After another delay, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is here. It might be August, but the grand endurance race has arrived. Le Mans is the fourth round of the 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship and it features 62 cars spread across four class and an invitational entry.
We will look at all 62 entries, but the first part of the preview will look at the 31 GTE entries. Split between eighth GTE-Pro cars and 23 GTE-Am entrants, the two classes have four manufactures taking part with Ferrari represented with 13 entries while there are a dozen Porsches, four Aston Martins and two Corvettes entered.
This preview will go over each car, give you the driver lineup and number of Le Mans starts and give a little information regarding these teams and drivers.
GTE-Pro
#51 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo
Drivers: James Calado (6th), Alessandro Pier Guidi (6th), Côme Ledogar (4th)
About This Team: Calado and Pier Guidi won the 8 Hours of Portimão this year and been runner-up in the other two WEC races. This has the Anglo-Italian pair two points off the World Endurance GTE Drivers' Championship lead behind the #92 Porsche. They won the GTE-Pro class at Le Mans in 2019 and were runners-up last year. This is Ledogar's first time in the GTE-Pro class having driven in GTE-Am the last two years and LMP2 in 2018.
Test Day: 4th
#52 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo
Drivers: Miguel Molina (5th), Sam Bird (8th), Daniel Serra (5th)
About This Team: Molina and Serra have opened the WEC seasons with finishes of third, second and fourth. Molina currently leads the European Le Mans Series GT class championship with two victories. Serra has two class victories at Le Mans in 2017 and 2019 and was second in class last year. He currently leads the Stock Car Brasil championship. Bird is substituting for Davide Rigon, who suffered injuries in the 24 Hours of Spa two weeks ago. His last sports car start was Le Mans last year as he focused on Formula E, where he two races for the Jaguar team. Bird has never finished on a Le Mans class podium with Ferrari. He was third in LMP2 in 2015.
Test Day: 5th
#63 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C8.R
Drivers: Antonio García (15th), Jordan Taylor (7th), Nicky Catsburg (3rd)
About This Team: Corvette is back after missing Le Mans last year and this will be the Le Mans debut of the C8.R. García and Taylor have won nine of 18 IMSA GT Le Mans races since the start of 2020, are the defending class champions and current class championship leaders. This trio won the 24 Hours of Daytona in January. García has three Le Mans class victories, but his last one was in 2011. Taylor has not been at Le Mans since 2017 and he won the GTE-Pro class with Corvette in 2015. This will be Catsburg first Le Mans with Corvette after two years with BMW.
Test Day: 8th
#64 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C8.R
Drivers: Tommy Milner (12th), Nick Tandy (9th), Alexander Sims (3rd)
About This Team: Milner is the only hold off from the last time the #64 Corvette ran at Le Mans. Milner won the GTE-Pro class in 2011 and 2015. Milner and the #64 Corvette has failed to finish three of the last four Le Mans starts. After running in LMP2 last year, Tandy is back in GTE-Pro. Milner and Tandy won at Belle Isle. Sims makes his first Le Mans appearance since 2018 and he has spent this year running in Formula E.
Test Day: 8th
#72 Hub Auto Racing Porsche 911 RSR-19
Drivers: Maxime Martin (7th), Álvaro Parente (3rd), Dries Vanthoor (2nd)
About This Team: Hub Auto Racing earned this spot through the Asian Le Mans Series. Martin won in GTE-Pro last year with Aston Martin. Parente and Vanthoor are both back at Le Mans for the first time since 2017. Vanthoor won that year in the GTE-Am class while Parente was 11th in GTE-Am.
Test Day: 6th
#79 WeatherTech Racing Porsche 911 RSR-19
Drivers: Earl Bamber (6th), Cooper MacNeil (7th), Laurens Vanthoor (6th)
About This Team: MacNeil has been on an Le Mans podium in two of the last four years. MacNeil has won twice in IMSA competition this year, the 12 Hours of Sebring and the most recent race at Road America. Bamber has two overall victories at Le Mans and he is currently completing in the IMSA GT Daytona class, as is Vanthoor. Like MacNeil, Vanthoor won at Sebring and Road America in IMSA, but in the GT Daytona class. Vanthoor won the GTE-Pro class at Le Mans in 2018.
Test Day: 3rd
#91 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR-19
Drivers: Gianmaria Bruni (13th), Richard Lietz (15th), Frédéric Makowiecki (11th)
About This Team: With finishes of fourth, fourth and third through the first half of the WEC season, the #91 Porsche brings up the rear in the GTE-Pro class and is 31 points behind its sister car in the championship. Bruni has three class victories and seven class podium finishes in his first 12 Le Mans appearance. Lietz has a near-identical Le Mans résume, three class victories and six class podium finishes. They have not won since the 2019-20 season opener at Spa-Francorchamps. Makowiecki has never won at Le mans, but he has three runner-up finishes in the GTE-Pro class. The Frenchman's most recent WEC victory was the 2015 Bahrain season finale.
