Excess baggage is costly, even in motorsport. Manufacturers competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans pay particular attention to the weight of their cars. But what about drivers? Last year, the FIA and the ACO introduced a new FIA World Endurance Championship system of driver compensation ballast to eliminate the disadvantage of taller, heavier drivers by applying extra ballast to cars whose crews are lighter than the reference weight of 82kg. This is a big change.

Whenever a person is carried &ndash; in a car, boat, on a horse, and when speed is the goal, weight affects performance. The laws of physics influence motor racing in many ways. Carmakers have been shaving extra weight off cars since the early 20th century, even removing paint to gain precious grammes. Soon, driver weight was taken into consideration too. Lightweight drivers mean more speed and less tyre wear.

<h2>A factor that weighs heavily</h2>

But drivers aren&rsquo;t machines. Taller frames are at a disadvantage, whatever their eating habits. Particularly over the 13.626 kilometres of the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans. &ldquo;They say that ten kilos is worth a tenth of a second, but at Le Mans, it must be at least three tenths&rdquo;, reckons Julian Hanses, 1m91, driver of the Team Qatar Iron Lynx #62 Mercedes-AMG LMGT3. In the Hypercar class, if crew A weighs ten kilos more than crew B, crew A will gain two minutes in the 24-hour race. The last three 24 Hours of Le Mans have been won (and lost) by less than that. In the new system, a few too many kilos &ndash; 3.3 kg in the example given above &ndash; can cost you the race or a place on the podium. That&rsquo;s a high price to pay.

&nbsp;

As a driver, you have to accept that, all other things being equal, your morphology affects your performance. Alexander Wurz (1.91 m), two-time Le Mans winner (1996 and 2006) and now consultant for Toyota Racing, felt his height was a handicap: &ldquo;It was very difficult during my career, particularly in Formula 1. In my second year, I was eight to ten kilos heavier than my teammate, Giancarlo Fisichella. On average, I was two tenths of a second slower than him per lap. But the team had forbidden me from revealing that. It really annoyed me at the time, because I knew I was at least as competitive as him.&rdquo; Some drivers constantly survey their weight, and have done so since childhood.

<h2>A challenge not to be taken lightly</h2>

Bodyweight is determined by two main factors: calorie intake and muscle mass. Tall drivers watch both like a hawk. &ldquo;Managing my weight has always been tricky, both mentally and physically. I was careful about everything I ate, and my teammates used to make fun of me because, at Le Mans, I&rsquo;d have baby food for my meals. That way, I got the best nutritional value for the fewest calories, given the portion sizes. But hey, it was all part of the game,&rdquo; he adds.

Jordan Taylor&nbsp;(<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/24-hours-of-le-mans-the-2026-hypercar-class-preview-60632" target="_blank">Wayne Taylor Racing&nbsp;#101 Cadillac</a>)&nbsp;says,&ldquo;Ultimately, for us big guys, it doesn&rsquo;t change our approach. All the training we did throughout the year was already focused on performance, as was our diet. We always try to be as light as possible; it&rsquo;s a universal rule in motorsport.&rdquo;

Weight training is another crucial element. Driving a Hypercar that grips the track can be tiring if you lack strength. At the same time, too much muscle weighs more. It can be hard to strike a balance, especially when other factors come into play. Ferdinand Habsburg (#35 Alpine A424) explains his predicament: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s tricky for taller people; you need muscle too. For example, I need to have a strong back, as I&rsquo;ve been injured twice. To protect and support my spine, I need to build muscle, which means lifting weights.&rdquo; Overdo it, and you lose a few tenths. &ldquo;I really need to focus on cardio and avoid building too much muscle&rdquo;, says Tom Gamble (#007 Aston Martin Valkyrie).

Taller, heavier drivers tend to base their training on swimming, running, cycling, or even boxing to build stamina without adding bulk.

<h2>A level playing field</h2>

The new <a href="https://www.fiawec.com/en/">WEC</a> system deals a new hand. The reference weight is 82 kg on average per driver crew across all classes. For example, a crew of drivers weighing 77.8 kg, 80.2 kg and 82.9 kg, makes an average of 80.3 kg, meaning 2kg extra ballast (1.7 rounded up to the nearest kilo). In Qualifying and Hyperpole sessions, the designated driver must compensate for her or his weight in the same way.

