Le Mans 24 Hours

24 Heures du Mans

24H Le Mans

FIA WEC

ELMS

Asian Le Mans

Asian LMSC

Michelin Le Mans Cup

Le Mans Series

MissionH24

Innovations

Historical

Historique

Le Mans Legends

Le Mans Legendes

<p>This modern and welcoming space is the ideal place to relax while you watch the action on the track. It has a lovely restaurant and a vast terrace that offers stunning views of the famous Corvette Corner.</p><p><br></p><p>You can even head to the entertainment area on the ground floor, which is equipped with driving simulators, dart boards, a pool table and a host of other activities to keep everyone entertained.</p>

Starter 24

TERRACE WITH VIEW OF THE TRACK

CATERING AND OPEN BAR

24 HOURS OF LE MANS GIFT

GENERALE ADMISSION

PARKING

KARTING SESSION

wednesday, thursday, saturday & sunday 

PRACTICES + RACE

wednesday or thursday 

PRACTICES

ALL_INCLUSIVE

<p>From the grandstand, let yourself be transported by the spectacle on the track: cars skimming the kerbs, the excitement of the start ceremony... An ideal experience to enjoy the magic of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and savour the atmosphere !</p>

Village hospitality

Pavillon 24

GRIDWALK

PADDOCK ACCESS

CATERING & OPEN-BAR

GENERALE ADMISSION AND GRANDSTAND SEAT 

wednesday, thursday, saturday & sunday

wednesday or thursday

<p>In a prime location right by the paddocks and pitlane building, the Le Mans Spirit Club - official FIA WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP hospitality - opens out onto a stunning terrace with outstanding views of the legendary Motul Raccordement Corner.</p><p><br></p><p>Interested in this VIP package for another FIA World Endurance Championship race? Book now by <a href="https://www.fiawec.com/en/page/welcome-to-our-world/2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">clicking here</a></p>

360° VISIT

Le Mans Spirit Club

CATERING

LOCATED AT THE RACCORDEMENT

from wednesday to sunday

WEEK 

<p>An exclusive outdoor space allows you to watch the action on the circuit while revelling in the race's characteristic atmosphere. Throughout the day and night, our high-class services and activity schedule keep you entertained for a truly unforgettable event.</p>

Panoramic 24 lounge

Panoramic 24

PITWALK TICKET

EXCLUSIVE VIEXPOINTS

wednesday to sunday

WEEK

<p>Step behind the scenes of this thrilling event, savour the moment in our high-class reception areas and enjoy a carefully-orchestrated event that combines elegance with excitement.</p><p><br></p><p>From sunrise to sunset, a full schedule of activities will be rolled out just for you, to fully immerse you in the thrill of the race.</p>

Private Pitlounge

Gold experience

PADDOCK & GRIDWALK

EXCLUSIVE VIEWPOINTS

TRACK LAP

HELICOPTER FLIGHT OVER THE TRACK

PIT VISIT

from friday to sunday

RACE

Terrace 24

TERRACE WITH A VIEW OVER THE TRACK

PRIVATE VENUE UP TO 18 GUESTS

CATERING AND BEVERAGE SERVICE

FURNITURE INCLUDED

PRIVATE

Single lounge

Pitlounge 24

CUSTOMISABLE AREA

PRIVATE SUITE

COMMANDING VIEW OVER THE PITLANE

LIVE TV

ACCESS FROM WEDNESDAY TO SUNDAY

<p>Discover a Vip experience in the heart of the race. Enjoy a unique moment, with the best views of the track, day and night. Enter the legend.</p>

Hospitality

Despite an early heart-stopping spin, the #7 Toyota with Kamui Kobayashi aboard left it to the final two laps to put Toyota Racing at the top of the order in Free Practice Two as the sun went down.

<p>The sun went down and the lights switched on for the first time around the Circuit de la Sarthe - with Free Practice 2 ending the track action on Wednesday for the teams taking part in the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans. Two hours on the clock for the 62 cars to dial themselves in, and acclimatise themselves to the blanket of darkness. The dance of the headlights, the glow from the brake disks - who&rsquo;s on a mission and who is searching for more speed. There is something special about night time at Le Mans. Here&rsquo;s how it went&hellip;&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Hypercar</h2>

<p>As track temperatures dropped, so did grip levels and first to be caught out in the cooler conditions was the #7 Toyota TR010 Hybrid. Driver Nyck De Vries dropped the Japanese machine in the middle of the Dunlop chicane. The Dutchman managed to get the car back on track, but a Full Course Yellow had to be brought out for the marshals to retrieve a ripped off piece from the underside of the Toyota.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The sister #8 car fared much better when Brendon Hartley fired his way to the top in</p>

<p>&nbsp;his version of the TR010 Hybrid within the first 20 minutes of FP2 - setting the first &lsquo;hot&rsquo; lap of the session. Later on, coming to the end of a 12-lap stint the Kiwi outbraked himself on final chicane on the Mulsanne and went offroading across the gravel trap&hellip; just making it out the other side without getting stuck.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The #007 Aston Martin with Ross Gunn behind the wheel was impressive in the spine-tingling Valkyrie fighting for a top three at the start of the two-hours, while the ever present #101 Cadillac run by Wayne Taylor Racing was strong once again taking over from the Toyota at the top of the time sheets in hour one. However, there was a heart in the mouth moment for Filipe Albuquereque whose Cadillac lost both power and lights coming into the pit lane. Stopping briefly&hellip; a &lsquo;control, alt, delete&rsquo; helped reboot the American machine and he was on his way again.</p>

<p>There was an upturn in pace from the #83 Ferrari 499P as Robert Kubica got to grips with the AF Corse car - second fastest in the moonlight session was a small consolation after the disappointment of missing out on Hyperpole. Then, Yiefi Ye climbed aboard after the Polish drivers stint and the car clicked for the Chinese star too, going quicker than the #101 Cadillac at the halfway point - a position he would hold until almost the end when Kobayashi entered his purple patch - laying down a marker for the rest of the field..</p>

<p>After topping Hyperpole Qualifying, Alpine were looking racy in fourth - this time with the #36 A424 leading the charge. The #12 Hertz Team JOTA run Cadillac in fifth suffered a rear puncture in the final 25 minutes - Swiss ace Louis Del&eacute;traz limping it back for a replacement.</p>

<p>Seconds later the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 with Dries Vanthoor aboard, lost control at the esses coming into Tertre Rouge. With colder tyres and track temp, the car went light on the left hander and the BMW rotated into the gravel - bringing out a Slow Zone in the process.</p>

<p>Plugging away, the new face at Le Mans this year - Genesis Magma Racing ended sixth quickest, yes you read that right - sixth quickest on its debut. Incredible strides from the South Korean firm.</p>

ORJ_2624A_DSC_6440.jpg

<h2>LMP2</h2>

<p>ELMS front running team Forestier Racing by Panis dominated the early phase of the session with Oliver Gray &lsquo;eating his carrots&rsquo; ahead of the session revelling in the darkness - pulling 1.3 seconds over his rivals. A margin that couldn&#39;t be caught by the pursuing #4 Crowdstrike Racing bt APR team in second or the #43 Inter Europol Competition in third.</p>

<p>A yellow flag and then Slow Zone was shown with an hour and twenty minutes left on the clock as the Duqueine ORECA of Richard Verschoor was left stranded in the kitty litter on the approach to the Goodyear Bridge after a harmless spin. Thankfully not too much damage for the French team to repair for tomorrow.</p>

