Diesel technology won for the first time at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2006 thanks to Audi and the R10 TDI of Frank Biela, Emanuele Pirro and Marco Werner, but it was much earlier that the Ingolstadt manufacturer began to develop a diesel engine for its street cars.

On Sunday 7 June, race week at the 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans shifts into high gear! Today is all about the highly anticipated Test Day, the Ligier European Series hitting the track and the opening of the M24 – Motorsport Museum!

<h2>2026 24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans test day</h2>

Every year, Test Day marks the first official&nbsp;moment&nbsp;when&nbsp;competitors finally get to take the track to&nbsp;get their bearings and (re)discover visual markers such as&nbsp;braking zones, kerbs and corners at high speeds.

Test Day is crucial for rookies as it serves as their first real encounter with the 24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans circuit.&nbsp;In accordance with regulations, rookie&nbsp;drivers must complete a minimum of 10&nbsp;laps &mdash; five of which must be timed &mdash; to validate their participation.&nbsp;That is only&nbsp;10 rapid-fire&nbsp;laps to begin to understand how to master this legendary circuit.

Today, the 186 Hypercar, LMP2 and&nbsp;LMGT3 drivers will have six hours of track time to reacquaint themselves with the circuit and analyse&nbsp;settings, car balance, tyre behavior, traffic management and so much more. That&#39;s why this opportunity is so vital.

Last year, Toyota Racing&#39;s&nbsp;Toyota GR010 Hybrid established the fastest Test Day lap time of 03:26.246. Will it be beaten today?

<h2>Ligier European Series</h2>

In 2020, Ligier Automotive and the European&nbsp;Le Mans&nbsp;Series launched the&nbsp;Ligier&nbsp;European&nbsp;Series, a one-make championship reserved for&nbsp;the&nbsp;Ligier JS P4 (a futuristic sporting prototype) and the&nbsp;Ligier JS2 R (a small&nbsp;GT designed especially for racing).&nbsp;

The&nbsp;Ligier&nbsp;European&nbsp;Series calendar includes six rounds during the European&nbsp;Le Mans&nbsp;Series with one race held at the&nbsp;Le Mans circuit since&nbsp;2022.&nbsp;

Today, in conjunction with the 24 Hours&nbsp;Test Day, Ligier European Series competitors will take part in a free practice&nbsp;from 8:00 to 8:45, a qualifying session&nbsp;from 9:15 to 9:35&nbsp;and a race from 14:00 to 15:00.&nbsp;

<h2>M24 &ndash; motorsport museum</h2>

Inaugurated on 28 May, the M24 &ndash; Motorsport Museum will be open during Test Day and throughout race week. Come check out&nbsp;authentic and iconic&nbsp;Formula 1, endurance racing, Can-Am, and rally cars.

The museum was conceived from the convergence of past legacy&nbsp;and&nbsp;future accomplishments. Spanning an area of ​​8,600 m&sup2;, it&nbsp;aspires to become an international benchmark in the field of automotive heritage, while preserving the unique DNA of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The M24 &ndash; Motorsport Museum is&nbsp;founded on the&nbsp;strong core value that&nbsp;history is fully conveyed only through experience. Here, the focus&nbsp;is not merely to line up cars behind glass, but to tell the story of what they embody: human destinies, technological gambles, moments of grace&nbsp;and major turning points in the history of sport and society.

Sunday 7 June Programme

08:00 &ndash; 20:00&nbsp; |&nbsp; M24 &ndash; Motorsport Museum open 
08:00 &ndash; 08:45&nbsp; |&nbsp; Ligier European Series Free Practice 
09:15 &ndash; 09:35&nbsp; |&nbsp; Ligier European Series Qualifying 
10:00 &ndash; 13:00&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans Free Practice 1 
14:00 &ndash; 15:00&nbsp; |&nbsp; Ligier European Series Race 
15:30 &ndash; 18:30&nbsp; |&nbsp; 24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans Free Practice 2

2026 24 Hours of Le Mans – Sunday 07/06 Programme

Imagine the thrill of seeing breathtaking Hypercars, LMP2 prototypes and LMGT3s file past you in the streets of the Le Mans city centre. Welcome to the 24 Hours of Le Mans! The view lasts a matter of seconds, but it's like an intense and spectacular dream.

Only one week to go from the start of the 94th&nbsp;24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans next Saturday 13 June at 15:00!

