An updated 2024 Le Mans 24 Hours entry list has been published today, featuring complete driver crews for all 62 cars set to contest the race next month.
There are a number of additions to the previous version of the list in each class, which now features 186 drivers, including a handful of new names following the flurry of announcements in recent days. There has, however, been no need for the ACO to utilize any of the cars on the reserve list, which now comprises five cars.
In Hypercar, Penske’s third Porsche – the No. 4 – will see Nick Tandy and Felipe Nasr join forces to race with Mathieu Jaminet, making it an all-IMSA GTP crew. This is notable because the No. 4 was tipped to feature Sebastien Vettel for the race following his recent 963 test with the German brand. But a Le Mans drive with Penske for Porsche’s push for a 20th overall Le Mans win in 2024 has not come to fruition.
“After announcing the entry of a third car in Le Mans, we still had two driver positions available. The decision was not easy for us given our very strong and equally skilled squad,” said Porsche’s director of factory motorsport LMDh, Urs Kuratle. “Ultimately, one of the deciding factors was having Le Mans experience. Nick Tandy has competed there eleven times and won with Porsche in 2015. Felipe Nasr has four races at the Sarthe under his belt. Moreover, the trio impressed us with strong lap times and great teamwork during their joint campaign at Le Mans in 2023.”
Notably, there has been no change to Alpine’s driver roster for the race. Ferdinand Habsburg, who missed the WEC race at Imola and will not take part in this weekend’s action at Spa due to an injury, is still listed at Alpine in the No. 35 A424. Jules Gounon, the team’s nominated reserve, has been standing in for the Austrian during his recovery period.
Elsewhere, F2 champion and ELMS LMP2 racer Felipe Drugovich will race alongside Pipo Derani and Jack Aitken in the No. 311 Action Express Cadillac V-Series.R. This move, confirmed earlier today, follows a recent test with the GM brand for the Brazillian, who will now make his Hypercar race debut at La Sarthe.
That has had a knock-on effect at Vector Sport for its LMP2 lineup, which now features Porsche factory driver Patrick Pilet alongside Ryan Cullen and Stephane Richelmi.
That is one of several changes to the LMP2 field.
At Proton Competition, Bent Viscaal and 18-year-old Formula Regional driver Maceo Capietto will join Jonas Ried in the No. 9 ORECA, while Alex Quinn has been confirmed at AO by TF in the Pro/Am lineup which features IMSA regular PJ Hyett and Acura GTP driver Louis Deletraz.
At Nielsen Racing, David Heinemeier Hansson will be joined by 2023 Le Mans LMP2 winner Fabio Scherer and Ganassi IndyCar driver Kyffin Simpson, who also won the 2023 ELMS title.
This tweak to the lineup follows the news last week that Albert Costa, who competes with the team in the ELMS, would no longer be part of the driver crew for Le Mans.
“I was down to drive for Nielsen at Le Mans this year specifically with David (Heinemeier Hansson),” Scherer, who currently drives full-time with United Autosports in the ELMS, told RACER, when asked about the late switch.
“After that race, I was always in touch with him and when he moved to Nielsen one of his key points was that he would drive with me at Le Mans. We worked well as teammates and Sven (Thompson, the Nielsen team principal) was pleased to have me.”
Costa meanwhile (who won Le Mans last year with Scherer) has been unable to find a seat elsewhere so far.
Algarve Pro Racing’s driver-crew is now set, with Heart of Racing IMSA GTD regular Roman De Angelis take the third seat in the No. 25 alongside Olli Caldwell and Matthias Kaiser. This is the seat usually filled in the ELMS by Cadillac WEC Hypercar driver Alex Lynn.
“I’m lucky enough to have had the opportunity to test with Algarve Pro last month in Barcelona,” said 23-year-old Canadian De Angelis. “I’ve never raced an LMP2 prototype before, but the transition from GTs wasn’t bad, especially as I had the support of a great team and teammates.
“I grew up as an endurance racing fan. I would always choose to watch the 24 Hours of Le Mans over Formula 1 races and my ambition was to compete in all the big endurance events. I’ve been fortunate to hit a lot of my targets, among other things winning the Rolex 24 at Daytona and an IMSA title.”
Duqueine Team had one further name to reveal too. The French team switches to LMP2 Pro/Am with the addition of Nielsen ELMS driver John Falb in its No. 30 ORECA.
“I could not be happier to be back with Duqueine,” Falb said. “We had some great racing in the Asian LMS and I worked really well with the team. I think through that partnership it was clear that we should continue together. The 24 hours of Le Mans is the biggest race in the world and after four times I can’t wait for my fifth appearance on the circuit!”
The No. 65 from Panis Racing is now also in Pro/Am, with Rodrigo Sales named as the Bronze driver alongside the newly confirmed pairing of Mathias Beche and Scott Huffaker. As is DKR’s ORECA, which will race with Alexander Marrschull, Rene Binder and Laurents Horr.
The LMGT3 list also features a number of driver changes.
Proton Competition’s No. 44 Ford Mustang is listed with Le Mans rookies Ben Tuck and Ford factory driver Chris Mies and team principal Christian Ried.
Of note, Tuck still features on the reserve list against Kessel Racing’s No. 74 Ferrari, while Ried (who retired from professional racing at the end of the 2023 season) told RACER at Paul Ricard last weekend that he does not intend to drive at Le Mans.
JMW’s Ferrari previously featured two open seats, which have been filled by two-time Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup champion Larry Ten Voorde and Salih Yoluc, who will make his sixth start in the race.
GR Racing’s 296 also had two spaces alongside Mike Wainwright, now filled by ELMS teammate Riccardo Pera and two-time GTE Pro Le Mans class winner Daniel Serra.
The final addition comes at Spirit of Race, which has seen its driver lineup completely overhauled in recent days. Out is the ELMS crew of Duncan Cameron, David Perel and Matt Griffin, in are Formula Racing ELMS duo Johnny and Conrad Laursen, joined by the surprise addition of Acura GTP driver Jordan Taylor.
Taylor completes the crew for what will be his ninth start in the Le Mans 24 Hours. It will also be his first appearance in the race for a team other than Corvette Racing.
During his previous eight trips to La Sarthe with the GM factory outfit Taylor accrued a GTE Pro class win in 2015 and three further podium finishes in the category.
The race will also be Taylor’s first start in a purpose-designed (ignoring the converted C8 GTE Corvette that competed in GTD Pro) GT3 car since 2017, when he campaigned a title-winning Cadillac ATS-V.R in Pirelli World Challenge in SprintX GT alongside Michael Cooper.
Ahead of the Le Mans Test Day and 24 Hours itself, Taylor will test with the team and his new teammates. Johnny Laursen confirmed to RACER that he will travel to Europe for a test at Circuit Paul Ricard this week after the second round of the European Le Mans Series season on Sunday.