Toyota had a near-perfect season in 2014, winning both the constructors and drivers WEC titles. But the 24 Hours of Le Mans trophy has as yet eluded the Japanese carmaker. Last season the TS040 Hybrid was clearly inferior to Audi and Porsche and remained behind them all year.

24H Le Mans

Le Mans Series

24 Heures du Mans

FIA WEC

The 3rd annual city centre tour saw 19 racing cars – representing every constructor and category – loop twice in front of an overjoyed crowd. Aude, Aimie, Matéo and Jade didn't miss a thing.

Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Lexus, Mercedes, Peugeot, Porsche and&nbsp;Toyota all showed up thia afternoon in the heart of the endurance racing capital of the world.&nbsp;The crowd&nbsp;came out in force to catch glimpses of these stunning cars snaking between&nbsp;between shops, banks&nbsp;and restaurants, slipping under&nbsp;balconies and passed the town&#39;s famous&nbsp;cathedral, a setting so familiar to residents of&nbsp;Le Mans.

Refreshing breezes&nbsp;kept fans cool this Saturday afternoon as they watched the Hypercars, LMP2s and LMGT3s parade through&nbsp;the city. Spectators in front of the prefecture flew&nbsp;a&nbsp;&quot;46&quot; flag for nine-time&nbsp;Grand Prix Moto champion&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/valentino-rossi-to-take-part-in-the-24-hours-of-le-mans-for-the-second-time-59256" target="_blank">Valentino Rossi</a>. The entire city centre flooded the streets&nbsp;of Le Mans to wish the teams and cars luck as the returned to the circuit after two days at the place de la R&eacute;publique.

Sisters Jade, Aimie and&nbsp;Aude came with friend and car enthusiast&nbsp;Mat&eacute;o. They found a great vantage point&nbsp;further away near the place du Jet d&#39;Eau. Jade (age 21):&nbsp;We arrived an hour early to get a good spot.&nbsp;Alen&ccedil;on native&nbsp;Mat&eacute;o is a diehard fan who follows the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) and 24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans religiously.

360 Onboard AO by TF in Le Mans City Center | 24 Hours of Le Mans 2025 | ELMS

L'Oreca 07-Gibson #199 d'AO by TF dans les rues du centre-ville du Mans

The first cars come into view with the Peugeot 9X8&nbsp;in electric mode gliding along the tram tracks. The BMW M Hybrid V8 heats things up when its driver roars the 8-cylinder turbo. A prelude to the upcoming race or a reminder of the close finish of 2024, the Toyota GR010 Hybrid is stuck trailing&nbsp;the Ferrari 499P. A newcomer to the Hypercar category this year, the Aston Martin Valkyrie turns heads, but&nbsp;Jade (age 14) is more into the&nbsp;Iron Dames&nbsp;#85 Porsche: Their car is so gorgeous!&nbsp;Thunderous applause showed that&nbsp;the crwod agrees with her. Local hero&nbsp;S&eacute;bastien Bourdais and&nbsp;defending champion Ferrari were also showered with endless cheers.

<h2>This is Le&nbsp;MANS</h2>

Aimie loves that the racing cars are allowed to parade through the city centre:&nbsp;They sound louder.&nbsp;She says Mat&eacute;o has influenced her enthusiasm.&nbsp;I&#39;m a&nbsp;Ferrari fan because he&#39;s a Ferrari fan.&nbsp;He is a true fan,&nbsp;remembering&nbsp;that the #50 Ferrari won the race last year and that the Italian carmaker has dominated the 2025 season so far with three wins in as many races). &ldquo;It is fantastic!&rdquo; he concludes when the 1920s Chenard &amp; Walcker brings up the rear of the motorcade.

Mark your calendars for next year when official 24 Hours commentator&nbsp;Bruno Vandestick will once again proclaim: This is Le Mans!

Le Mans city centre tour: a warm-up for the 24 Hours

Hypercars under the microscope | The Alpine A424 Hypercar bears the expectations of the French constructor among fierce competition. Alpine is back in La Sarthe with renewed ambition, building on its initial FIA World Endurance Championship learning experience last season. Focus on Alpine’s artful blend of style and technology.

