Tag: Le Mans

Provisional entry list revealed for Le Mans 24 Hours

The final gaps in the 2023 Le Mans 24 Hours entry list have been filled, with today’s release of the latest provisional entry list for the centenary race. There have been a handful of changes in the three main classes, though only in the driver …

The final gaps in the 2023 Le Mans 24 Hours entry list have been filled, with today’s release of the latest provisional entry list for the centenary race.

There have been a handful of changes in the three main classes, though only in the driver columns. There have been no changes to the list of teams, but the reserve list has been reduced to eight following a withdrawal from IMSA stalwart Risi Competizione.

With all 186 drivers now named, we have a clear picture of the level of quality in the field for this year’s running of the world’s greatest endurance race, set for June 10-11. The list includes no fewer than 16 drivers with F1 experience, two of whom are world champions: Jenson Button and Jacques Villeneuve. It also features 10 previous overall Le Mans winners, 11 WEC world drivers’ championship winners, five GTE Pro champions and 16 other class champions.

There are also title winners from various other global championship including NASCAR, IndyCar, Champ Car, IMSA and WTCC.

A pair of Glickenhaus 007s will be on hand at Le Mans to do battle with their Hypercar rivals. Motorsport Images

In Hypercar, the latest edition of the entry confirms the drivers for Glickenhaus Racing’s second 007 LMH. The No. 709 will be driven by Franck Mailleux, who stood in for Ryan Briscoe at Spa in the No. 708, Nathanael Berthon who will make his eighth Le Mans start and former Sauber and Haas F1 driver Esteban Gutierrez.

LMP2, meanwhile, sees a few new names confirmed.

In Prema Racing’s No. 9 WEC-entered ORECA, Juan Manuel Correa returns after missing Sebring and Spa due to his F2 commitments. It means future Lamborghini LMDh driver Andrea Caldarelli is without a drive in the race.

DKR Engineering brings a newly confirmed all-Belgian trio to the entry, with just one of the team’s ELMS full-season drivers, Tom Van Rompuy, set to drive. He will be joined by BMW factory driver Maxime Martin and Ugo de Wilde in the No. 43 Pro-Am entered ORECA.

The remaining tweaks and additions come in the GTE Am field, for the category’s final appearance at Le Mans.

GTE Am power Proton has made a number of changes to the rosters of its Porsche entries for Le Mans. Motorsport Images

At the top of the list, Jan Heylen is named alongside Ryan Hardwick and Zacharie Robichon in the No. 16 Proton Competition Porsche. Heylen becomes the team’s third co-driver of the season, after Harry Tincknell in the WEC races pre-Le Mans and Alessio Picariello in the ELMS season opener.

It may come as a surprise to some to see this lineup feature in the ELMS No. 16 rather than the FIA WEC No. 88, but Proton’s efforts will reshuffle after Le Mans with the arrival of its Porsche 963 for the Hypercar category.

With Hardwick and Robichon in the No. 16, the No. 88 that has contested the opening WEC races of the season will be driven by Harry Tincknell, Brendan Iribe and Oliver Millroy. Originally Gianmaria Bruni was listed as the car’s nominated first driver, but a drive for the 2022 GTE Pro Le Mans class winner has not come to fruition for what would have been his 15th start. However, the Italian ace is still expected to form part of Proton’s Porsche 963 effort in IMSA and WEC post-Le Mans, along with Tincknell.

In the third and final car entered by Proton, Martin Rump has been named, as expected, alongside his full-season ELMS teammates Michael Fassbender and Richard Lietz in the No. 911.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1416]

Three of the Ferrari teams on the GTE Am list have added new names to the grid.

AF Corse’s No. 21 sees Diego Alessi’s seat taken up by Frenchman Julien Piguet. ELMS outfit JMW Motorsport has named a new set of drivers for its No. 66 488. The British team will race with Thomas Neubauer, Louis Prette and Giacomo Petrobelli. Meanwhile, Asian Le Mans Series GT3 title winner Walkenhorst Motorsport has signed Chandler Hull, Jeff Segal and Andrew Haryanto for its Le Mans debut.