<h2>LMGT3</h2>

<p>In the LMGT3 category it was advantage Team WRT, who set its stall out early as they showcased the speed of the Bavarian M4 LMGT3 Evo in the cooler conditions. Six manufacturers occupied the first six positions in an important session for the GT cars. Teams only get three hours over the two days in the darkness, so it was important for all three drivers, especially the Bronze pilots - who need as much time as possible to get up to speed in the dark as well as finding the pace overall.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>#61 Iron Lynx were another team delighted with a step forward in pace in second, while the #92 Manthey Porsche pounded around the circuit in third.</p>

ACA_2624A_AL107437.jpg

<p><u>Top 5 Overall Standings:</u></p>

<p>1. Toyota GR010 Hybrid #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing &ndash; Mike Conway / Kamui Kobayashi / Nyck de Vries &ndash; 3&rsquo;26&rsquo;&rsquo;096<br />
2. Ferrari 499P #83 AF Corse &ndash; Robert Kubica / Yifei Ye / Philip Hanson &ndash; 3&rsquo;26&rsquo;&rsquo;316<br />
3. Cadillac V-Series.R #101 Cadillac WTR &ndash; Ricky Taylor / Jordan Taylor / Filipe Albuquerque &ndash; 3&rsquo;26&rsquo;&rsquo;387<br />
4. Alpine A424 #36 Alpine Endurance Team &ndash; Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Makowiecki / Jules Gounon / Victor Martins &ndash; 3&rsquo;26&rsquo;&rsquo;417<br />
5. Cadillac V-Series.R #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA &ndash; Louis Del&eacute;traz / Will Stevens / Norman Nato &ndash; 3&rsquo;26&rsquo;&rsquo;420</p>

<p><u>LMP2/LMGT3 Catergories:</u></p>

<ul>
	<li>LMP2 : Oreca 07-Gibson #29 Forestier Racing by Panis &ndash; Louis Rousset / Esteban Masson / Oliver Gray &ndash; 3&rsquo;33&rsquo;&rsquo;645</li>
	<li>LMGT3 : BMW M4 LMGT3 Evo #32 Team WRT &ndash;&nbsp; Darren Leung / Sean Gelael / Augusto Farfus &ndash; 3&rsquo;55&rsquo;&rsquo;132</li>
</ul>

<p>Tomorrow, we will take it up a level. We have Free Practice 3, kicking things off at 14:45 local time followed by the Hyperpole knockouts, with the final dress rehearsal - Free Practice 4 coming tomorrow night. Who will show their true colours? Who will take pole for the 94th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Join us for a front row seat tomorrow.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

Toyota turn it on at Le Mans to top FP2 and first night-time session

Road To Le Mans, Challenge Ferrari Trofeo Pirelli Europe, and the Porsche Carrera Cup Brasil are part of the sporting schedule of the 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans. Three support fixtures took place on the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans today, all free practice sessions.

<h2>Road To Le Mans: Brutal Fish by Campos shows form</h2>

<p>The pinnacle of the Michelin Le Mans Cup since 2016, Road to Le Mans celebrates a decade of existence with a mini revolution. Rather than two 60-minute races, this year there will be one 3-hour race, starting at 10:00 on Friday! There are 58 competitors this year, split into three classes: LMP3, LMP3 Pro/Am and GT3. Each car has two drivers. In the 2026 line-up are last year&rsquo;s six winners, as well as David Droux, winner in 2023, and David Fumanelli, winner in 2024. Narain Karthikeyan, who has 46 Formula One Grands Prix to his name, is at the wheel of the #36 Ligier JSP 325. Another one to watch is Mr Le Mans&rsquo; nephew Oskar Kristensen, who is paired with German Christian Gisy in the #24 Ligier JSP 325 in the Pro/Am class. Sergio Sette Camara is in the same class. The Brazilian raced in Formula Two in 2017 and 2019 and was reserve and development driver for the McLaren and Red Bull Formula One teams.</p>

<p>Road To Le Mans is true to its name. Drivers, teams and manufacturers are a step away from top-notch endurance racing. The races have stints, drivers have teammates, the Circuit des 24 heures du Mans is part of the calendar &ndash; everything is preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.</p>

<p>Two practice sessions took place today. It was difficult for competitors to find their feet given the number of red flags in both sessions. On the first evening of the competition, the #12 Ligier JSP 325 driven by Arthur Rageo and August Raber topped the timesheets in the fastest class, while Stefan Aust and Felipe Fernandez-Laser (#71 Ligier JSP 325) were first in the Pro/Am class. In GT3, the #10 Aston Martin Vantage AMR went quickest in the hands of Valentin Hasse Clot and Philipp Sager.</p>

LWA_2624A_LW_20488.jpg

JBB_2624A-0569.jpg

DBC_2624A__DBC3302.jpg

<h2>The Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Europe settles in</h2>

<p>Sixty V6 twin-turbo starting up at the same time: what a growl! The Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Europe is a curtain-opener for the the French 24-hour marathon this year. The championship is back, having included a Le Mans round on numerous occasions in the past: in 2011, 2013, 2016, 2019 and 2023. Cars change, one generation gives way to another, but the feelings are just as strong.</p>

<p>This season began in France, in March at Le Castellet, followed by Mugello, Italy and Spielberg, Austria. Le Mans is the fourth round. Three years after the Centenary when the 499P claimed the first of three consecutive triumphs in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Ferrari red is back in La Sarthe.</p>

<p>This year, the customary 45-minute race is replaced by two intense 35-minute races. The first is at 18:30 on Thursday, when the shadows begin to lengthen, and the second is on Saturday at 09:15, when the circuit is drawing breath before the weekend&rsquo;s headline act.</p>

<p>The field is composed of 296 Challenges. In all, 25 nationalities compete, representing 40 dealers: the Europeans are joined by 11 Ferrari Challenge North America drivers, six British and two Japanese. It almost resembles a world cup final! Lilou Wadoux is Race Advisor, and will be racing herself in the 24 Hours of Le Mans this weekend, in the Richard Mille AF Corse #150 Ferrari 296 LMGT3 Evo she shares with Custodio Toledo and Riccardo Agostini.</p>

<p>Sergio Paulet leads the Trofeo Pirelli (#1 Ineco - Reparto Corse RAM). He banked 3:54.958 in Free Practice 2, the only driver to go below the 3:55 mark. Fernando Monje (#74 QUADIS Gallery &ndash; GOAT Racing) is on his heels (3:55.257).</p>

<p>Michael Verhagen (#33 Ferrari Warszawa) has been demonstrating superiority among the amateurs since the beginning of the season. He was fastest this morning, but will have to fend off Enzo Ide (#22 Formula Racing), who was faster this afternoon (3:55.288). The Coppa Shell Am is in the hands of Jean Ry (#108 Kessel Racing).</p>

VFG_2624A_217A5506.jpg

JPB_2624A__DSC6990.jpg

<h2>Mar&ccedil;al M&uuml;ller in Porsche Carrera Cup Brasil</h2>

<p>For the first time in its history, the Porsche Carrera Cup Brasil is a support fixture at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year. Founded in 2005, the series works on the same principle as Porsche Cups elsewhere in the world: a field of identical Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars compete in an annual championship. Although a large majority of races take place in Brazil, there are a few exceptions: rounds in Argentina, Portugal, Spain, and now France. Several well-known names are in the line-up. Among them Michael Fassbender (#93), the famous actor who took the wheel at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2022 and 2023, as well as Pipo Massa (#19), son of Felipe Massa, Formula One World Championship vice-champion in 2008.</p>