Today, 19&nbsp;of the 62 cars entered in the race paraded two-by-two through the streets of Le Mans, representing a staggering&nbsp;14 of the most well-known and prestigious marques&nbsp;in the motorsport world: Ferrari, Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Chevrolet, Lexus, Mercedes, Porsche, McLaren, Peugeot, Ford, Toyota, Cadillac and&nbsp;Genesis.

Cheering locals and visitors &mdash; some from across&nbsp;the globe &mdash; crowded along the route, cameras held high, ready to immortalise this&nbsp;extraordinary event. Fans were shoulder to shoulder as the first engines roared to life in the winding streets of the city centre.

Along Quai Louis-Blanc, the cars paralleled the&nbsp;Sarthe River before heading toward Old Le Mans. A growl&nbsp;echoed off the buildings announcing the arrival of the Genesis Hypercars, then the beastial symphony of the Aston Martin Valkyrie&rsquo;s 12-cylinder engine won&nbsp;the crowd&rsquo;s unanimous approval.&nbsp;Fans also loved&nbsp;when Jules Gounon waved to the crowd with his&nbsp;door open at the wheel of the Alpine Hypercar.

This popular event brings together a truly extraordinary city &mdash; the world capital of endurance racing &mdash; and offers the people of Le Mans the opportunity to catch a glimpse of these majestic cars&nbsp;pass beneath their balconies and through their streets before &nbsp;hurtling at over 300 kph tomorrow on the Mulsanne Straight for Test Day!

2026 24 Hours of Le Mans – Scrutineering Day 2

Aged 19, Adrien Closmenil will soon start his first 24 Hours of Le Mans. The native of Normandy represents a generation of drivers for whom Le Mans is more than a race, it’s a huge feat of human endeavour. We meet a young man who is about to experience one of the greatest moments of his life.

In a few days&rsquo; time, Adrien Closmenil will be fulfilling the dream of thousands of racing drivers: driving in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. At just 19 years old, the driver from Bayeux will take the wheel of the CLX Motorsport #37 Oreca 07-Gibson entered in the LMP2 class and enter a new dimension. He&rsquo;s headed for a place where childhood dreams blend with reality, where ideas become goals and where every lap of a circuit tells a story. His youth masks a maturity forged by success, work and constant learning in a discipline that is as rewarding on a personal level as it is in silverware.

<h2>Pole position at the 2024 Road To Le Mans</h2>

Long before he ever entered a pit, attended a driver briefing or held a racing line, Adrien Closmenil began familiarising himself with the 24 Hours of Le Mans by watching the race on TV with his parents. Like many children with a passion for motorsport, he would imagine what it felt like to hurtle down the Mulsanne Straight on a starlit night.

His attraction to racing stems from his family history. His grandfather was a rally driver and gradually passed on the racing bug to Adrien. When the young man claimed pole position at the 2024 Road to Le Mans, on the full Sarthe circuit, he was overjoyed. &ldquo;It was my first season in endurance and my first Michelin Le Mans Cup qualification. Proving that I could attain that level in LMP3 was an accomplishment. Just driving on the circuit was such a great feeling. So taking pole position was obviously a real high.&rdquo;

The first milestone on the road to the world&rsquo;s greatest endurance race.

<h2>Five victories in six races</h2>

It may sound like overnight success. But it&rsquo;s actually the result of patient persistence. In 2025, Adrien Closmenil and CLX Motorsport dominated the European Le Mans Series LMP3 class. He and teammates Paul Lanch&egrave;re and Theodor Jensen won five of the six races in the series. &ldquo;We worked very hard during the winter and I think that was the key to success. Right from the word go, we had a head start and we managed to keep the advantage.&quot;

In motorsport, good results are often the tip of the iceberg. Under the surface lie hundred of hours of data analysis, repeated moves and training. It&rsquo;s precisely that work culture that ushered him to the top. A few months later, in Portim&atilde;o, he reached a turning point in his career. &ldquo;Just before the race, Nicolas Lapierre told me I was moving up to LMP2 and would be taking part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. I didn&rsquo;t sleep that night. I was living the dream.&rdquo;

Some memories wear thin with time, but Adrien will never forget that night.

