On December 9, 1425, the Université catholique de Louvain was founded, the oldest in Belgium. On June 13, 1999, Didier de Radiguès, born in Louvain, took the start at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Lola-Ford.

24H Le Mans

Le Mans Legendes

24 Heures du Mans

Historique

Toyota is all set to race in the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans (11-15 June 2025) with two GR010 Hybrid Hypercars, one of which will sport a red livery reminiscent of a legendary model: the spectacular, edgy Toyota GT-One (TS020), entered in 1998 and 1999. The car became an icon that symbolises still today the Japanese firm’s obsession with winning Le Mans. We look back at a shooting star that etched an indelible mark in the memory of fans everywhere.

In late 1996, Toyota launched a programme focused solely on winning the 24 Hours of Mans. The GT-One was designed by Toyota Team Europe in Cologne under the guidance of Andr&eacute; de Cortanze, the French engineer behind the Peugeot 905. With just one road-legal version produced to meet homologation requirements, she was in fact a prototype disguised as a GT. 
Her sculpted body concealed a 3.6-litre twin-turbo V8 engine developing 600-650 horsepower. Matched with a six-speed sequential gearbox, the GT-One could reach over 340 kph on the Mulsanne Straight. Her radical, aggressive appearance immediately elevated the car to cult status.

<h2>1998: promise and frustration</h2>

Three GT-Ones were entered in the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans. They stood up to the Mercedes CLK-LM and Porsche 911 GT1 in qualifying but the race itself was a different matter. The #28 was soon forced to retire, followed by the #29 sister car. Only the #27 driven by Ukyo Katayama, Toshio Suzuki and Keiichi Tsuchiya saw the chequered flag, finishing in ninth place, 25 laps behind the winning Porsche 911 GT1. 
Despite the disappointment, the speed and potential of the GT-One made a strong impression. Its futuristic outline and red livery turned heads. History was in motion.

<h2>1999: high hopes ultimately deflated</h2>

A rule change saw the GT1 class give way to LMGTP closed-cockpit prototypes. Toyota adapted the GT-One which officially became a prototype. Three cars were again entered. 
After the #1 and #2 cars retired, it was left once again to the trio of Katayama, Suzuki and Tsuchiya to fight for victory against a BMW V12 LMR fielded by BMW Motorsport. Sadly, as the race entered its final stages, a high-speed blowout and a long crawl back to the pits deflated all hopes. Toyota finished in second place, one lap in arrears of the BMW. The GT-One gave her all, but the 24 Hours is an unforgiving beast.

Despite the defeat, the GT-One&rsquo;s spectacular looks, powerful performances and tragic history ensured the car became a legend. Thanks to the lasting impression made, the GT-One became a star of video games such as Gran Turismo. 
At the 2023 Le Mans Classic, Emmanuel Collard took the GT-One once again around the Circuit de la Sarthe. The onboard footage of this rare moment brings memories of this outstanding machine flooding back:

<h2>Toyota&rsquo;s living legacy at the 24 Hours of Le Mans</h2>

In 2025, Toyota Gazoo Racing has opted to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/toyota-celebrates-40-years-at-the-24-hours-with-standout-liveries-59575" target="_blank">revive the legacy of the GT-One by cloaking one of the two GR010 Hybrids in the&nbsp;emblematic livery</a>&nbsp;and pay tribute to this poignant chapter in the Japanese manufacturer&rsquo;s history at Le Mans, while reasserting its continued quest for victory.

The GT-One never won Le Mans, but she won the heart of many fans. And&nbsp;sometimes, cherished&nbsp;longstanding memories are worth just as much as any trophy.

Toyota GT-One: the legacy of a would-be Le Mans winner

The world’s biggest carmakers and an array of talented racers are gearing up for the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans, the fourth round of the FIA WEC season, on 14-15 June. With the list of 186 drivers set to take part revealed today (Tuesday 13 May), here’s a rundown of all you need to know.