<p>This morning&rsquo;s first free practice session began with a rain shower. Porsche Carrera Cup legend Miguel Paludo (#7) shone beneath the clouds. As five-time winner of the series and currently defending his title, he is one of the favourites. The times continued to improve as the track dried, right up until the end of the session. Pietro Fantin (#117) recorded the morning&rsquo;s fastest time of 4:08.535.</p>

<p>Performance logically improved in the afternoon&rsquo;s session, as drivers got to know the circuit and the track gained grip after the 24 Hours of Le Mans practice sessions. Jeff Giassi (#97) soon went below 4:05. A Full Course Yellow interrupted the chase for the best time. When racing recommenced, Mar&ccedil;al M&uuml;ller (#544), two-time winner of the Porsche Carrera Cup Brasil, banked a magnificent 4:05.281 &ndash; by far the best time of the day.</p>

JBB_2624A-0214.jpg

LWA_2624A_LW_22500.jpg

JBB_2624A-0337.jpg

<p><strong><u>2026 24 Hours of Le Mans Support Race Schedule:</u></strong></p>

<p>09:00&ndash;09:45: Porsche Carrera Cup Brasil Qualifying 1<br />
10:15&ndash;11:15: Road to Le Mans Qualifying<br />
11:55&ndash;12:40 Ferrari Challenge Qualifying<br />
13:25&ndash;14:15: Porsche Carrera Cup Brasil Race 1<br />
18:30&ndash;19:15: Ferrari Challenge Race 1</p>

2026 24 Hours of Le Mans support race Free Practice sessions

French marque Alpine, with Ferdinand Habsburg at the wheel, went quickest in Hyperpole Qualifying, sending the A424 Hypercar to the fastest time of the week so far and under the 2025 pole time.

<h2>Hypercar Qualifiers</h2>

<ul>
	<li>Alpine A424 #35 Alpine Endurance Team &ndash; Ant&oacute;nio F&eacute;lix Da Costa / Charles Milesi / Ferdinand Habsburg</li>
	<li>Cadillac V-Series.R #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA &ndash; Louis Del&eacute;traz / Will Stevens / Norman Nato</li>
	<li>Cadillac V-Series.R #101 Cadillac WTR &ndash; Ricky Taylor / Jordan Taylor / Filipe Albuquerque</li>
	<li>BMW M Hybrid V8 #20 BMW M Team WRT &ndash; Robin Frijns / Rene Rast / Sheldon van der Linde</li>
	<li>Cadillac V-Series.R #38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA &ndash; S&eacute;bastien Bourdais / Earl Bamber / Jack Aitken</li>
	<li>BMW M Hybrid V8 #15 BMW M Team WRT &ndash; Kevin Magnussen / Raffaele Marciello / Dries Vanthoor</li>
	<li>Aston Martin Valkyrie #009 Aston Martin THOR Team &ndash; Alex Riberas / Marco S&oslash;rensen / Roman De Angelis</li>
	<li>Toyota GR010 Hybrid #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing &ndash; S&eacute;bastien Buemi / Brendon Hartley / Ryo Hirakawa</li>
	<li>Aston Martin Valkyrie #007 Aston Martin THOR Team &ndash; Harry Tincknell / Tom Gamble / Ross Gun</li>
	<li>Alpine A424 #36 Alpine Endurance Team &ndash; Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Makowiecki / Jules Gounon / Victor Martins</li>
	<li>Genesis GMR-001-Hypercar #19 Genesis Magma Racing &ndash; Mathieu Jaminet / Paul-Loup Chatin / Daniel Juncadella</li>
	<li>Toyota GR010 Hybrid #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing &ndash; Mike Conway / Kamui Kobayashi / Nyck de Vries</li>
	<li>Genesis GMR-001-Hypercar #17 Genesis Magma Racing &ndash; Andr&eacute; Lotterer / Luis Felipe Derani / Mathys Jaubert</li>
	<li>Ferrari 499P #50 Ferrari-AF Corse &ndash; Antonio Fuoco / Nicklas Nielsen / Miguel Molina</li>
	<li>Ferrari 499P #51 Ferrari-AF Corse &ndash; Alessandro Pier Guidi / James Calado / Antonio Giovinazzi</li>
</ul>

<h2>LMP2 Qualifiers</h2>

<ul>
	<li>Oreca 07-Gibson #30 Duqueine Team &ndash; Doriane Pin / Julien Andlauer / Richard Verschoor</li>
	<li>Oreca 07-Gibson #37 Cool Racing &ndash; Adrien Clomesnil / Ian Aguilera / Theodor Jensen</li>
	<li>Oreca 07-Gibson #343 Inter Europol Competition &ndash; Bijoy Carg / Reshad De G&eacute;rus / Nico M&uuml;ller</li>
	<li>Oreca 07-Gibson #29 Forestier Racing by Panis &ndash; Louis Rousset / Esteban Masson / Oliver Gray</li>
	<li>Oreca 07-Gibson #26 Vector Sport &ndash; Ryan Cullen / Vladislav Lomko / Pietro Fittipaldi</li>
	<li>Oreca 07-Gibson #43 Inter Europol Competition &ndash; Jakub Smiechowski / Tom Dillmann / Nicholas Yelloly</li>
	<li>Oreca 07-Gibson #22 United Autosports &ndash; Rasmus Lindh / Gr&eacute;goire Saucy / Mikkel Jensen</li>
	<li>Oreca 07-Gibson #24 Nielsen Racing &ndash; David Heinemeier Hansson / Edward Pearson / Jack Doohan</li>
	<li>Oreca 07-Gibson #28 IDEC Sport &ndash; Paul Lafargue / Valerio Rinicella / Job Van Uitert</li>
	<li>Oreca 07-Gibson #9 Iron Lynx-Proton &ndash; Jonas Ried / Kakunoshin Ohta / Harry King</li>
	<li>Oreca 07-Gibson #99 AO by TF &ndash; PJ Hyett / James Allen / Dane Cameron (LMP2 Pro/Am)</li>
	<li>Oreca 07-Gibson #4 Crowdstrike Racing by APR &ndash; George Kurtz / Alexander Quinn / Laurin Heinrich (LMP2 Pro/Am)</li>
	<li>Oreca 07-Gibson #183 AF Corse &ndash; Fran&ccedil;ois Perrodo / Matthieu Vaxiviere / Ben Barnicoat (LMP2 Pro/Am)</li>
	<li>Oreca 07-Gibson #14 TDS Racing &ndash; Tobias Lutke / Mathias Beche / K&eacute;vin Estre (LMP2 Pro/Am)</li>
	<li>Oreca 07-Gibson #222 United Autosports &ndash; Daniel Schneider / Benjamin Hanley / Oliver Jarvis (LMP2 Pro/Am)</li>
</ul>