There are no surprises from the Aston Martin teams in the entry, although this entry list confirms the addition of Heart of Racing trio Ian James, Daniel Mancinelli and Alex Riberas in the No. 98 Northwest AMR Vantage. They replace Paul Dalla Lana, Axcil Jefferies and Nicki Thiim, following PDL’s sudden retirement last month.

The absence of Dalla Lana and Thiim breaks two significant streaks. This year would have been Dalla Lana’s 11th start and Thiim’s 10th.

ENTRY LIST

Jan Magnussen returning to Le Mans in Inter Europol LMP2

Inter Europol Competition has confirmed that Jan Magnussen will spearhead the driver lineup for its No. 32 LMP2 Pro-Am ORECA at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours. The Polish team has signed the former longtime Corvette Racing factory driver for what will …

Inter Europol Competition has confirmed that Jan Magnussen will spearhead the driver lineup for its No. 32 LMP2 Pro-Am ORECA at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours.

The Polish team has signed the former longtime Corvette Racing factory driver for what will be his 24th start in the race. The Dane, who made his debut at Le Mans in 1999, has four class wins to his name, all with Corvette in GT1, and will hope to add to his successes this year.

“It is extra special, as it will be my 24th participation in Le Mans,” he said. “Crazy to think that during my first race in 1999, I said to the press that I would not come back again. When I later crossed the finish line and saw the crew standing on the pit wall tired, dirty but also happy to see the car finish the race, everything changed.

“Since then, Le Mans has been the greatest moment of the year, and I’m happy to be back again for another try. With only weeks until the start, we have limited time for testing and preparation, but with a strong team behind us combined with a lineup of drivers with lots of long-distance experience, we are optimistic and looking forward to getting started.”

Magnussen will drive alongside fellow Dane Anders Fjordbach and Californian Mark Kvamme, who have both been teammates of his in the past.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1416]

Magnussen has competed at Le Mans with Fjordbach, as part of High Class Racing’s LMP2 effort in his most recent start back in 2021. He also has 24-hour experience with Kvamme, sharing the No. 53 MDK Motorsports Porsche in the Rolex 24 At Daytona earlier this year.

In addition to the No. 32, Inter Europol will field its full-season FIA WEC-entered No. 34 ORECA in the race, with Jakub Smiechowski, Fabio Scherer and Albert Costa.

Porsche reveals Le Mans Hypercar colors

Porsche revealed an updated livery for the trio of 963 Hypercars that it will run at the Le Mans 24 Hours in June. The base design that Porsche Penske Motorsport’s 963s currently sport in the FIA World Endurance Championship will remain, but the …

Porsche revealed an updated livery for the trio of 963 Hypercars that it will run at the Le Mans 24 Hours in June.

The base design that Porsche Penske Motorsport’s 963s currently sport in the FIA World Endurance Championship will remain, but the update — revealed ahead of tomorrow’s 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps — adds stripes to the cars to pay tribute to the brand’s motorsport successes in sports car racing as part of its 75th anniversary celebrations.

The Le Mans-only livery will feature 15 stripes in seven different colors, that will run from the front to the rear of the cars.

The stripes feature colors from iconic Porsche liveries from the past including the Gulf, “Pink Pig,” “Hippie” and Salzburg 917s, Rothmans 956s, Martini-backed 936s, and Penske-run RS Spyders from the American Le Mans Series.

To differentiate between the three 963s, the fins on each engine cover will be painted in different colors: black for the No. 5 car, white for the No. 6 and red for the brand’s third car, the No. 75.

“In Le Mans, our three Porsche 963 will be truly eye-catching at the 75th anniversary of our brand and the 100th anniversary of the 24-hour race. I do not doubt that this design will immediately win the hearts of fans,” said Porsche’s vice president of motorsport, Thomas Laudenbach.