Test Day: 2nd
#92 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR-19
Drivers: Michael Christensen (7th), Kévin Estre (7th), Neel Jani (12th)
About This Team: The #92 Porsche leads the World Endurance GTE Drivers' Championship, having won pole position in all three races with victories at Spa-Francorchamps and Monza and a third at Portimão. Jani won Le Mans overall in 2016 and this will be the first time he is not competing in the top class after 11 starts in LMP1. Christensen and Estre won in the GTE-Pro class in 2018. They were the 2018-19 World Endurance GT Drivers' Champions.
Test Day: 1st
GTE-Am
#18 Absolute Racing Porsche 911 RSR-19
Drivers: Andrew Haryanto (1st), Alessio Picariello (1st), Marco Seefried (2nd)
About This Team: These three drivers were in the #88 Dempsey-Proton Racing Porsche for two races in WEC, while Seefried had been in that car for all three races. Their best result was fifth. Picariello won the ELMS GT championship last year. Seefried was second in GTE-Am in his only prior Le Mans appearance in 2015.
Test Day: 9th
#33 TF Sport Aston Martin Vantage AMR
Drivers: Felipe Fraga (3rd), Ben Keating (7th), Dylan Pereira (1st)
About This Team: The #33 Aston Martin opened the season with a runner-up finish at Spa-Francorchamps. The car has won pole position for two of the first three races. Keating and Fraga are back together for the third consecutive year. This is the first time Keating does not have Jeroen Bleekemolen as a co-driver. Pereira was second in Porsche Supercup last year and he is currently eighth in that championship.
Test Day: 22nd
#46 Team Project 1 Porsche 911 RSR-19
Drivers: Anders Buchardt (1st), Dennis Olsen (3rd), Robby Foley (1st)
About This Team: Team Project 1 had a rough start to the WEC season when both its cars did not start at Spa-Francorchamps. The #46 Porsche did run Monza but was 16th. Olsen won the 2019 Intercontinental GT Challenge championship. Robby Foley has won on a regular basis in IMSA's Sports Car Championship and Michelin Pilot Challenge. Buchardt has a class victory in the 24 Hours Nürburgring back in 2009.
Test Day: 20th
#47 Cetilar Racing Ferrari 488 GTE Evo
Drivers: Antonio Fuoco (1st), Roberto Lacorte (5th), Giorgio Sernagiotto (5th)
About This Team: The surprise Endurance Trophy for GTE Am Drivers leaders, Cetilar Racing won at Portimão and was third at Spa-Francorchamps. Lacorte and Sernagiotto ran in LMP2 the last four years at Le Mans and their best class finish was seventh. Fuoco won the Italian GT Championship in 2020.
Test Day: 10th
#54 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo
Drivers: Francesco Castellacci (6th), Giancarlo Fisichella (12th), Thomas Flohr (5th)
About This Team: The #54 Ferrari was third at Portimão. This will be this lineup's fourth consecutive year together at Le Mans. They were second in GTE-Am in 2018. Fisichella has stood on the podium in six of 11 Le Mans starts.
Test Day: 12th
#55 Spirit of Race Ferrari 488 GTE Evo
Drivers: Duncan Cameron (5th), Matt Griffin (10th), David Perel (1st)
About This Team: The #55 Ferrari is second in the ELMS championship with podium finishes in all four races, including a victory in its most recent race at Monza. Griffin has long been a regular in the GTE-Am class, but his only class podium was third in 2013.
Test Day: 8th
#56 Team Project 1 Porsche 911 RSR-19
Drivers: Matteo Cairoli (5th), Riccardo Pera (2nd), Egidio Perfetti (4th)
About This Team: After missing the Spa-Francorchamps season opener due to a testing accident, the #56 Porsche has been second and fourth in the last two races. Perfetti won in GTE Am two years ago and he and Cairoli were fourth last year. Pera was second in GTE Am last year with Dempsey-Proton Racing.
Test Day: 2nd
#57 Kessel Racing Ferrari 488 GTE Evo
Drivers: Scott Andrews (1st), Mikkel Jensen (2nd), Takeshi Kimura (3rd)
About This Team: Jensen has spent much of his time in the LMP3 and LMP2 classes, winning the 2019 ELMS LMP3 title and he was third in ELMS' LMP2 class last year. Jensen currently leads IMSA's LMP2 class championship and he won in class at the 24 Hours of Daytona. Andrews also won at the 24 Hours of Daytona, but in the LMP3 class. Kimura and Jensen won the final round of the Asian Le Mans Series season at Abu Dhabi.
Test Day: 11th
#60 Iron Lynx Ferrari 488 GTE Evo
Drivers: Raffaele Gianmaria (3rd), Paolo Ruberti (9th), Claudio Schiavoni (3rd)
About This Team: Ruberti and Schiavoni were 11th in GTE-Am last year. Gianmaria is making his first Le Mans appearance since 2015. Schiavoni is full-time in WEC, but he normally races with Matteo Cressoni and Andrea Piccini.
Test Day: 19th
#66 JMW Motorsport Ferrari 488 GTE Evo
Drivers: Jody Fannin (1st), Thomas Neubauer (1st), Rodrigo Sales (1st)
About This Team: Fannin won the 2017 ELMS GT championship. Fannin and Sales are fifth in the ELMS GT class this season through four races and their best finish were fourth at Monza. Neubauer has spent the last few seasons in GT World Challenge Europe and Ferrari Challenge.