<h2>LMGT3 Qualifiers</h2>

<ul>
	<li>Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R #34 Racing Team Turkey by TF &ndash; Peter Dempsey / Salih Yolu&ccedil; / Charlie Eastwood</li>
	<li>Ford Mustang LMGT3 #77 Proton Competition &ndash;&nbsp; Eric Powell / Ben Tuck / Sebastian Priaulx</li>
	<li>Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3 #23 Heart Of Racing &ndash; Gray Newell / Eduardo Barrichello / Jonny Adam</li>
	<li>Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 #91 Manthey DK Engineering &ndash; James Cottingham / Timur Boguslavskiy / Ayhancan G&uuml;ven</li>
	<li>BMW M4 LMGT3 Evo #32 Team WRT &ndash;&nbsp; Darren Leung / Sean Gelael / Augusto Farfus</li>
	<li>Ferrari 296 LMGT3 Evo #74 Kessel Racing &ndash; Dustin Blattner / Lorenzo Patrese / Dennis Marschall</li>
	<li>Lexus RC F LMGT3 #87 Akkodis ASP Team &ndash; Petru Umbrărescu / Clemens Schmid / Jos&eacute; Mar&iacute;a L&oacute;pez</li>
	<li>Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3 #27 Heart Of Racing &ndash; Ian James / Zacharie Robichon / Mattia Drudi</li>
	<li>BMW M4 LMGT3 Evo #69 Team WRT &ndash;&nbsp; Anthony McIntosh / Parker Thompson / Daniel Harper</li>
	<li>Ford Mustang LMGT3 #88 Proton Competition &ndash; Stefano Gattuso / Giammarco Levorato / Logan Sargeant</li>
	<li>Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 #61 Iron Lynx &ndash; Martin Berry / Rui Andrade / Maxime Martin</li>
	<li>Ferrari 296 LMGT3 Evo #21 Vista AF Corse &ndash; Fran&ccedil;ois Heriau / Simon Mann / Alessio Rovera</li>
	<li>Lexus RC F LMGT3 #78 Akkodis ASP Team &ndash; Tom Van Rompuy / Hadrien David / Jack Hawksworth</li>
	<li>Ferrari 296 LMGT3 Evo #54 Vista AF Corse &ndash; Thomas Flohr / Francesco Castellacci / Davide Rigon</li>
	<li>Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 #92 The Bend Manthey &ndash; Yasser Shahin / Riccardo Pera / Richard Lietz</li>
</ul>

JBB_2624A-0910.jpg

<h2>Alpine ANNOUNCE THEMSELVES at le mans!</h2>

<p>Excitement was building at Le Mans. As evening arrived, it was time for Hyperpole Qualifying. Eighteen Hypercars from eight manufacturers were unleashed onto the Circuit de la Sarthe in their lightest, most aggressive trim to date, with the sole objective of reaching tomorrow evening&#39;s Hyperpole knockout sessions. Only 15 would progress. Three would be eliminated.</p>

<p>In the first round of representative laps, Tom Gamble in the #007 Aston Martin Thor Team entry struck first with a 3:24.163. On the second pass, the #009 nestled in behind, with a chasing pack of three Cadillacs, two BMWs, an Alpine and a Toyota all within half a second as the session entered its second phase.</p>

<p>With five minutes left on the clock, teams turned up the wick, dipping below the 3:24 barrier and edging ever closer to the pole time of 3:23.166 set one year ago.</p>

<p>Aston Martin, then Alpine, then BMW all went quicker before the #101 WTR Cadillac broke the beam with a 3:23.323, with two minutes remaining. A tantalising one-lap shootout ensued.</p>

<p>New Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA recruit Louis Del&eacute;traz went faster still and under the 2025 benchmark. Then, seconds later, out of nowhere, Ferdinand Habsburg, on Alpine&#39;s Le Mans swansong, set the fastest time of the week so far with a 3:23.135.</p>

<p>Genesis were delighted. On its Le Mans debut, the two Magma-inspired cars successfully made it through to tomorrow&#39;s session. Meanwhile, two major stories echoed around the circuit. Peugeot were eliminated from Hyperpole Qualifying, with the French manufacturer managing only 16th and 18th places with its 9X8s, while the pain continued for the #83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P, whose week was going from bad to worse. The reigning champions were dumped out. No matter how hard Philip Hanson tried, the yellow 499P will play no further part in tomorrow&#39;s shootout.</p>

<h2>Doriane Pin leads lmp2 from the front</h2>

<p>Kicking the evening off in cool, overcast conditions, the Goodyear-shod LMP2 and LMGT3 classes took to the track to qualify for tomorrow&#39;s Hyperpole knockout sessions. Thirty minutes on the clock; Hyperpole 1 tomorrow was the target.</p>

<p>The #28 IDEC Sport car, with Paul Lafargue in the hot seat, set the first representative time for those behind to chase. However, the youngest driver on the grid, Ian Aguilera in the #37 CLX Motorsport car, was first to step up to the plate, comfortably taking the top spot.</p>

<p>It did not last long, however, as only seconds later FP1 hero Doriane Pin arrived and smashed the benchmark with a 3:36.127 in the #30 Duqueine car. The pair traded blows, with Aguilera reclaiming the top spot a lap later, lowering the yardstick to a 3:35.229 in a tit-for-tat battle.</p>

<p>The young French driver was not to be outdone. Throwing caution to the wind, Pin lowered the bar again to a 3:34.662, the pair clear of the opposition. Hot on their heels, and the only other car able to get close, was the #343 Inter Europol Competition entry of Bijoy Garg.<br />
<br />
The casualties in LMP2 were the #44 Proton Competition, #25 Algarve Pro Racing, #48 RD Limited and #3 DKR Engineering entries.</p>

RVA-2624JT-_RV26220.jpg

<h2>Corvette the Class Act in LMGT3</h2>

<p>Seven different marques occupied the top seven fastest times in LMGT3, demonstrating the strength of competition between the manufacturers.</p>

<p>Out front early on was the #34 Racing Team Turkey by TF Corvette, driven by Peter Dempsey. The Irishman set the benchmark and then had to look over his shoulder at the scramble behind. The #77 Ford Mustang, in the hands of Eric Powell, delivered the Blue Oval&#39;s best showing to date in second, while Gray Newell showed the pace of the #23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin, proving it had the speed to fight at the front of the category.</p>

<p>In LMGT3, the biggest upset came in the form of the #62 Team Qatar by Iron Lynx Mercedes, which had run strongly earlier in the day. The Mercedes-AMG LMGT3, driven by Abdulla Al-Khelaifi, failed to make the cut by just under a tenth of a second. The other cars missing out on tomorrow&#39;s shootout were the #10 Garage 59, #33 TF Sport, #79 Iron Lynx, #150 Richard Mille AF Corse, #57 Kessel Racing and #59 Racing Spirit of L&eacute;man entries.</p>

<p>These crews will sadly play no further part in the qualifying knockout.</p>

<p>But that&#39;s not the end of the action today. Join us at 22:00 local time for Free Practice 2 and the first night-time running of the week. Le Mans at night is always magical, and this two-hour session will give us a flavour of what is to come this weekend.</p>

VFG_2624JT_217A1971.jpg

Alpine Steal the Show in Le Mans Hyperpole Qualifying

Cars need to refuel 30 times in 24 Hours, so managing pit stops is a tactical affair. Every second counts, and every move is important. Drivers, mechanics and engineers orchestrate their manoeuvres with millimetric precision.