“We embraced the vehicle designs from Porsche’s rich and illustrious history at Le Mans,” he added. “The 917 as a pink ‘pig’ and the ‘hippie car’ from 1970 — these liveries have made racing history and are still popular today. With our special design on the three Porsche 963, we’re continuing this great tradition at Le Mans.”

“The Porsche 963 has a very long wheelbase, so we had to play with the proportions a bit,” explained Stephane Lenglin, Porsche exterior designer. “The lines of color fanning out to the rear lend beautiful dynamics and harmonious proportions.

“Working on this design was a lot of fun. We played with many different color combinations and finally settled on seven color schemes that allow an immediately recognizable look into Porsche’s long and illustrious history and the special Le Mans liveries. I’m sure that the cars will be well received by the fans.”

Action Express details its plans for Le Mans

As Cadillac V-Series.R prototypes compete on two continents this weekend – in the GTP class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in Long Beach and in the Hypercar class of the FIA World Endurance Championship in the six-hour race at …

As Cadillac V-Series.R prototypes compete on two continents this weekend — in the GTP class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in Long Beach and in the Hypercar class of the FIA World Endurance Championship in the six-hour race at Portimao in Portugal — the Cadillac Racing teams are looking forward to the 24 Hour of Le Mans and working toward success in the world’s biggest endurance race.

For Action Express Racing, that will be a new experience. And while its No. 3 will see action in the six-hour race at Spa in two weeks’ time, Chip Ganassi Racing will run that car alongside its No. 2, with support and observation by key AXR personnel.

[lawrence-related id=322669]

“We’re fortunate to have the opportunity with CGR at Spa,” said AXR director of operations Chris Mitchum, who will travel to Spa for the race. “We will be much more than an interested watching party. Bill Keuler, our crew chief, will work on the 3 car with the Ganassi group. We’ve all gotten to this one-team point where we know each other and work together well.

“Not being a WEC team nor competing in the WEC, there are a lot of nuances that we know we don’t understand. One of our biggest goals is to understand the tech and inspection process. Having Bill as a mechanic on the ground to go through that and having myself there to watch the bigger picture and understand the flow is important to understand what the WEC officials are looking for and how the other teams operate. We want to take in as much as we can, and this is the best we can do without actually operating a car there.”

That won’t be the only preparation for Le Mans, as the team will do an endurance test at Road America with drivers Pipo Derani, Alexander Sims and Jack Aitken — the victorious trio from the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

“CGR is doing an endurance test. We’re doing a two-day test at Road America with all three drivers with our WEC car, so that’s our Le Mans preparation. That will work out well,” Mitchum explained. “They’ll drive the car they’re going to drive at Le Mans, use the seat insert they use. We’ll work though all our test procedures, and GM has a tight list of things that need to get accomplished. I think in doing that, it’s the best preparation we can have with the landscape as it is.”

The logistics in conducting a multi-continent campaign, especially with the current supply chain issues and shortage of spares, is challenging, although Mitchum notes that the capabilities to move cars and equipment is much more advanced than the last time he looked at going to Le Mans 15 years ago. But the team still has to get the car from the Road America test to France, and much of the other equipment and spares are already on the way.

“We have some great partners that we’re utilizing. You end up dividing your thought process between what parts and pieces you can operate in IMSA without them here and what parts and pieces you need,” Mitchum said. “Our biggest challenge is how do we operate at the spares level we want, on two different continents effectively at the same time. You don’t want to just air freight everything; you have to be realistic. Our sea container with support pieces and parts that we need left when we landed here in Long Beach and then we’ll air freight our car just after Laguna.”

The team will still have a car in the U.S., the one it will race in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen. But the team will have everything it needs to keep going should the worst happen.

