With only 30 days to go before the 86th 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest is delighted to announce the list of competitors requested to undergo the mandatory pre-race checks on 10 and 11 June.
The countdown is on! The 24 Hours of Le Mans starts in just 30 days and race organiser the Automobile Club de l’Ouest has chosen the date to publish the list of competitors invited to present cars and drivers for scrutineering and adminstrative checks on 10 and 11 June. It comprises the names of the sixty teams selected to take part in the French endurance classic. Authorisation to race is subject to these mandatory pre-race checks.
The sixty teams are divided into four classes: 10 cars will run in LMP1, including 2 Hybrids, 20 in LMP2, 17 in LMGTE Pro and 13 in LMGTE Am : entry list
Given the glittering line-up, this year’s race (16-17 June) promises to be more exciting than ever. Major manufacturers Toyota, Ferrari, Ford, Porsche, Aston Martin, BMW and Chevrolet will all be on the grid.
As for the crews, the race clearly holds an attraction for Formula One drivers. Two-time world champion (2005-6) Fernando Alonso is contesting the entire World Endurance Championship this season, as well as upholding his Formula One engagements. Racing a full season in two different disciplines is practically unheard of, so hats off to Alonso! The Spaniard will not be the only Le Mans rookie from Formula One. He is joined by 2009 world champion Jenson Button, Spanish Grand Prix winner Pastor Maldonado and Juan Pablo Montoya, winner of seven Grand Prix and the Indy 500.
Yet more of this year’s drivers have Formula One backgrounds, namely Jean-Eric Vergne, Felipe Nasr, André Lotterer, Kamui Kobayashi, Kazuki Nakajima, Sébastien Buemi, Vitaly Petrov, Stéphane Sarrazin, Paul di Resta, Jan Magnussen, Sébastien Bourdais, Giancarlo Fisichella, Olivier Beretta, Jan Lammers, Bruno Senna and Pedro Lamy.
Le Mans is a world-famous race and remains popular with the stars of American sportscar series. Ryan Briscoe and Indy 500 winners Tony Kanaan and Scott Dixon will be joining Sébastien Bourdais and Juan Pablo Montoya.
Finally, a host of former Le Mans overall winners are back to try their luck again: André Lotterer, Neel Jani, Loïc Duval, Mike Rockenfeller, Marcel Fässler, Nick Tandy, Earl Bamber, Romain Dumas, Jan Lammers and Timo Bernhard. Also on the grid of this 86th edition are winners of the championships such as the WEC, the ELMS and the ALMS that make up the endurance pyramid devised by the ACO.
This diverse selection of talented drivers, amateur or professional, rookies or seasoned competitors, forms the fabric of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
A week before the scrutineering sessions, many drivers will have the opportunity to test their form on the iconic Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans at the Test Day on 3 June : entry list Test Day