<p>Imagine you&rsquo;re at the wheel of a Hypercar in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. You&rsquo;ve been on track for almost an hour. The fuel tank is almost empty, the tyres are losing grip on the corners. It&rsquo;s about time you stopped by the pit lane. The thought has barely crossed your mind, and you hear &ldquo;<strong>box this lap</strong>&rdquo; over the radio. So, you take the deceleration lane losing as little time as possible, you flick the speed limiter on at the right moment, stop the car in <strong>the right spot</strong>, marked out by your team, and the <strong>rehearsed choreography of precise moves</strong> is set in motion around your race car.</p>

<p>Once the tank is refilled, the tyres are changed while you leave the cockpit. You cross paths with your teammate who is already half in the seat you just left. You just have time to give him a couple of snippets of information. In the box, a warm welcome awaits. The pit stop was perfectly executed. Nothing was left to chance. <strong>Engineers, mechanics and driver crew have been through the drill many times.</strong></p>

<p><a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/2026-24-hours-of-le-mans-ferrari-wins-the-5th-24-hours-of-le-mans-pit-stop-challenge-60731" target="_blank">The Pit Stop Challenge, when the pit crew show off their moves</a></p>

<p>Mathias Beche is one of the three TDS Racing #14 Oreca 07-Gibson drivers. He describes what happens on an &ldquo;in lap&rdquo;, when a driver comes into the pit lane. <em><strong>&ldquo;When you hear &ldquo;box this lap&rdquo;, you respond &ldquo;copy&rdquo;, to confirm you&rsquo;ve got the message. Then, on one of the straights, you disconnect your hydration tube. Next, you prepare yourself mentally for the driver change, and the procedures to be executed. A reminder comes just before the Porsche Curves, but you must remain focused. You enter the deceleration lane at just the right speed. There&rsquo;s a gravel trap there for a reason.&rdquo;</strong></em> Mistakes can happen: Alessandro Pier Guidi and the #51 Ferrari-AF Corse &ndash; Ferrari 499P made its acquaintance last year.</p>

<p>Mathias Beche continues his description. <em><strong>&ldquo;You tend to come in a bit fast, but there&rsquo;s less grip here because this part of the track is less used, and it&rsquo;s very tight. You&rsquo;ve done three hours in the car at very high speed, so a chicane at 50 kph is a shock. You try not to lose too much speed before you pass the 60 kph sign, but you don&rsquo;t want to get hit with a penalty for speeding. Once you&rsquo;re in the pit lane, you get ready for the driver change, and you visualise where you have to stop. The engineer tells you what the situation is. You do your best to stop in exactly the right place. Then you have to remove your harness, disconnect the radio, take off your belts, get out of the car and take your seat insert with you.&rdquo;</strong></em> Once in the garage, drivers can remove their kit, debrief their stint in a few minutes, find out when their next stint is likely to begin (between 1 and 4 hours) and get some well-earned rest.</p>

<h2>LOSING A NUT, THE MECHANIC&rsquo;S NIGHTMARE</h2>

<p>Inside the garage, the pit crew are as focused as the driver for this critical phase of the race. Antoine Tico is a mechanic for RD Limited (#48 Oreca 07-Gibson in LMP2). He has a major role at pit stops. <strong>&ldquo;My job is to undo the front wheels. I remove the left and right and a colleague replaces them.&quot;</strong> A good pit stop is short and smooth. Perfection requires order. And practice. <strong>&ldquo;You try several strategies, according to who does what best. There are several ways to go about things. Ours suits us. The main thing is to do always follow the same procedure.</strong>&quot; Then reflexes build up gradually. However, perfection isn&rsquo;t always possible. So you have to deal with the unexpected. <strong>&ldquo;If we lose a nut, we have a spare one on us.&rdquo;</strong> When the engineer gives the signal, it&rsquo;s time to get ready. <strong>&ldquo;You make sure the bottles of compressed air are open, that the tyres are where they should be, that the wheel gun is switched to unscrew.&rdquo;</strong> The car comes in, and stops within a centimetre of the marks. Toe on the line, the front wheel mechanic must wait for the tank to be filled before performing any operation on the prototype.</p>

<p>What if the car comes in with a visible issue, like a damaged bonnet, for example? <strong>&ldquo;In any case, we fill it up. Then, if the damage looks serious, we&rsquo;ll bring it in.&rdquo;</strong></p>

ORJ_2624A_DSC_4689.jpg

<p>Every pit stop is a crucial moment, coordinated by the track engineer. At TDS Racing, that&rsquo;s Arthur Trouttet&rsquo;s job. He looks after the #14 Oreca 07 (LMP2), driven by K&eacute;vin Estre, Tobias L&uuml;tke and Mathias Beche, whom we met earlier. From his standpoint at the back of the garage or in the cabin on the pit wall, poring over the data screens and the settings, he has an overview of the race situation. He&rsquo;s the one who calls for a pit stop.</p>

<p><em><strong>&ldquo;Usually, we have a pit stop in the 11th lap </strong></em>[in LMP2]<em><strong>. But, if incidents hamper the race, like slow zones or safety cars, the stints are longer.&rdquo;</strong></em></p>

<h2>THE TRACK ENGINEER CONDUCTS THE OPERATIONS</h2>

<p><em><strong>&quot;We survey the prototype&rsquo;s mechanical data on the telemetry to decide when to pit. We say &ldquo;box this lap&rdquo; over the radio. Often, we issue a reminder at the exit from Arnage Corner, so the driver doesn&rsquo;t forget. When we use the radio, we use the driver channel, and all the team mechanics hear the same message.&nbsp;I let the mecanics know how long they have before the tank is full. That way, they can do any necessary cleaning while the car is refuelled. They know that when there are less than 10 seconds left, they must grab the wheels to start the tyre change as soon as refuelling is over. Tyres and drivers are changed at the same time. I survey the operations. My role is to inform the mechanics, and to do a radio check with the driver who has just taken the wheel. We use the radio for crucial information only.&quot;</strong></em></p>

<p>To win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, you need to spend less than an hour on pit stops for refuelling, and tyre and driver changes.</p>

<p><u><strong>Here are the statistics for the 2025 race:</strong></u></p>

<ul>
	<li>1st Hypercar, AF Corse#83 Ferrari 499P: 32 stops in 45:10.234.</li>
	<li>1st LMP2, Inter Europol Competition #43 Oreca 07-Gibson: 36 stops in 53:56.265.</li>
	<li>1st LMGT3, #92 Porsche 911 GT3.R: 34 stops in 47:49.146.</li>
</ul>

<div>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZZW8wEj_E_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:16px;">
<div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 19% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZZW8wEj_E_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>

<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZZW8wEj_E_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank">Voir cette publication sur Instagram</a></div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZZW8wEj_E_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">Une publication partag&eacute;e par 24 Heures du Mans (@24heuresdumans)</a></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
</div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

Pit stop tactics: a major factor at the 24 Hours of Le Mans

One of the hardest to call races in the history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is fast approaching. Seven different marques in the top nine places in the opening Free Practice session helped fuel the excitement and anticipation for the 2026 edition.