“We will still take our primary car, a spare tub and all the spares we need so that we operate on our disaster-times-two plan the same as we would in IMSA as we would over in France. We’ve outfitted the inside of that sea container so if we need to do some fabrication work, we can use it as a workshop. There is not a stress level of how is it going to come together; it’s constant attention.”

Mitchum and the team are realistic in their expectations for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. What they do expect is to learn as much as possible in order to be better when Action Express competes there again.

Cadillac boosts Le Mans prep with extra testing, new European base

Cadillac Racing’s FIA World Endurance Championship team is set to return to the Portimao circuit after the 6 Hours of Spa in two weeks’ time, as part of the preparations for its Le Mans Hypercar in June. The Ganassi-run team, which campaigns a …

Cadillac Racing’s FIA World Endurance Championship team is set to return to the Portimao circuit after the 6 Hours of Spa in two weeks’ time, as part of the preparations for its Le Mans Hypercar in June.

The Ganassi-run team, which campaigns a single full-season V-Series.R that will be joined by a second car at Spa and Le Mans, will run a single car at the Portuguese circuit for multiple days. All six factory drivers from the IMSA and WEC teams are set to share the wheel.

The test will be an endurance test, with the team targeting a 24-hour run to help ready the team before it competes at Le Mans for the first time with its LMDh. Cadillac feels this test will be a valuable as a tool to help the team members get ready for the biggest race of the season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1416]

“We are using the test as a race sim to prepare both crews for Le Mans,” Cadillac Racing team manager Stephen Mitas told RACER. “Obviously, the logistics of getting people here and then back for the (IMSA) race at Laguna is a challenge. But this circuit was available and fits our requirements.

“It’s race prep for us not in terms of preparing the vehicle, it’s about preparing the team. If you were doing race prep, you wouldn’t likely choose this circuit.”

The level of resources for Cadillac Racing’s global program continues to grow. Chip Ganassi Racing now has four cars at its disposal, two in Europe for its FIA WEC effort, which are both on-site in Portimao this week, and two in the USA for its IMSA program.

For Cadillac it makes sense from a logistical standpoint to have multiple chassis on either side of the Atlantic and as it allows it to dedicate each car to just one championship. The team feels the most sensible solution to running cars in IMSA and the FIA WEC is to build cars specifically for each championship rather than convert them from IMSA to WEC spec and vice versa multiple times during the season.

“There’s a scrutineering loom which is different, TV stuff that’s different,” Mitas explained. “There are subtle differences, some straightforward, some less straightforward, but you definitely need a specific car build for WEC and Le Mans compared to IMSA. You can (keep converting the cars) but it’s a lot of work. Once you put all that stuff in the car you don’t want to be pulling it out unless you have to. Doing that a few times a year is undesirable.”

Action Express will do the same. It will not run its Sebring-winning IMSA chassis in France when it heads to Europe for Le Mans. Instead, it will utilize a brand-new V-Series.R.

In addition to obtaining a second chassis for its European operation, Cadillac will soon move into a permanent facility in Stuttgart, Germany that will serve as a base for the WEC program. Time in its new home will be limited until after Le Mans, but Mitas told RACER that having a race shop in Europe will be important for the effort going forward.

“We are transitioning to a program that was based in the U.S., to a program that has a second base in Europe,” he said. “Now, as the FIA WEC transitions to Europe, the cars also transition to Europe. We built up the second car for Spa at Dallara during the past couple of weeks and car No. 2 (used at the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Sebring) was air freighted from the base in Indy to here in Portugal directly for this event.

“From here, we go to our workshop where we will start work on the cars next week. Part of this includes finishing the build of the second car and fitting its race engine. It’s important — between now and Le Mans, we have a few days in the shop before Spa, then we go testing, then a few days back in the shop, then we go to France. We have about two weeks in the shop between now and Le Mans. But, after Le Mans, things will become more established.”