The Alpine A424 was introduced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans Centenary as the A424_&beta; concept. Always destined to evolve, the prototype has kept its striking visual identity designed by a team headed by Alpine design manager Antony Villain, and Rapha&euml;l Linari, head of external design and racing.

Inspired by the Alpenglow concept car, the Hypercar has the same clean lines. Its futurist front lights are a signature feature of Alpine production cars. Anyone tailing behind the A424 will be treated to the two arrow-shaped As as a parting salute. The triangular motif, reminiscent of Alpine snowflakes, decorates the fins and rear aerofoil.

<h2>Structured for performance</h2>

The lithe bodywork harbours high-precision mechanics. The carbonfibre monocoque chassis with honeycomb shell was developed with Oreca, a well-respected player in the endurance racing field. It&rsquo;s both light and tough: ideal for a racecar.

A 3.4-litre V6 monoturbo engine producing up to 675hp, in keeping with the current Balance of Performance, powers the Alpine A424. The engine is paired with a standard Bosch hybrid system, affording a surge of electric power. The BMW, Cadillac and Porsche Hypercars are fitted with the same system. Reliable, precise Magneti Marelli electronics supervise the whole.

<h2>Unyielding aspirations</h2>

Introduced to the track in 2024, the Alpine A424 has had a full season&rsquo;s experience. Alpine Sport director Bruno Famin says: &ldquo;By the end of the season, we were in a position to fight for the podium, which was truly satisfying. Performance consistency and optimising the use of Michelin tyres throughout a race are key points. We know we still have a lot of work to do in all areas in an environment that will be even more competitive this season. Continuing our progress is our primary target.&rdquo;

The gradual progress led to two third places, at the 6 Hours of Imola and the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, for the #36 of Mick Schumacher, Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Makowiecki and Jules Gounon. Alpine Endurance Team principal Philippe Sinault is clear: &ldquo;The goal is to build on what we&#39;ve learnt and consolidate our foundations to be better prepared for Le Mans than we were a year ago.&rdquo; Last year both Alpines were retired due to mechanical issues.

<h2>Don&rsquo;t let the Alpine A424 Hypercar out of your sight!</h2>

Alpine rejoined the 24 Hours of Le Mans top class in 2021 but its relationship with the race dates back much further. In 1978, the make won Le Mans with the A422B in the hands of Jean-Pierre Jaussaud and Didier Pironi. The Alpine Endurance Team cherish the dream of reiterating the feat with the A424.

It has to be said that the Alpine A424 is both elegant &ndash; it&rsquo;s French! &ndash; and engineered for endurance. Buoyed by an encouraging 2024 season, Alpine comes to this year&rsquo;s race armed with experience, a solid technical foundation and the ambition it takes to lift a trophy.

Don&rsquo;t miss the next episode in our &ldquo;Hypercars under the microscope&rdquo; series in which we shall continue our analysis of the prototypes in <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/2025-24-hours-of-le-mans-presentation-of-the-hypercar-category-59646" target="_blank">the high-quality field</a>.

Next up: The Aston Martin Valkyrie entered by Aston Martin THOR Team 
Already published: The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/the-cadillac-v-series-r-under-the-microscope-ready-to-roar-for-america-at-le-mans-59659" target="_blank">Cadillac V-Series.R</a>

<a href="https://fiawec.tv/page/679a56921229db49627128a6" target="_blank">Watch all the action from the FIA World Endurance Championship,</a>&nbsp;including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, live or on demand with the FIA WEC TV official app! Don&rsquo;t miss a thing! Check out the app for further information.

The Alpine A424 Hypercar under the microscope: more precise, more reliable, more ambitious

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&rsquo;s 24 Hours of Le Mans winner has triumphed in the first three rounds of this season&rsquo;s World Endurance Championship, making the 499P the car to beat. &ldquo;We can win again, but it will be even more difficult this time, because the competition is even fiercer&quot;, 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: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard enough to finish the 24 Hours of Le Mans, let alone win it. I can&rsquo;t wait for the start. Our car is even more competitive than last year.&rdquo;

Next up at Place de la R&eacute;publique, 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&rsquo;s 20th Le Mans win seems a long way off given the manufacturer&rsquo;s current sixth place ranking in the World Endurance Championship. &ldquo;Our difficult start to the season is nothing to worry about. Don&rsquo;t rule us out for the 24 Hours of Le Mans&rdquo;, says Mathieu Jaminet, driver of the #5 Porsche 963. His teammate Michael Christensen adds: &ldquo;We have done what we can to get the best from the car and the team. We&rsquo;ve updated the Hypercar&rsquo;s mechanics and aerodynamics.&rdquo; Last year the #6 Porsche 963 started at the front of the grid but finished in fourth place, 37 seconds behind the winning Ferrari.