<p>Sunday, felt like a long time ago, motorsport fans had been deprived of on track action for two days at the Circuit de la Sarthe - but now the wait is over, it&rsquo;s a full on schedule from now on for the <strong>94th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans</strong>, as the first <strong>Free Practice session</strong> got Wednesday underway with <strong>Cadillac</strong> making it a one-two in the opening Free Practice session of the day as the <strong>#38 Hertz Team JOTA Cadillac</strong> went within six-tenths off the pole time from last year with <strong>Earl Bamber</strong> chalking up a <strong>3:23.786</strong>.</p>

<h2>THE OVERVIEW</h2>

<p>After two test day sessions on Sunday to help teams find baseline set-ups, today teams will be refining those set-ups, giving drivers valuable seat time as well as cycling through various race scenarios and qualifying runs. Teams also have a tricky balancing act over the next few days. Not only will they need to prepare for qualifying for the <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/the-new-improved-24-hours-of-le-mans-hyperpole-60613" target="_blank"><u><strong>Hyperpole</strong></u></a> this evening, they will also want to keep their true race pace close to their chests for as long as possible - not giving their rivals any inkling of their real performance potential.&nbsp;</p>

<p>2026 Grand Marshal <strong>Sarah Bovy</strong> waved the green flag at 14:10 local time to signal the start of the three-hour FP1 session with the <strong>#15 BMW M Hybrid V8</strong> of <strong>Kevin Magnussen</strong> leading the 62 cars out of the pit lane.</p>

<p>Overnight rain on Tuesday evening at Le Mans had washed away the build-up of test day rubber at the Circuit de la Sarthe - creating a circuit that was almost &lsquo;green&rsquo; again. Thanks to an array of support races earlier in the day a smattering of rubber had been laid down, and early in the session drivers were reacclimatising themselves to the circuit they last drove three days ago - with many drivers citing a change in grip and car balance early on.</p>

<h2>Hypercar</h2>

<p>Toyota with Ferrari and Aston Martin in close succession got close to the Sunday benchmark of 3:26.293, but it was the American <strong>Cadillac concern who were the first team to break into the 3:25, 3:24 and 3:23 this week</strong>. The 2025 pole sitting brand wanted to show their pace was not a one off and on the stroke of the first half hour the #101 Wayne Taylor Racing car driven by Jordan Taylor which topped the first test day practice session heralded its arrival - lowering the bar to 3:25.348.<br />
<br />
Across the garage in the Hertz Team JOTA team - the #38 car with local hero <strong>S&eacute;bastien Bourdais</strong> at the controls upped the ante to muscle the gold machine into the mix in second - showing the Detroit manufacturer has strength and depth in its ranks.</p>

<p>When New Zealander Earl Bamber took to the wheel of the #38 late on - the Kiwi stole the show - first with a 3:24 lap and then a <strong>3:23.786</strong> in quick back-to-back succession. The #12 sister car with pilot Will Stevens at the controls made it a Cadillac one-two-three lock-out with 12 minutes left on the clock, before Ren&eacute; Rast in the #20 BMW M Team WRT burst that bubble to force themselves into third in the classification.</p>

<p>Ferrari, after a difficult opening Sunday gave the Tifosi a glimmer of hope in FP1 as the 2024 Champions in the scarlet red #50 Ferrari 499P held third quickest for much of the session before eventually finishing seventh. Halfway through the FP1 running, the homegrown support in the grandstands was lifted with the arrival of the <strong>Alpine Endurance Team into the top three</strong> - with the French firm showing they are well and truly in this contest with an eventual fifth.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There were seven marques in the top nine positions. Heavyweights <strong>Toyota</strong> mustered up sixth and tenth at the flag. It may have been four years since the Japanese powerhouse won here at Le Mans, but the earliest adopter of the Hypercar regulations has <strong>an enormous amount of experience to draw upon</strong>, and can&#39;t be discounted from victory this weekend no matter how much the team plays down their chances.</p>

<p>Aston Martin who have come on leaps and bounds in the past 12 months with the development of the Valkyrie finished eighth ahead of an emerging <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/2026-24-hours-of-le-mans-the-low-down-on-the-genesis-magma-racing-hypercar-60714" target="_blank"><u><strong>Genesis GMR-001-Hypercar</strong></u></a> with the #009 behind the aforementioned #50 Ferrari AF Corse team.</p>

<p>At the other end of the Hypercar order, Genesis Magma Racing - the new kids on the block are improving with every session, and are expected for the time being to be near the foot of the Hypercar field. However, Peugeot struggled to get its pair of 9X8s dialled in and will leave FP1 with some headscratching to do if they want to make it out of the Qualifying session later today and into the Hyperpole shoot-out tomorrow. 2023 winners, the #51 Ferrari 449P - couldn&rsquo;t get close to the top ten in the class this afternoon and finished bottom. <strong>Reigning champions in the #83 AF Corse team were also in difficult waters</strong>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Disaster struck the 499P crew as <strong>Yifei Ye</strong> appeared to <strong>out-brake himself at the bottom of the Mulsanne</strong>. Luckily the Chinese driver avoided major contact with the tyre wall and managed to limp the bright yellow machine back to the pits.</p>

<p>Also facing drama at business end of the session - <strong>the #36 Alpine making contact with the wall!</strong></p>

AVA_2624A_AV5_9642.jpg

<h2>DORIANE AND HER Duqueine Team TOP LMP2</h2>

<p>One of the longest running formulas in 24 Hours of Le Mans history looks as exciting as ever. In the first hour alone - eight cars were separated by less a than a second as teams jockeyed for position on the timesheet.&nbsp;</p>

<p>IDEC Sport switched on early, but bearing down just two tenths behind was the top Pro/Am outfit the #99 AO by TF Sport car affectionately known as <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/introducing-rockie-the-pegasus-by-ao-racing-at-the-94th-24-hours-of-le-mans-60585" target="_blank"><u><strong>Rockie the Pegasus</strong></u></a>. Crowdstrike Racing by APR third ahead of the ever present Inter Europol competition fourth.</p>

<p>However, late in the day with a handful of minutes on the clock <strong>Doriane Pin</strong> <strong>propelled her ORECA to the top of the FP1 times in LMP2</strong>, with former Hypercar driver Kevin Estre in hot pursuit in second for the #14 TDS Racing team with IDEC Sport settling for an eventual third.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Elsewhere, 13 minutes into the session a yellow flag was needed to cover off a stricken <strong>#37 CLX Motorsport car which lost the rear end under braking on the esses ahead of Tertre Rouge</strong>. A Slow Zone was followed for nine minutes to allow the marshals to recover the car safely.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The <strong>#9 Proton Competition car</strong> <strong>escaped the wars in the first hour</strong>, pirouetting on the descent into Tertre Rouge. Although avoiding the barriers by a matter of millimetres, the impact on the curbs damaged the suspension meaning a trip to the pits was next on the cards.</p>

<h2>HAWKSWORTH FLIES TO THE TOP OF LMGT3</h2>

<p>In the GT category - the <strong>#78 Akkodis ASP team</strong> hit the ground running with <strong>Jack Hawksworth</strong> laying down a 3:55.737 early doors - a position the Lexus outfit would hold all the way through the three-hour session. It was to be four front-engined cars in the top four with the #32 Team WRT BMW second, the sister WRT car, the #69 BMW M4 LMGT3 Evo third and #62 Team Qatar by Iron Lynx Mercedes rounding out the top four.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

ACA_2624A_AL105634.jpg

<p>The action doesn&rsquo;t stop here. Tonight we have Free Practice 2 - allowing teams to experience running in night time conditions for the first time, but before then jeopardy&hellip;</p>

<p>We have the qualifying session for the Hyperpole for all classes. This evening we will find out the top 15 in LMP2 and LMGT3 and the quickest 15 in the Hypercars. Those cars will advance to tomorrow&#39;s Hyperpole. The rest will have to agonisingly watch from the sidelines. Get ready and draw breath!</p>