<h2>Advice from Nicolas Lapierre</h2>

When he began single-seater racing, the 24 Hours of Le Mans wasn&rsquo;t Adrien&rsquo;s goal. Like many young drivers, he had his sights set on Formula One. His coach, Julien Neveu, also a CLX Motorsport engineer, suggested he try endurance racing. The discipline introduced him to a whole new world. &ldquo;I share the car with two other drivers: our performance is the result of a team effort, not individual exploit. The collective aspect is interesting and stimulating.&quot;

Le Mans drivers take turns at the wheel, but they&rsquo;re never alone. Every race is the result of collective intelligence, with mechanics, engineers, strategists and team members all pulling together. This philosophy suits Adrien Closmenil perfectly. He also enjoys managing traffic, keeping an eye on fuel consumption and all the other tactical elements of endurance racing.

For his Le Mans d&eacute;but, he will be sharing the CLX Motorsport #37 Oreca 07-Gibson with Theodor Jensen and Ian Aguileral. The average age of the crew is barely 19! Such youth may be surprising to some, especially at such a demanding race. &ldquo;Our preparation could make all the difference. We&rsquo;ve learned so much from Nicolas Lapierre and the engineers.&rdquo; Elders pass on their knowledge and experience to the next generation, who gain in maturity.

With only a few days to go, Adrien Closmenil says he is excited and raring to go. At the same time, he is surprisingly calmly spoken. &ldquo;My parents say they&rsquo;re proud of me. I&rsquo;m honoured to have a seat for the 24 Hours of Le Mans at my age.&rdquo;

Some 19-year-olds have barely left childhood. This young man is about to take part in a world-class race. He sums up his attitude in one sentence: &ldquo;It doesn&rsquo;t faze me though, because I look ahead with the knowledge of the past.&rdquo;

A simple reminder that humility is often ambition&rsquo;s best friend.

Every driver has their own 24 Hours of Le Mans fantasy. Some dream of the podium. Others the acceleration on the Mulsanne Straight. Adrien Closmenil has several images in his head: &ldquo;Night driving and the start. I may not be in the cockpit, but I&rsquo;ll be holding my breath.&rdquo;

A spellbinding experience, that requires 24-hour concentration. &ldquo;My biggest challenge will be to stay focused until the chequered flag&quot;.&nbsp;Reflex work and visual coordination exercises are part of the specific pre-race preparation. 
As for the result, the young driver remains perfectly reasonable. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re aiming to learn as much as possible for future races.&rdquo; Ah! So there&rsquo;ll be more. Adrien Closmenil is embarking on his first 24 Hours of Le Mans, but he doesn&rsquo;t intend it to be the last.

What would he say to his childhood self? &ldquo;I&rsquo;d tell him to always do his best. To learn from his mistakes and not let them get him down for long.&rdquo;

In a few days, when the French flag is waved to signal the start of the 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans, Adrien Closmenil will be more than a promising young driver. He will be fulfilling a childhood dream.

Adrien Closmenil: the 24 Hours of Le Mans at 19 years old

The technical and administrative verifications are complete and the 62 cars entered in the 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans (10–14 June 2026) have the all-clear to take the track. Rivalry has been declared, even before Test Day. Ferrari acknowledges that the competition is stiffer than ever, Toyota declares new intentions and each class counts several candidates for victory. One thing is for sure, the race is wide open.

The technical and administrative verifications are complete and the 62 cars entered in the 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans (10&ndash;14 June 2026) have the all-clear to take the track. Rivalry has been declared, even before Test Day. Ferrari acknowledges that the competition is stiffer than ever, Toyota declares new intentions and each class counts several candidates for victory. One thing is for sure, the race is wide open.

Ferrari is aiming for a fourth win in a row. Toyota wants its top step back. Cadillac, BMW, Alpine and others believe its their turn. With only a few hours to go until Test Day, the suspense is building.

<h2>Ferrari refuses to be dubbed favourite</h2>

Since the manufacturer&rsquo;s return to the highest level of endurance in 2023, Ferrari has made its mark on Le Mans. Three consecutive victories make the 499P one of the race&rsquo;s star models. Yet the Italian make&rsquo;s drivers believe the context has changed this year. James Calado says there is more competition than in the past three years: &ldquo;The car has also been altered and has slightly different tyres, so the team needs to adjust. The goal remains to win again, bearing in mind it won&rsquo;t be easy.&rdquo;

2024 winner Antonio Fuoco agrees. &ldquo;Given the first two rounds of the season and the level of competition, it will be difficult to take four in a row. We are not as dominant as before. Having said that, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is a different story. The car has always performed well here.&rdquo;

Robert Kubica, driver of the winning #83 Ferrari AF Corse last year, the equation is simple:&ldquo;The other teams have done a better job than us. But, things are different here. There won&rsquo;t be much between us.&rdquo;

He voices the thoughts of many in the Hypercar paddock.