Porsche IMSA GTP regulars set for third Le Mans 24 Hours Hypercar

Porsche Penske Motorsport has finalized the lineup for its third Porsche 963 at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. Full-season IMSA GTP Porsche drivers Nick Tandy, Mathieu Jaminet and Felipe Nasr are set to share the No. 75 – chosen to commemorate the …

Porsche Penske Motorsport has finalized the lineup for its third Porsche 963 at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. Full-season IMSA GTP Porsche drivers Nick Tandy, Mathieu Jaminet and Felipe Nasr are set to share the No. 75 — chosen to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Porsche sports cars.

With 10 starts in the world’s greatest endurance race under his belt, Nick Tandy brings a wealth of experience. In 2015, the Briton secured an overall victory at the wheel of the Porsche 919 Hybrid.

For Frenchman Jaminet, the race in June marks the second outing at Le Mans. He turned his first laps there at the wheel of the Porsche 911 RSR in 2019.

Brazil’s Nasr, who had already been selected as the driver in the No. 75 car when entries closed for the 24-hour race, has three starts.

Matt Campbell, who also drives in IMSA for Porsche Penske Motorsport, will also make the trip to France. The Australian will support the team as a reserve driver for Porsche’s three-pronged works effort in the Hypercar class.

This news means the driver crews are now confirmed for all four 963s set to race at Le Mans, as customer team Hertz Team JOTA — which enters the fourth Porsche — had previously revealed its Le Mans trio.

Ricky Taylor, Rast and Farano set for Tower LMP2 team at Le Mans

IMSA star Ricky Taylor will team up with fellow pro racer Rene Rast and Canadian Bronze-rated driver John Farano for the centenary edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours in June aboard a Tower Motorsports ORECA, as the team bids for Pro-Am honors in the …

IMSA star Ricky Taylor will team up with fellow pro racer Rene Rast and Canadian Bronze-rated driver John Farano for the centenary edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours in June aboard a Tower Motorsports ORECA, as the team bids for Pro-Am honors in the LMP2 class.

The ORECA 07 Gibson will be entered under the Tower Events Vaillante banner and rely on assistance from one of the team’s IMSA LMP2 rivals, TDS Racing, which will be taking part in the 24 Hours for a 12th consecutive year in 2023. As part of the effort, the car will compete in a livery sporting the colors of the popular French motorsport comic series “Michel Vaillant.”

“Le Mans is the one race of the year that every driver wants to participate in, and being able to join a powerhouse team such as Tower Motorsports with TDS Racing is really a great opportunity,” said Taylor, who adds this drive to his full-time IMSA GTP program with Wayne Taylor Racing and Acura. “Anytime TDS have competed at Le Mans, they have been one of the cars that everyone knows will be fighting for the win. We have one goal and that is nothing less than winning Le Mans and it looks like we have all of the pieces in place to be able to do it.

“Getting to know John over the past few months has been really nice — he is very focused and has the motivation and competitive drive to go out and win this race, and as a teammate that makes me very happy. I’ve also been a fan of Rene for years, he’s one of the quickest guys out there and it’s a huge win to have him on the team.”

Three-time DTM champion Rast, like Taylor, brings a wealth of Le Mans experience to the team for the event, as this year’s race will be his fifth attempt. Three of his previous four starts were in the LMP2 class, his highest finish coming in 2016 when he finished second with G-Drive Racing. His other start came as part of Audi’s LMP1 effort, in the brand’s final three-car Le Mans entry back in 2015.

“I am very much looking forward to this race and I am thrilled to be joining Tower Motorsports with TDS Racing for the event,” said Rast. “Le Mans is one of my favorite races and it always feels good to be able to come back, especially for the very special 100th anniversary this year.

“I think we have a very solid and professional team behind us, in addition to a strong driver lineup, so I am greatly looking forward to competing in this event again and hopefully challenging for the win in our class. I can’t wait to jump in the car for the first time in Monza to test this machine. I’m looking forward to getting started.”

The 100th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours will be held June 10-11.