<p><u><strong>Top 5 Classification in FP1:</strong></u></p>

<p>1. Cadillac V-Series.R #38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA &ndash; S&eacute;bastien Bourdais / Earl Bamber / Jack Aitken &ndash; 3&#39;23&#39;&#39;786<br />
2. Cadillac V-Series.R #101 Cadillac WTR &ndash; Ricky Taylor / Jordan Taylor / Filipe Albuquerque &ndash; + 1&#39;&#39;652<br />
3. BMW M Hybrid V8 #20 BMW M Team WRT &ndash; Robin Frijns / Rene Rast / Sheldon van der Linde &ndash; + 1&#39;&#39;747<br />
4. Cadillac V-Series.R #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA &ndash; Louis Del&eacute;traz / Will Stevens / Norman Nato&nbsp;&ndash; +2&#39;&#39;247<br />
5. Alpine A424 #35 Alpine Endurance Team &ndash; Ant&oacute;nio F&eacute;lix Da Costa / Charles Milesi / Ferdinand Habsburg &ndash; + 2&#39;&#39;292</p>

<p><u><strong>Catergory Leaders:</strong></u></p>

<ul>
	<li>LMP2&nbsp;: Oreca 07-Gibson #30 Duqueine Team &ndash; Doriane Pin / Julien Andlauer / Richard Verschoor&nbsp;&ndash; 3&#39;35&#39;&#39;248</li>
	<li>LMGT3&nbsp;: Lexus RC F LMGT3 #78 Akkodis ASP Team &ndash; Tom Van Rompuy / Hadrien David / Jack Hawksworth &ndash; 3&#39;55&#39;&#39;737</li>
</ul>

<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/results/2026">&gt;&gt; Results Free Practice 1&nbsp;&lt;&lt;</a></p>

JBA_2624A_DSC00339.jpg

Cadillac spreads its wings with top-two lockout in FP1 at Le Mans

Like all sporting events, the 24 Hours of Le Mans has rules, some quite surprising on the surface. Here are seven details that reveal less-known facets of the world’s greatest endurance race.

<p>The rules and regulations governing endurance racing have been established over a hundred years, and adapted to innovation and real-world experience. Some 24 Hours of Le Mans rules may seem strange at first glance. Yet they all reflect the DNA of the race: safety, endurance racing, technology and the unique capacity to push boundaries while remaining in control.</p>

<h2>1. A driver who is further than 10 metres from their car may be considered to have withdrawn from the race</h2>

<p>Imagine a Hypercar stopped on track in the middle of the night. The driver gets out and heads for the nearest marshal post. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, they could be disqualified.</p>

<p>The rules state that a driver who is further than 10 metres from their car may be considered to have withdrawn from the race. As long as there is a chance that the car can rejoin the track, the driver should remain near the car.</p>

<h2>2. Nobody should approach a stationary car</h2>

<p>When a car has stopped on track, it is immediately surrounded by an <strong>invisible exclusion zone</strong>.</p>

<p>Only track marshals are authorised to approach <strong>less than 10 metres from the car or the driver</strong>. This is a safety precaution, to protect competitors and officials, especially where hybrid vehicles fitted with high voltage electrics are concerned.</p>

SBA_2524A_AL108803.jpg

<h2>3. It is strictly forbidden to push a car</h2>

<p>The image of the driver heroically pushing the car back to the pits belongs to the past.</p>

<p>Competitors no longer have the right to push their cars, including in the pit lane. This rule guarantees <strong>fairness and safety for everyone on and around the track</strong>.</p>

<h2>4. The last lap must be completed in less than six minutes</h2>

<p>The 24 Hours of Le Mans is only over when you cross the finish line.</p>

<p>To be correctly classified at Le Mans, the final lap must be completed in less than six minutes. Otherwise penalties may be applied.</p>

<p>This little-known rule prevents a highly damaged car from taking a disproportionate amount of time to cross the line just to be in the classification.</p>

<h2>5. A driver must be able to rejoin the track without assistance</h2>

<p>Breaking down doesn&rsquo;t necessarily spell retirement. However, the driver must be able to restart the car.</p>

<p>When a car stops during the race, the driver must be able to <strong>restart the engine themself</strong>, using the onboard system. Drivers are prepared for this sort of emergency. If they need help, the mechanics can give instructions over the radio, if it is in working order, or via a specially-designated phone in the car. Technicians are also allowed to give advice in person at the scene, but are not permitted to touch the car themselves.</p>

DPPIPRODUCTION_00003477_0441_web.jpg

<h2>6. An innovative car can take part without competing</h2>

<p>The <strong>Garage 56</strong> entry introduced in 2012 underlines the race&rsquo;s status as an automotive test bed.</p>

<p>Teams defending innovative projects may be invited to take part, without being part of the competition. Their goal is not to win, rather to explore new technology and imagine tomorrow&rsquo;s mobility.</p>

<p>This tradition makes the 24 Hours of Le Mans one of the rare sporting events to have <strong>a head start on the future while celebrating the past</strong>.</p>

<h2>7. The car must be visible in the garage</h2>

<p>During Race Week, teams are not allowed to totally hide their cars from view.</p>

<p>The rules state that the sports cars must remain visible in the garage, and not masked by curtains, tyre walls or screens of any sort.</p>

<p>This rule contributes to the unique spectator experience offered at Le Mans. Here, <strong>fans can get close to the machines </strong>and see behind the scenes like nowhere else.</p>

<h2>The rulebook wasn&rsquo;t written in an office</h2>

<p>At first glance, some of these rules may seem bizarre. However, they are all the result of years of experience, technical innovation, unplanned incidents and lessons learned on the ground.</p>

<p>A sum of contributions that together make the 24 Hours of Le Mans unique. Every car, every driver and every tactic are part of an <strong>ongoing legacy</strong> that began over a century ago. It&rsquo;s precisely that mixture of tradition, technology and human endeavour that continues to make Le Mans <strong>the ultimate automotive experience</strong>.</p>

Seven fun facts about the 24 Hours of Le Mans rules and regulations you may not know

Hydrogénie, the conversational hologram developed by McQueen Design, welcomed its first visitors on Wednesday. Among them was Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest, who was there to inaugurate the Hydrogen Village for the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans.

