24h Le Mans
Three of the contenders for victory at the 93rd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans (11-15 June) completed their administrative and technical inspection today on place de la République in Le Mans city centre. The favourites made no secret of their ambitions, on the eve of the Test Day before the race next week.
Day 2 of the Scrutineering procedures began in style with the three Ferrari 499Ps, the official cars #50 and #51, and the #83 privateer entry. Last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans winner has triumphed in the first three rounds of this season’s World Endurance Championship, making the 499P the car to beat. “We can win again, but it will be even more difficult this time, because the competition is even fiercer", says Antonio Giovinazzi, driver of the #51. What if the toughest opposition came from the #83? Robert Kubica, who shares the car with Yifei Ye and Philip Hanson issues a warning: “It’s hard enough to finish the 24 Hours of Le Mans, let alone win it. I can’t wait for the start. Our car is even more competitive than last year.”
Next up at Place de la République, the Porsche 963 of Porsche Penske Motorsport. The German Hypercar won the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring, part of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, but are not having a successful World Endurance Championship so far. Porsche’s 20th Le Mans win seems a long way off given the manufacturer’s current sixth place ranking in the World Endurance Championship. “Our difficult start to the season is nothing to worry about. Don’t rule us out for the 24 Hours of Le Mans”, says Mathieu Jaminet, driver of the #5 Porsche 963. His teammate Michael Christensen adds: “We have done what we can to get the best from the car and the team. We’ve updated the Hypercar’s mechanics and aerodynamics.” Last year the #6 Porsche 963 started at the front of the grid but finished in fourth place, 37 seconds behind the winning Ferrari.
Two second places in 2023 and 2024 have not dented Toyota Gazoo Racing’s determination. “We aim for nothing less than victory”, says team technical director David Floury, pointing to the Japanese manufacturer’s previous streak of five consecutive wins. Not necessarily considered a top favourite to contend with the likes of Ferrari, the Cologne-based team are banking on their experience to tip the balance. The race is set to be more hotly contested than ever: “There are lots of question marks hanging over this year’s race”, says #8 GR010 Hybrid driver Brendon Hartley, while #7 driver Nyck De Vries, underlines the importance “of being in a good position at midday on Sunday, ready for the final sprint.” The beginning of the season was a little shaky, but the team is undeterred: “We’ve tried out different options on the car and we’re hoping to reap the results here”, explains Mike Conway, who forms a crew with Nyck de Vries and Kamui Kobayashi. Likewise, Sébastien Buemi, driver of the #8 is convinced the team has yet to reveal its full potential: “It will be a close-run thing”, he predicts. Tomorrow’s Test Day will be an indication of form.
Several LMGT3s underwent checks this morning. Besides the Ferrari 296 LMGT3s of Vista AF Corse and the Lexus RC F LMGT3s entered by Akkodis ASP Team there were the BMW M4 LMGT3s of The Bend Team (#31) and Team WRT (#46). Valentino Rossi’s fans were out en masse. The nine-time Grand Prix Moto champion is taking part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the second year running. "Last year it was weird, because we were quick, but the car crashed out and failed to see the chequered flag. It was over too quickly for me. I was looking forward to racing at night and at dawn. This year we aim to be just as competitive and reach the finish in a good place”, says he who answers to the nickname “The Doctor”.
The driver line-up for the 93rd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans comprises six women. Jamie Chadwick takes the wheel of the Idec Sport #18 Oreca 07-Gibson LMGT2. This is her first 24 Hours of Le Mans, which she comes to after a dazzling European Le Mans Series including victory at the 4 Hours of Barcelona. “The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a dream come true for me. People keep telling me to manage my time and my energy. I’m looking forward to taking the wheel at the Test Day tomorrow. We’re well-prepared and I know I can count on the experience of my teammates.” [André Lotterer and Mathys Jaubert]
Having passed the inspection, the 62 cars entered for the race are ready to hit the track on Test Day. Tomorrow, teams have six hours of practice time, in two sessions, from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:30 to 18:30. It’s a big day for Ligier European Series competitors too. Free practice runs from 08:00 to 08:45, qualifying 09:15-09:35 and the race 14:00-15:00.
While you wait for the track action to begin, check out the photos of Scrutineering Day 2.
