Founder and Director, Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA: &quot;The unveiling of the Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R livery today is the culmination of an enormous amount of hard work and commitment on all sides of this new motorsport family. It&rsquo;s a very proud moment for the entire group as we unveil this stunning race machine. This moment represents more than our aesthetic for the year ahead. It represents the next step for both race-winning, record-setting brands within the FIA World Endurance Championship. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Hertz for being incredible partners to us on this journey and to show our gratitude to GM/Cadillac for having the belief in us, not just in our ability to perform but also for their trust in the level that we are going to represent one of their most prestigious brands on a global stage. We can&rsquo;t wait to see what we can do together this year.&rdquo;

The driver crews are yet to be officialised but&nbsp;Will Stevens,&nbsp;Jenson Button,&nbsp;Norman Nato,&nbsp;Earl Bamber,&nbsp;Alex Lynn&nbsp;and&nbsp;S&eacute;bastien Bourdais&nbsp;have been announced as team members. 
The FIA WEC season begins with the Prologue on 20 and 21 February, followed by the Qatar 1812 km a week later at the Losail International Circuit.&nbsp;

While you count down the days until you can see the Cadillac V-Series.Rs on track, take the time to study their liveries in the gallery below.

Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA unveils the Cadillac V-Series.R livery

Le Mans, ignite your senses | Food is an important component of what makes the 24 Hours of Le Mans so special. Arnold Robin, who drove the #78 Lexus RC F LMGT3 for French outfit Akkodis ASP Team in 2024, shares his unique take on the things that add spice to the endurance classic.

<h2>Done to a &lsquo;turn&rsquo;</h2>

Ask local driver Arnold Robin which smell typifies the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the answer won&rsquo;t be rubber or oil. It&rsquo;s the scent of barbecues wafting over the camping areas and race village! Deeply rooted in his memory as a racegoer, this ambient aroma now accompanies him as a driver. &ldquo;You can even smell it at the wheel,&rdquo; he laughs, &ldquo;especially when you reach Mulsanne Corner or the Porsche Curves.&rdquo; A heady mix of adrenaline and the friendly atmosphere that together make the spirit of Le Mans.

While racing, of course, drivers have to adopt a pragmatic approach to food. &ldquo;The 24 Hours of Le Mans now comes down to a simple dish &ndash; pasta and chicken,&rdquo;&nbsp; he explains. There are, however, very good reasons for choosing such simple fare. Being subjected to intense effort while at the wheel, drivers prefer meals that are both easily digested and rich in protein and carbohydrates. Their diet therefore generally consists of starch foods and white meat. &ldquo;During the race, I always pay attention to what I eat as I don&rsquo;t want tummy trouble upsetting my stint,&rdquo; Robin points out. Desserts are also simple, usually fromage blanc. Acidic fruit is avoided. Only bananas and dried fruit add an exotic note to meals that are geared towards endurance.

<h2>The hot-dog ritual</h2>

Once the race is over, however, dietary discipline gives way to a moment of pleasure. The Akkodis ASP Team&rsquo;s drivers and mechanics like to enjoy a hot-dog together. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s comfort food but I look forward to it after burning off a lot of calories during the race.&rdquo; This moment of enjoyment and relaxation rounds off a week of collective effort and is an important team bonding exercise.

Food is more than just fuel. It is also a performance lever that must not be underestimated. &ldquo;These days, all drivers know that a good diet is crucial,&quot; Robin insists. &quot;Even for amateurs, it&rsquo;s something we can easily control. We&rsquo;re not quite at the level of professional cyclists because different effort is required. If we take 500 grams of excess baggage into the car, it doesn&rsquo;t matter too much, unlike a cyclist who has to carry the extra weight on their bike.&rdquo;

Food not only has an effect on physical performance, it has an impact on the drivers&rsquo; mental capacity too. Meal times are strictly managed to avoid the fatigue that comes with digestion. Drivers often eat straight after their stint and then abstain for several hours to avoid drowsiness.

Finally, the 24 Hours of Le Mans does not only a sporting challenge for drivers. The event is an experience that is savoured through the rituals that add a touch of spice to the intensity of the race. Whether it be the fans&rsquo; barbecued sausages and burgers, the drivers&rsquo; pasta dish or a delicious post-race hot-dog, each mouthful tastes of the goodness of Le Mans &ndash; participation, performance and passion 
 
.

How drivers savour the Le Mans experience

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>

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. 
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.

<h2>A city outing!</h2>

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!

<h2>A studious Test Day favourable to Porsche</h2>

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.

<h2>The traditional family portraits</h2>

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.

<h2>Speed and precision in the Pit Stop Challenge</h2>

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. 
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.

<h2>K&eacute;vin Estre clinches Hyperpole for Porsche</h2>

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. 
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. 
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.

<h2>The carnival atmosphere of the Drivers&rsquo; Grand&nbsp;parade</h2>

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.

<h2>Zin&eacute;dine Zidane brandishes the start flag</h2>

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.

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; 
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;

<h2>Release of emotions</h2>

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:

<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>

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. 
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.

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

Austin, Texas will be Benny Simonsen&#39;s second appearance in the championship since the 6 Hours of Bahrein, in 2012, a race in which he finished sixth in the LM GTE Am class in JWA-Avila team&#39;s Porsche.

	A regular competitor in the British GT championship, the Dane participated this year in the 12 Hours of Bathurst in Australia, and at the 24 Hours of Spa, winning in the Belgian Ardennes in the Amateur class in an Audi R8 LMS Ultra.

	Benny is the younger brother of Allan Simonsen who passed away during the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans at the wheel of an Aston Martin Vantage. &quot;I hope to match the level of trust Aston Martin has given me. There is a lot of devotion given to this marque. I know that right now Allan is sitting up above with a big smile on his face,&quot;&nbsp;shared Benny Simonsen with Daily SportsCar.

	C&eacute;cile Bonardel / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO

	PHOTO: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, THURSDAY JUNE 11 2015, QUALIFYING. The No. 96 Aston Martin Vantage Benny Simonsen will race at Austin, Texas.

24H LE MANS

WEC - The Simonsen name once again on an Aston Martin at Austin

Related News

Valentino Rossi to take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the second time

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How drivers savour the Le Mans experience

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

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