Competitors welcome the new system, as it gives everyone an equal chance of winning Hyperpole, which previously favoured lighter drivers. &ldquo;Seeing as I&rsquo;m on the small side, it&rsquo;s not really to my advantage. But I still think it&rsquo;s a good thing. A driver shouldn&rsquo;t be penalised just for being taller or heavier. It&rsquo;s a step in the right direction&rdquo;, says Louis Del&eacute;traz, LMP2 Hyperpole winner in 2024 and <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/cadillac-hertz-team-jota-shuffles-pack-ahead-of-94th-24-hours-of-le-mans-60589">driver of the Hertz Team Jota #12 Cadillac this year</a>.

As sportswomen and men, 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers spend their careers as models of self-restraint to gain tenths of a second. The blink of an eye. The difference between a great driver and an absolute legend.

24 Hours of Le Mans drivers weigh in on the new ballast system

The circuit is buzzing more than ever as race week gets in full swing on Wednesday 10 June with support race competitors to hit the track for the first time as well as various exciting free practice and qualifying sessions!

<h2>24 HOURS OF LE Mans FREE PRACTICE</h2>

The&nbsp;Hypercars, LMP2s and&nbsp;LMGT3s will take part in free practices from 14:00 to 17:00 and&nbsp;from 22:00 to midnight. These five precious hours of track time will allow competitors&nbsp;to fine-tune settings, run consecutive stints, test tyres&nbsp;and get a feel for their cars&#39; behaviour under a variety of&nbsp;conditions.

It is often during these sessions that behind-the-scenes reality is revealed. With&nbsp;every run of the Mulsanne Straight and&nbsp;every instance of braking at the Mulsanne Corner are split-second&nbsp;choices, a search for balance&nbsp;and sometimes technical gambles.

As the day carries on, the pace quickens as certain drivers look to set benchmark lap times while&nbsp;others focus on pure endurance. All share the same goal: to be ready for the big race.

<h2>HYPERPOLE&nbsp;QualifYING</h2>

Early evening will signal the transition to&nbsp;qualifying sessions and&nbsp;every tenth of a second will become&nbsp;invaluable.

The <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/the-new-improved-24-hours-of-le-mans-hyperpole-60613" target="_blank">new Hyperpole format</a>&nbsp;is&nbsp;still across two days and&nbsp;the LMP2 and&nbsp;LMGT3 competitors will open&nbsp;the show with 30 minutes to earn their spots. Only the top 15&nbsp;in each class will move forward.&nbsp;The&nbsp;Hypercars will&nbsp;then take over with their own session, scheduled from 18:45 to 20:00.

This is when Le Mans transforms once again as the sun slowly sets, tension grips the grandstands&nbsp;and engines roar to life. The circuit&nbsp;is unforgiving. It reveals. It separates the contenders. It elevates.

<h2>Road To Le Mans</h2>

Road to Le Mans is the annual highlight of the Michelin Le Mans Cup calendar. Created in 2016, this championship is reserved for&nbsp;LMP3s and&nbsp;GT3s, and represents&nbsp;the ACO&rsquo;s determination to establish and support benchmark events to help train drivers. The MLMC competitors will hit the track for two free practices today: the first from&nbsp;11:15 to&nbsp;12:15 and the second from&nbsp;20:30 to&nbsp;21:30.

<h2>Ferrari Challenge</h2>

Since&nbsp;1993, the Italian constructor&#39;s&nbsp;one-make&nbsp;championship offers drivers from around the world a gateway to motorsport, delivering spectacular challenges and competitive thrills.

The&nbsp;Ferrari Challenge&nbsp;has taken on a global dimension over the years, increasingly making it the go-to&nbsp;for one-make series and an ideal starting point for a career in GT racing. Many champions have honed their skills in this arena, like&nbsp;Nicklas Nielsen, winner of the 2018 series and the 2024 24 Hours at the wheel of a Ferrari 499P.

Today, two free practices are on the schedule from 08:45 to&nbsp;09:30 and from&nbsp;12:45 to&nbsp;13:30.