<h2>Toyota banking on experience</h2>

Two second places in 2023 and 2024 have not dented Toyota Gazoo Racing&rsquo;s determination. &ldquo;We aim for nothing less than victory&rdquo;, says team technical director David Floury, pointing to the Japanese manufacturer&rsquo;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: &ldquo;There are lots of question marks hanging over this year&rsquo;s race&rdquo;, says #8 GR010 Hybrid driver Brendon Hartley, while #7 driver Nyck De Vries, underlines the importance &ldquo;of being in a good position at midday on Sunday, ready for the final sprint.&rdquo; The beginning of the season was a little shaky, but the team is undeterred: &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve tried out different options on the car and we&rsquo;re hoping to reap the results here&rdquo;, explains Mike Conway, who forms a crew with Nyck de Vries and Kamui Kobayashi. Likewise, S&eacute;bastien Buemi, driver of the #8 is convinced the team has yet to reveal its full potential: &ldquo;It will be a close-run thing&rdquo;, he predicts. Tomorrow&rsquo;s Test Day will be an indication of form.

<h2>Valentino scores high in the popularity stakes</h2>

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&rsquo;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. &quot;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&rdquo;, says he who answers to the nickname &ldquo;The Doctor&rdquo;.

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. &ldquo;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&rsquo;m looking forward to taking the wheel at the Test Day tomorrow. We&rsquo;re well-prepared and I know I can count on the experience of my teammates.&rdquo; [Andr&eacute; 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&rsquo;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.

Ferrari, Porsche and Toyota round off Scrutineering Day 2

Keep track of the second day of scrutineering in Le Mans city centre on the 24 Hours of Le Mans YouTube channel.

Almost as good as being there! Watch as race officials inspect the cars to make sure they comply with race regulations. They have 23 cars to scrutinise today. Among them, the Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P (from 09:00), the Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 (10:20-10:40) and the Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 Hybrid (12:00-12:10) &ndash; all eagerly awaited by the crowd. In the GT3 class, keep an eye out for the Ferrari 296 LMGT3s of Vista AF Corse and Kessel Racing, the Akkodis ASP Team Lexus RC F LMGT3s and the Team WRT BMW M4 LMGT3s.

Our cameras take you to the thick of the action! Official commentator Bruno Vandestick interviews drivers who share their feelings ahead of tomorrow&rsquo;s Test Day. Listen out for news of their testing programme and race tactics. Will you be convinced? Are you ready to pick a winner in each class: Hypercar, LMP2 and LMGT3?

&gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/fr/actualites/les-horaires-du-pesage-de-la-93-e-edition-des-24-heures-du-mans-59591" target="_blank">Timetable of Administrative &amp; Technical Checks</a>&nbsp;&lt;&lt;&lt;

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24 Hours of Le Mans: live video coverage of Scrutineering Day 2

This season, Toyota&rsquo;s hopes are pinned on the TS050 Hybrid, which will be revealed on 24 March at the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet. The new car is a revolution for the constructor, trading its aspirated engine for a turbo and a hybrid system with lithium-ion batteries. The team will be aiming to regain their former glory. At Toyota, they don&rsquo;t give up easily, especially when the dream is to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

	<img class="imgVideo" id="4451" src="/wpphpFichiers/video/56c3422882f15-hqdefault.jpg" />

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	C&eacute;cile Bonardel / ACO &ndash; Translated from French by Emma Paulay 
	Video: Toyota Gazoo Racing on YouTube 
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24H LE MANS

Toyota Gazoo Racing: We shall never give up (video)

Related News

Le Mans city centre tour: a warm-up for the 24 Hours

The Alpine A424 Hypercar under the microscope: more precise, more reliable, more ambitious

Ferrari, Porsche and Toyota round off Scrutineering Day 2

24 Hours of Le Mans: live video coverage of Scrutineering Day 2

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