24h Le Mans
On June 11, 2026, shortly after 12:50 PM, a world first will take place on the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit. These 13 kilometers of asphalt are accustomed to being transformed into a technological laboratory for a week in June, so significant is the contribution of endurance racing to the evolution of mobility. In 2026, a prototype storing liquid hydrogen will take to the track for the first time in public. Its driver, Kazuki Nakajima, winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, will write a new chapter in the history of this endurance classic.
Since 2018, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), in partnership with MissionH24, has been contributing to the deployment of hydrogen in motorsport. Proof of the program's real progress is the demonstration run of hydrogen prototypes for several years now, just minutes before the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
MissionH24's LMPH2G paved the way, followed by the H24 (which entered the Road To Le Mans series in 2022), then the Alpine Alpenglow and the Ligier Bosch JS2 RH2.
In 2026, on Thursday at 12:50 pm and Saturday at 12:45 pm, two hydrogen sessions are scheduled, starting from Maison Blanche and including one or two passes along the pit straight.
The first demonstration, on Thursday, will feature the Toyota TR LH2 Racing Prototype and the Alpine Alpenglow. Storing liquid hydrogen (for the former) and gaseous hydrogen (for the latter), they will showcase the potential of this energy carrier. The hydrogen combustion engines of these two vehicles will allow the public to experience the "sound" of hydrogen.
On Saturday at 12:45 PM, a third prototype will take to the track alongside the Toyota TR LH2 Racing Prototype and the Alpine Alpenglow: the Ligier Bosch JS2 RH2. The future of sustainable endurance racing will thus be presented, just hours before the start of the 94th edition of the Le Mans classic.
In the hydrogen village, a 700-bar hydrogen refueling station (TotalEnergies) will be operational. Don't hesitate to come and watch the prototypes being refueled on Wednesday and Friday evenings.
Wednesday, June 10, 10:30 AM: Official inauguration of the Hydrogen Village by the official delegation of Pierre Fillon, President of the ACO, and all participants in the H2 Village.
Wednesday, June 10, 11:30 AM: Idec ACO conference at the Welcome Center, dedicated to the crucial contributions of motorsport to mobility. Numerous speakers will be present and available for interviews.
Thursday, June 11, 12:50 PM: White House, demonstration of H2 prototypes on the track, including a "premiere" with the Toyota TR LH2 Racing Prototype and the remarkable Alpine Alpenglow.
Thursday, June 11, 2:00 PM: M24 Museum, Sustainable Innovation Series by the FIA. Two hydrogen roundtables are offered. Saturday, June 13, 12:45 p.m.: White House, demonstration of H2 prototypes, including the Alpine Alpenglow, the Ligier Bosch JS2 RH2 and the pioneer, Toyota TR LH2 Racing Prototype.