<p>The large delegation included representatives from the FIA, SDIS72, the 2nd Rima, the city of Le Mans, and Le Mans M&eacute;tropole, with Mr. Le Foll in attendance, as well as Le Mans University.</p>

<p>A tour was held in this space dedicated to hydrogen, bringing together manufacturers (Alpine, Toyota Racing, Ligier-Bosch-Maserati), MissionH24, the collaborative program between the ACO and H24Project, the TotalEnergies hydrogen station, Le Mans University, Ecogreen Energy Challenge, Vision Technology, Eodev, Hyliko, Blue Spirit Aero, Ariane Group, the Maison de l&rsquo;Europe, and Horizon Educational...</p>

<p>The goal of this Hydrogen Village is threefold: to engage spectators, the media, and mobility stakeholders. Various themes are thus presented: motorsports, of course, with a 19-meter-diameter dome (Fugu structure) housing four prototypes, including the Toyota TR LH2 Racing Prototype, which will make its track debut at Le Mans, alongside Alpine&rsquo;s Alpenglow and the Ligier Bosch JS2 RH2, on Thursday and Saturday, shortly after noon, but also research and science with Le Mans University and Ariane Group, as well as more fun and educational activities such as Horizon Educational and the Ecogreen Challenge Energy, along with the race cars from the energy races.</p>

<p>Hyliko and its truck, Eodev and its generator, Blue Spirit Aero and its aircraft, and Toyota with a fuel-cell bus and a combustion-engine van showcased the various mobility options made possible by hydrogen. Vision Technology also demonstrated the appeal of hydrogen-powered vehicles, ranging from go-karts to prototypes.</p>

<p>To liven up this space and introduce spectators to hydrogen, a multimedia display featuring holograms and lighting effects was set up in the dome, while a karaoke machine powered by a fuel-cell bus allowed spectators interested in the energy transition and music to sing along!!</p>

<p>The Hydrogen Village is open until 5:00 PM on Sunday. Don&rsquo;t hesitate to visit.</p>

<p>Following the village&rsquo;s inauguration, a conference organized by IDEC Group and the ACO brought together numerous experts and guests to discuss the contribution of motorsports to research on new energy sources.</p>

ORJ_2624A_DSC_4883.jpg

ORJ_2624A_DSC_4877.jpg

ORJ_2624A_DSC_4885.jpg

ORJ_2624A_DSC_4876.jpg

ORJ_2624A_DSC_4879.jpg

ORJ_2624A_DSC_4894.jpg

ORJ_2624A_DSC_4878.jpg

ORJ_2624A_DSC_4881.jpg

ORJ_2624A_DSC_4895.jpg

The Hydrogen Village is open!

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.

<p>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 <strong>removing paint to gain precious grammes</strong>. Soon, driver weight was taken into consideration too. Lightweight drivers mean more speed and less tyre wear.</p>

<h2>A factor that weighs heavily</h2>

<p>But drivers aren&rsquo;t machines. Taller frames are at a disadvantage, whatever their eating habits. Particularly over the 13.626 kilometres of the <em>Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans</em>.<em><strong> &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;</strong></em>, 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 <strong>a high price to pay</strong>.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

VFG_2624JT_217A1781.jpg

<p>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: <em>&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;</em> Some drivers constantly survey their weight, and have done so since childhood.</p>

<h2>A challenge not to be taken lightly</h2>

<p>Bodyweight is determined by two main factors: calorie intake and muscle mass. Tall drivers watch both like a hawk. <em>&ldquo;<strong>Managing my weight has always been tricky, both mentally and physically.</strong> 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 <strong>all part of the game</strong>,&rdquo;</em> he adds.</p>

LCA_2324A_M_010005-3.jpg

<p>Jordan Taylor&nbsp;<strong>(<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>)</strong>&nbsp;says,<em>&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; <strong>it&rsquo;s a universal rule in motorsport</strong>.&rdquo;</em></p>

<p>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: <em>&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;</em> Overdo it, and you lose a few tenths. <em>&ldquo;I really need to focus on cardio and avoid building too much muscle&rdquo;</em>, says Tom Gamble (#007 Aston Martin Valkyrie).</p>

<p>Taller, heavier drivers tend to base their training on <strong>swimming, running, cycling</strong>, or even <strong>boxing</strong> to build stamina without adding bulk.</p>

ACA_2624JT_AL103627.jpg

<h2>A level playing field</h2>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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. <strong>It&rsquo;s a step in the right direction</strong>&rdquo;, says <strong>Louis Del&eacute;traz</strong>, 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>.</p>

<p>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. <strong>The difference between a great driver and an absolute legend.</strong></p>

JBB_2624JT-9721.jpg

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

<p><em>News</em></p>

Magazine

News

Get under the driver's skin. Hurry up to discover the official collections.

Shop

NUIT AMBIANCE

#4 Crowdstrike Racing By Apr (USA) Oreca 07 - Gibson (LMP2) George Kurtz (USA) / Alexander Quinn (GBR) / Laurin Heinrich (GER)

#20 BMW M TEAM WRT WEC GER M BMW M Hybrid V8 HY Robin FRIJNS (NED) P René RAST (GER) P Sheldon VAN DER LINDE (RSA) P

#51 Ferrari Af Corse (ITA) Ferrari 499P (HYPERCAR) Alessandro Pier Guidi (ITA) / James Calado (GBR) / Antonio Giovinazzi (ITA)

#8 TOYOTA RACING WEC JPN M Toyota TR010 Hybrid HY Sébastien BUEMI (SUI) P Brendon HARTLEY (NZL) P Ryō HIRAKAWA (JPN) P

#88 PROTON COMPETITION WEC GER G Ford Mustang LMGT3 Stefano GATTUSO (ITA) B Giammarco LEVORATO (ITA) S Logan SARGEANT (USA) P

#38 CADILLAC HERTZ TEAM JOTA WEC USA M Cadillac V-Series.R HY Sébastien BOURDAIS (FRA) P Earl BAMBER (NZL) P Jack AITKEN (GBR) P

concert Jean-Louis Aubert - DJ Loran - Mathilda

#51 FERRARI AF CORSE WEC ITA M Ferrari 499P HY Alessandro PIER GUIDI (ITA) P James CALADO (GBR) P Antonio GIOVINAZZI (ITA) P

#009 ASTON MARTIN THOR TEAM WEC USA M Aston Martin Valkyrie Alex RIBERAS (ESP) G Marco SØRENSEN (DEN) P Roman DE ANGELIS (CAN) G

#101 Cadillac Wtr (USA) Cadillac V-Series.R (HYPERCAR) Ricky Taylor (USA) / Jordan Taylor (USA) / Filipe Albuquerque (POR)

#28 IDEC SPORT FRA G Oreca 07 - Gibson Paul LAFARGUE (FRA) S Valerio RINICELLA (ITA) S Job VAN UITERT (NED) G

Village H2

#26 VECTOR SPORT GBR G Oreca 07 - Gibson Ryan CULLEN (IRL) S Vladislav LOMKO (GRN) G Pietro FITTIPALDI (BRA) P

#50 Ferrari Af Corse (ITA) Ferrari 499P (HYPERCAR) Antonio Fuoco (ITA) / Nicklas Nielsen (DEN) / Miguel Molina (ESP)

24 Heures du Mans 2026 - HIGHLIGHTS / QUALIFYING SESSION

Watch the best moments from Free Practice 1 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans as the FIA WEC field gets its first running at the Circuit de la Sarthe.

Free Practice 1 Highlights I 24 Hours of Le Mans 2026 I FIA WEC

In racing, nothing is guaranteed. Three times in the last three years, Ferrari Hypercar conquered Le Mans. As the lights go out once again, Ferrari returns with the same objective: give everything and embrace the unknown.

Ferrari -  24 Hours. Same goal | Le Mans 2026

The next episode of our series DRIVERS OF DESTINY featuring the brilliant Theo Pourchaire is now live!
Discover the drive, the ambition, and the story of one of motorsport’s brightest talents.

Drivers of destiny - Theo Pourchaire

Aston Martin returns once again to the scene of its greatest sporting glory – the Circuit de La Sarthe – this June, as the breathtaking Valkyrie hypercar renews its quest to earn a place among the pantheon of the world’s most famous race; the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans.

LE MANS
News

Partners

Major Partner

PREMIUM partners

OFFICIAL partners