24 Hours of Le Mans: A Field of Centenary Dreams | TV5MONDE

Which Ferrari, Porsche or even Cadillac will succeed in dislodging Toyota from its base in the lands of Sarthe? On its centenary, the 24 Hours of Le Mans presents an exceptional edition from Wednesday to Sunday, fueled by the return of the historic constructors who have come to add history to history.

This 91st edition, which completes the first century of the existence of the most famous endurance race, will see the return to the class of major hypercars such as Peugeot, Cadillac, Porsche – record holders of victories at Le Mans (19) – but above all Ferrari, after 50 years of her last post.

Pierre Villon, president of the Automobile Club de Loeste (ACO), the organizer of the race, told AFP it was exceptional to see the legendary horse team “return to Le Mans to win”.

This enthusiasm from the manufacturer is particularly driven by new regulations that now allow the same cars to run in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and in the American IMSA Championship.

Madness will push the boundaries of the track this weekend as the ACO expects, around the legendary 13.629km circuit, a record number of nearly 300,000 spectators.

Toyota, winning team

The Centenary almost makes you forget that this is the fourth round of the WEC that Toyota has dominated at the moment, thanks to its three victories (Sebring, Portimao and Spa).

In recent years, the 24 Hours of Le Mans has often turned into a duel for the summit between two Japanese brand racing cars. Faced with the legitimate favorite of this edition, the competition has increased significantly compared to 2022 as the number of entrants in the Hypercar category has more than tripled, going from five cars to 16.

“If we can climb to the top of the podium, the victory will be even more special,” New Zealander Brendon Hartley, the defending champion with Swiss Sebastian Buemi and Japanese Ryo Hirakawa at the wheel, assures AFP. .8.

As for the other Toyota, the N.7, victorious in 2021, it will be driven by Briton Mike Conway, Japanese Kamui Kobayashi and Argentine Jose Maria Lopez.

But watch out for the competition! For its return to the highest level of endurance, Ferrari, who are currently second in the championship, would like to hit hard at Le Mans with their two prototypes.

“We know Toyotas are strong here, but Ferrari has huge potential,” said Britain’s James Calado, whose 499P N.51 topped the timetable after Sunday’s first tests, ahead of Toyota, in apparent distress.

His Italian teammate, former Formula 1 driver Antonio Giovinazzi, replied: “We have to put pressure on them.” “But in a 24-hour race, everyone can fight for victory,” the Italian recalls. “Those who make the fewest mistakes can make the difference.”

– LeBron James first –

Peugeot, which has returned to the first category after the 2022 edition of “24 Hours”, will present two 9X8s, just like Cadillac, which will launch on Saturday with two models, one of which, the N.3, will be run by former French Formula 1 driver Sebastien Bourdais, born in Le Mans.

The Action Express Racing Team’s Cadillac V-Series.R N.311, entered at IMSA, will also be at the start.

Porsche, whose last first-class participation – and last win – dates back to 2017, will try to return to success with one of its three 963 models (plus one in Hertz Gotha colors).

Finally, American teams Glickenhaus and Austrian Vanwall will try to beat the odds during this historic two-car and one-car race, respectively.

In all, 62 cars were entered: in addition to the 16 hypercars, 24 will compete in the LMP2 class (more slow, standardized prototypes), and 21 in the LMGTE Am (driven by amateurs linked to professionals). An “innovative” car driven by three drivers, including 2009 Formula 1 champion Jenson Button, will also attend.

Among the other drivers expected, Frenchman Simon Pagenaud, winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 2019, will return to LMP2, twelve years after he last appeared in the event.

The game will be kicked off Saturday at 4:00 PM by four-time NBA champion LeBron James.