Hypercar more hotly contested than ever 
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With no fewer than 21 prototypes, the Hypercar class is taking the race into a new dimension. All eight manufacturers have a fighting chance of winning the race. Last year, nine cars finished on the same lap as the winner &ndash; a record that may well be broken once again next month. Fifteen drivers who have already climbed onto the top step of the Le Mans podium, including the likes of Earl Bamber, S&eacute;bastien Buemi and Antonio Giovinazzi, will again be competing in the top class. Their pedigree makes the outcome all the more uncertain. 
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Living legends going for the prize 
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Every year, the 24 Hours of Le Mans attracts some of the biggest names in motorsport and 2025 will be no exception. Jenson Button, 2009 Formula One world champion, will line up for Cadillac Hertz Team Jota while Kevin Magnussen, veteran of 185 Grands Prix, will lead the charge for BMW M Team WRT. Of course, LMGT3 outfit Team WRT will receive lots of popular support with nine-time Grand Prix motorcycle racing world champion Valentino Rossi among their ranks! 
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The return of an iconic manufacturer 
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Aston Martin is back racing at the pinnacle of endurance with the V12-powered Valkyrie. The historic British firm first participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1928 and has since made several remarkable appearances in both the top class and in GT. In 1959, Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori won the race outright in a DBR1 &ndash; a feat that the drivers of the #007 and #009 cars will strive to emulate and add another line to the brand&rsquo;s impressive track record. Aston Martin will be one of ten makes on the grid to have tasted victory in the world&rsquo;s greatest endurance race &ndash; proof of their undisputed expertise. 
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Five women racers 
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The Iron Dames&nbsp;are back in 2025, this time at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 in partnership with Manthey Racing. They will be determined to improve on the fourth place they achieved in the 2024 LMGT3 standings. Team regulars Michelle Gatting and Rahel Frey will be backed up this year by rookie C&eacute;lia Martin. The Le Mans crowd has rooted for the Iron Dames every year since the team&rsquo;s first appearance in 2019 and the Frenchwoman&rsquo;s inclusion will guarantee more of the same. The other two women set to race are Lilou Wadoux in the Ferrari 296 LMGT3 entered by Richard Mille AF Corse and IDEC Sport&rsquo;s Jamie Chadwick, in LMP2. 
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An astounding LMGT3 grid 
&nbsp; 
LMGT3 will boast an extra-special field with well-loved Le Mans regulars joined by Mercedes-AMG who will supply three models for the Iron Lynx team. The German marque&rsquo;s presence will add an extra touch of spice to a hotly contested class. Five different brands have already reached the podium in the two rounds of the championship raced so far this season! Nine top-notch manufacturers will field 24 cars in their quest for victory &ndash; a record for LMGT3. The driver roster features GT specialists like Richard Lietz and a pack of hungry young wolves, such as Loek Hartog. 
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LMP2 soars to another level 
&nbsp; 
Year after year, the LMP2 class stages a fascinating spectacle for the fans. The protagonists are cut out for long battles that often go down to the wire. This year, the star of the LMP2 show is undoubtedly Andr&eacute; Lotterer of IDEC Sport. The three-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner is back to prepare for the arrival of Genesis in the Hypercar class in 2026, but the German master won&rsquo;t have it all his own way! Among his chief rivals are sure to be 2024 Hyperpole winner Louis Del&eacute;traz in the #199 Oreca 07 &ndash; Gibson entered by AO by TF, and former Hypercar racer Renger van der Zande, at the wheel of United Autosports&rsquo; #22 Oreca. Seventeen LMP2s will fight for the class title on 14-15 June. 
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Don&rsquo;t miss the start of the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans at 16:00 CET on Saturday 14 June!

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&gt;&gt;&gt;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/2025-24hlemans-entry-list">ENTRY LIST</a>&nbsp;&lt;&lt;&lt;

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The 2<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/app/24h-experience">4H EXPERIENCE</a> application is now available on the <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/app/24h-experience">App Store</a> and <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/app/24h-experience">Google Play</a>! Check out the programme and events for the 93rd edition!

Revealed! The 186 drivers set to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans!

Mercedes-AMG is returning to the 24 Hours of Le Mans this season (11-15 June 2025) after a 26-year absence. The three Mercedes-AMG LMGT3s fielded by Iron Lynx will sport a livery inspired by the 1989 race-winning Sauber-Mercedes C9.