<h2>Porsche Carrera Cup BrAZil</h2>

Established in 2005, the Porsche Carrera Cup Brazil is one of the leading one-make series in South America and a standard&nbsp;for GT racing in Brazil. All drivers compete in identical Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars, meaning the talent of the driver and&nbsp;team makes the difference.&nbsp;&nbsp;

This is one of the most competitive GT championships in the Americas, a stepping stone to international motorsport&nbsp;and a series that often features former single-seater or Brazilian Stock Car drivers.&nbsp;

Free Practice 1 is scheduled from 10:00 to&nbsp;10:45, and Free Practice 2 from 17:30 to&nbsp;18:15.

<h2>Jean-Louis Aubert CONCERT</h2>

After the popularity of PAFINITOUR in 2025, Jean-Louis Aubert is keeping the fun alive&nbsp;with a festival tour this&nbsp;summer! PAFINITOUR&nbsp;is an opportunity to relish&nbsp;Aubert&rsquo;s rich and varied repertoire, ranging from iconic tracks (that have defined several generations) to lesser-known gems. For this tour, the artist&#39;s stage production is more modern and sensational&nbsp;than ever.

Wednesday 10 June Programme

08:45 &ndash; 09:30 |&nbsp;Ferrari Challenge Europe Free Practice 1 
09:00 &ndash; 00:00 |&nbsp;M24 &ndash; Motorsport Museum open 
10:00 &ndash; 00:00 |&nbsp;Fan Zones, Kids Zone, Hydrogen&nbsp;ACO H2 and&nbsp;Constructors Villages open 
10:00 &ndash; 10:45 |&nbsp;Porsche Carrera Cup Brazil Free Practice 1 
11:15 &ndash; 12:15 |&nbsp;Road to Le Mans&nbsp;Free Practice 1 
12:45 &ndash; 13:30 | Ferrari Challenge&nbsp;Free Practice 2 
14:00 &ndash; 17:00 |&nbsp;24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans&nbsp;Free Practice 1 
17:30 &ndash; 18:15 |&nbsp;Porsche Carrera Cup Brazil&nbsp;Free Practice 2 
18:45 &ndash; 19:15 | 24 Hours of Le Mans&nbsp;Hyperpole Qualifying &ndash; LMP2 &amp; LMGT3 
19:30 &ndash; 20:00 |&nbsp;24 Hours of Le Mans Hyperpole Qualifying &ndash; Hypercar 
20:00 &ndash; 23:00&nbsp;| Jean-Louis Aubert concert 
20:30 &ndash; 21:30 |&nbsp;Road to Le Mans&nbsp;Free Practice 2 
22:00 &ndash; 00:00 |&nbsp;24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans&nbsp;Free Practice 2

2026 24 Hours of Le Mans – Wednesday 10/06 Programme

Fans have several convenient options to follow all the action at the legendary race this year. Whether on T.V., social media or FIAWEC+, everyone can watch the main event of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) season no matter where they happen to be.

<h2>On T.V.</h2>

In the host country of France, Eurosport will broadcast all free practice and qualifying&nbsp;sessions. The race will also be available on free-to-air TV on the L&#39;&Eacute;quipe channel, notably featuring Thursday&#39;s Hyperpole,&nbsp;a new addition this year,&nbsp;starting at 19:55. 
 
In Europe, the sport&#39;s long-standing broadcaster Eurosport&nbsp;will provide extensive coverage by airing every free practice and qualifying session. Other channels are taking up the broadcast in various countries: RTL Nitro in Germany, Discovery Turbo in Italy&nbsp;and TNT Sports in the UK, with a significant portion of the coverage available for free on Quest. 
 
And in the U.S., the entire event will be broadcast on TruTV with all free practice and qualifying sessions also&nbsp;available on HBO Max.

In Asia, in South Korea, SPO TV and SPO TV Now have joined the broadcast lineup, providing coverage in Korean for the first time. Another new development is that beIN Sports will broadcast all sessions and the race across the Asia-Pacific region and New Zealand. In Japan, J Sports will air all sessions, with the added novelty of selected sessions being streamed on YouTube and the arrival of ABEMA as a new broadcaster. In China, Tencent serves as a major digital distribution partner for the championship in a market with significant potential for audience growth and automotive industry development. 
 