<h2>Toyota ready to counterattack</h2>

A five-time winner of Le Mans, Toyota has not tasted victory at Le Mans since 2022. A strange feeling for a team that reigned supreme over the Circuit des 24 Heures not so long ago.

Toyota comes to the 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans with a very different Hypercar to last year&rsquo;s. The <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/toyota-racing-introduces-the-tr010-hybrid-hypercar-60199">TR010</a> that won the 6 Hours of Imola could hold the Ferrari 499P at bay. Technical Director David Floury suggests a change: &ldquo;Our aim is to get back into winning mode. But Cadillac, BMW and Ferrari are very strong. We&rsquo;ve worked hard on our set-up and our approach to the race, to improve our position.&rdquo;

Kamui Kobayashi, driver of the #7 Toyota TR010 adds: &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll be more aggressive.&rdquo;

If that isn&rsquo;t a challenge for Ferrari-AF Corse...

<h2>Romain Dumas back at Le Mans</h2>

Think Le Mans LMP2 class and you think Romain Dumas. The two-time winner is taking part with his own team RD Limited this year, his 24th start. This weekend he was busy preparing the Pikes Peak hill climb, so he called in from his hotel room, despite the time difference. &ldquo;We fought hard to be here this year. It&rsquo;s a particularly good feeling to be taking part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with my own team. We&rsquo;re here to enjoy the ride and make it to the finish line.&rdquo;

No doubt about it, some drivers have an extra-special relationship with this race.

<h2>In LMGT3, Mercedes, Lexus and McLaren are all dreaming big</h2>

LMGT3 is a wide open competition.

Iron Lynx are back this year and much surer of the Mercedes-AMG. &ldquo;The car is better prepared and more competitive&rdquo;, explains Maxime Martin. &ldquo;We know what to expect this time. Experience makes us stronger.&rdquo;

As for Akkodis ASP Team, their car evolved this winter. The Lexus RC F LMGT3 shed 25 kilogrammes to keep pace with the more recent models. Jos&eacute; Mar&iacute;a L&oacute;pez, 24 Hours of Le Mans winner in 2021, believes in his team&rsquo;s potential. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve come a long way. Today, we have the means to compete with the leaders.&rdquo;

McLaren has some solid arguments too. Fielded by the Garage 59 customer team, the 720S LMGT3 Evo took its first win, in the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, earlier this season. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a fast car,&rdquo; says Thomas Fleming. &ldquo;Its top speed is one of its greatest strengths.&rdquo;&nbsp;Given the long straights of the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, that strength could prove decisive.

The two BMW M4 LMGT3 of Team WRT were the last to undergo the scrutineering procedures this year. The many alterations made to the car over the winter months proved judicious, as they won the Imola round. &ldquo;The turbo, the brakes... the car&rsquo;s been improved in many ways,&rdquo; says Augusto Farfus. &ldquo;We hope the changes will enable us to be among the leaders.&rdquo;

Most of the LMGT3 field feel the same!

<h2>It&rsquo;s track time</h2>

The introductions are over. The 62 cars will be on track tomorrow for Test Day, the last rehearsal before race week really begins. During the two 3-hours sessions, teams refine their settings, collect data and pore over the trends. However, at Le Mans, what looks like a certainty can turn out to be a mirage.

The past two days leave the impression that never before have so many manufacturers, teams and drivers been capable of winning.

With a week to go, a fascinating race is shaping up.

While you wait for the track action to begin, check out the photos of Scrutineering Day 2.

2026 24 Hours of Le Mans Scrutineering: Ferrari and Toyota ready to lock horns

For the 25th anniversary, the marque revisits a quarter century in this video.

	<img class="imgVideo" id="2976" src="/wpphpFichiers/video/2976-25-years-of-audi-tdi-film.jpg" />

	Thierry Arman &amp; C&eacute;cile Bonardel / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO

24 Hours of Le Mans - 25th anniversary of the Audi TDI diesel engine (video)

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2026 24 Hours of Le Mans – Sunday 07/06 Programme

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