Mercedes-AMG is all set to make its first appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 1999. Three Mercedes-AMG LMGT3s will be fielded by customer team <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/iron-lynx-teams-up-with-mercedes-amg-for-lmgt3-challenge-59339">Iron Lynx</a>, competing in the LMGT3 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship. To celebrate this comeback, a new livery has been specially designed for the French endurance classic, the fourth round of the FIA WEC season.

<h2>A tribute to the 1989-winning Sauber-Mercedes C9</h2>

The livery is a nod to the Sauber-Mercedes C9 that, in 1989, achieved a legendary one-two, led home by the recently departed Jochen Mass in the #63 car. All three cars will have the same body paint scheme as the famous Silver Arrows, with colour-coded door mirrors to differentiate them and characteristic graphic lines.

The two full-season FIA WEC entries will be joined by a third car, qualified through the European Le Mans Series, for the 93rd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The drivers line up as follows:

<ul>
	<li>the #60 Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 will be in the hands of seasoned Italian trio Matteo Cairoli, Matteo Cressoni and Claudio Schiavoni;</li>
	<li>the #61 Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 will be driven by Australian Martin Berry, 18-year-old Dutchman Lin Hodenius and Mercedes-AMG Performance driver Maxime Martin;</li>
	<li>Australian father-and-son duo Stephen and Brenton Grove will partner German Luca Stolz in the #63 Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 that picked up the ELMS ticket.</li>
</ul>

This return to La Sarthe with three cars decked in a special tribute livery is a significant moment for Mercedes-AMG. &ldquo;We definitely want to give this return the recognition it deserves,&rdquo; says Cairoli, who will make his ninth start at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. &ldquo;The cars are a homage to 1989 is a wonderful gesture as this period is a huge part of the history of the brand. It&#39;s an honour to be part of the line-up as a Mercedes-AMG Performance Driver,&rdquo; adds Martin.

You can admire the details of the Silver Arrows livery worn by the Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 trio in the photo gallery below.

Mercedes-AMG tips hat to 1989 success with special ‘Silver Arrows’  livery

At the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the third round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, a large crowd (98,874) was able to discover endurance racing's strategy for decarbonizing racing: hydrogen.

In the Spa-Francorchamps Fan Zone, a three-day Hydrogen Village allowed the public to discover prototypes and concepts of hydrogen-powered racing cars such as the Alpine Alpenglow Hy6 and the Toyota Gazoo Racing Yaris H2 Concept. Track demonstrations were also held on Friday and Saturday to showcase the evolution of this new technology. Alpine&#39;s Alpenglow Hy6 impressed many spectators. To refuel with gaseous hydrogen, a TotalEnergies 700 bar station was installed for the first time in the Belgian paddock.

Educational and fun activities offered by the ACO and MissionH24 allowed young and old alike to &quot;handle&quot;&nbsp;hydrogen and perform water electrolysis, while experts from the ACO, MissionH24, TotalEnergies, Alpine, Toyota, Michelin, Ligier and the FIA ​​interacted with participants at the H2 forum co-organized by the ACO, the FIA ​​WEC and Hydrogen Europe, or H2 Skills. The public also had access to this structure and took as many photos as they asked questions about the Hydrogen energy vector, which should be introduced in Endurance competition by 2028.

Hydrogen Meets the Fans

MissionH24 - L'hydrogène à la rencontre des fans

24 Heures du Mans 1999

After a career in motos, which&nbsp;earned him the honorary title of world vice-champion in 1982 (350 cm3), Didier de Radigu&egrave;s turned to car racing and made his mark on the history of the 24 Hours of Spa in 1997 and the American Le Mans Series in 2001. The&nbsp;Belgian, now a photographer and television commentator, had less luck at the 24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans with five retirements in five participations&hellip;

Photo (Copyright - Christian Vignon/ACO): The #27&nbsp;Lola-Ford of Kremer Racing at the&nbsp;1999 24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans.

24H LE MANS

Today's Photo Story - Didier de Radiguès at the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans

Related News

Toyota GT-One: the legacy of a would-be Le Mans winner

Revealed! The 186 drivers set to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans!

Mercedes-AMG tips hat to 1989 success with special ‘Silver Arrows’ livery

Hydrogen Meets the Fans

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