Check out the full&nbsp;<a href="https://mcusercontent.com/b5f125906fc10a7f9e846de69/files/f7de3e57-8d60-47be-a01b-07e3331c21ca/FIA_WEC_24_Hours_Of_Le_Mans_V12_1_.pdf" target="_blank">Broadcast Schedule</a>&nbsp;so you don&#39;t miss a thing.

<h2>Watch the 2026 24 Hours of le&nbsp;Mans live with&nbsp;FIAWEC+</h2>

Available worldwide, the FIAWEC+ 365 pass allows you to follow the entire FIA ​​World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) season for &euro;49.99, while an offer dedicated solely to the 24 Hours of Le Mans allows&nbsp;you watch the full 94th running&nbsp;for &euro;19.99. 
&nbsp; 
The FIAWEC+ package for the 94th&nbsp;24 Hours of Le Mans includes:

<ul>
	<li>Free practices, qualifying sessions and the race live</li>
	<li>On-board camera feeds during the race</li>
	<li>Full replays of the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans</li>
	<li>Stream&nbsp;FIA WEC races</li>
	<li>The Road to Le Mans race on Friday&nbsp;12 June&nbsp;10:00-13:00</li>
</ul>

The FIAWEC+ is available&nbsp;<a href="https://plus.fiawec.com/en" target="_blank">online</a>&nbsp;and as an app at the <a href="https://apps.apple.com/fr/app/fiawec/id6758774317" target="_blank">App Store</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=se.staylive.fia&amp;utm_source=emea_Med" target="_blank">Google Play</a>. 
&nbsp; 
Learn more about&nbsp;<a href="https://plus.fiawec.com/en" target="_blank">FIAWEC+</a>.

<h2>with Live Timing</h2>

<a href="https://plus.fiawec.com/en" target="_blank">Live Timing</a>&nbsp;allows you to track the times and standings of the teams competing in the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans in real time.

<h2>on the 24 hours of le mans social media</h2>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/24heuresdumans/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/24heuresdumans/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> @24heuresdumans</li>
	<li><a href="https://x.com/24hoursoflemans" target="_blank">X (formerly</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/24hoursoflemans" target="_blank">Twitter)</a>&nbsp;@24hoursoflemans</li>
	<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@24heuresdumans" target="_blank">YouTube</a>&nbsp;channel</li>
</ul>

Also follow the race with the hashtag&nbsp;#LEMANS24

2026 24 Hours of Le Mans – Where to watch the race!

As part of their preparation for the pinnacle of endurance racing, the 62 cars entered for the 24 Hours of Le Mans engaged in a Pit Stop Challenge for the fifth year running. The mechanics of the #83 Ferrari 499P were the quickest team today.

The Pit Stop Challenge is an exercise in rapid execution. Teams of four perform a tyre change only. There is no refuelling or driver change-over. The referee announces the start and stops the clock when the last mechanic crosses the line that separates the garage from the intervention zone, having changed all four tyres. A loose nut, a dodgy wheel gun, or a misstep, spells game over. The record to beat, set last year by the crew of the Peugeot TotalEnergies #93 Peugeot 9X8, was 8.830 seconds.

The first time to beat this year was set by the #91 Porsche 911 GT3 R whose crew completed the operation in 8.910 seconds. Their technique is to send a mechanic to change the tyres on the lefthand side first &ndash; front, then rear. Another method is to send a pair of mechanics to operate on a diagonal: front right and rear left, then front left and rear right. TDS Racing changes both tyres simultaneously on the lefthand side first, followed by the right. Whatever the order, the golden rules remains the same: not a foot wrong! To triumph at Le Mans, you have to excel on all fronts, including in the pit lane.

This year, the best in the Hypercar and LMGT3 recorded exactly the same time, a few tenths off the record.

Winners in each class (94th 24 Hours of Le Mans, 5th Pit Stop Challenge:

<ul>
	<li>Hypercar: #83 Ferrari 499P &ndash; Ferrari AF Corse 8.870 seconds</li>
	<li>LMP2: #37 Oreca 07-Gibson &ndash; CLX Motorsport 10.600 seconds</li>
	<li>LMGT3: #69 BMW M4 LMGT3 &ndash; Team WRT 8.870 seconds</li>
</ul>

Find the complete standings for the Pit Stop Challenge at the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans:

2026 24 Hours of Le Mans: Ferrari wins the 5th 24 Hours of Le Mans Pit Stop Challenge

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