Test Day: 3rd
#69 Herberth Motorsport Porsche 911 RSR-19
Drivers: Ralf Bohn (1st), Rolf Ineichen (1st), Robert Renauer (1st)
About This Team: Herberth is an endurance race experienced team, coming from the 24H Series, notably with an overall victory in the Dubai 24 Hours. Outside of 24H Series competition, Bohn and Renauer won the Asian Le Mans Series GT championship this year. Ineichen has previous won the Dubai 24 Hours overall and he has multiple GT Daytona class victories in the 24 Hours of Daytona.
Test Day: 14th
#71 Inception Racing Ferrari 488 GTE Evo
Drivers: Ben Barnicoat (1st), Brendan Iribe (1st), Ollie Millroy (1st)
About This Team: After finishing runner-up in the 2019-20 Asian Le Mans Series LMP2 class, Barnicoat ran in FIA Formula Three and Euroformula Open last year. This lineup was fourth in this year's ALMS GT championship, and they were runner-up in the bookend races. Iribe and Millroy lead the International GT Open Pro-Am championship.
Test Day: 5th
#77 Dempsey-Proton Racing Porsche 911 RSR-19
Drivers: Matt Campbell (4th), Jaxon Evans (1st), Christian Ried (12th)
About This Team: After two retirements to open the season, the #77 Porsche sits on ten points from a fifth-place effort at Monza. Campbell has been on the GTE Am podium twice in his three Le Mans starts, and his worst finish is fourth. Each year the Australian has been with Ried. Campbell has won two IMSA races this year, both in GTLM with Cooper McNeil. Reid won the ELMS GT title last year. Evans won the Porsche Carrera Cup France title last year and was fourth in Porsche Supercup. He is currently second in Porsche Supercup with a victory and two runner-up finishes from four races.
Test Day: 18th
#80 Iron Lynx Ferrari 488 GTE Evo
Drivers: Matteo Cressoni (4th), Callum Ilott (1st), Rino Mastronardi (2nd)
About This Team: Cressoni and Mastronardi race together in ELMS and they lead that championship with two victories, a runner-up and a third. With their normal third driver Miguel Molina in GTE-Pro, Callum Ilott makes his Le Mans debut. The Scuderia Ferrari test driver and Alfa Romeo reserve driver has run in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup this season.
Test Day: 13th
#83 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo
Drivers: Niklas Nielsen (2nd), François Perrodo (8th), Alessio Rovera (1st)
About This Team: Second in the Endurance Trophy for GTE Am Drivers, the #83 Ferrari won at Spa-Francorchamps and Monza but finished tenth at Portimão. Perrodo and Nielsen won the Endurance Trophy for GTE Am Drivers last year and they were third last year at Le Mans. Rovera has transitioned exceptionally well to the world stage after winning the Italian GT Championship last year.
Test Day: 21st
#85 Iron Lynx Ferrari 488 GTE Evo
Drivers: Sarah Bovy (1st), Rahel Frey (3rd), Michelle Gatting (3rd)
About This Team: The best finish for the #85 Ferrari this year in WEC competition is sixth. Bovy joined the team for the Monza round. She drove in three W Series races back in 2019 with her best result being 12th at Misano. Last year, Frey and Gatting had three podium finishes in ELMS. Their best finish this year in ELMS is fourth.
Test Day: 15th
#86 GR Racing Porsche 911 RSR-19
Drivers: Ben Barker (6th), Tom Gamble (1st), Michael Wainwright (7th)
About This Team: GR Racing has finished eighth in the last two WEC races. Barker and Wainwright's best class finish at Le Mans is fifth in 2016 and last year. Gamble won the ELMS LMP3 championship last year with three victories.
Test Day: 6th
#88 Dempsey-Proton Racing Porsche 911 RSR-19
Drivers: Julien Andlauer (4th), Lance David Arnold (1st), Dominique Bastien (2nd)
About This Team: Andlauer won in GTE-Am in 2018 and he won the Dubai 24 Hour earlier this year. Arnold has a history in Porsche Supercup, and he has run in the VLN and ADAC GT Masters. Bastien became the older driver to run the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year at 74 years and 300 days old.
Test Day: 4th
#95 TF Sport Aston Martin Vantage AMR
Drivers: Ross Gunn (3rd), Ollie Hancock (1st), John Hartshorne (3rd)
About This Team: The #95 Aston Martin is full-time in ELMS, and it has finished eighth, eighth, seventh from pole position and eighth. There have been nine cars in class in the last three races. Gunn leads the IMSA GT Daytona championship with two victories. Hartshorne's previous Le Mans starts were 2005 in a TVR Tuscan T400R and in 2011 in a Lotus Evora GTE. Hartshorne and Hancock drove in the Michelin Le Mans Cup for the last three seasons.
Test Day: 23rd
#98 Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR
Drivers: Marcos Gomes (2nd), Paul Dalla Lana (9th), Nicki Thiim (8th)
About This Team: Dalla Lana, stunningly, does not have a Le Mans podium finish and his best result was sixth in class in 2014. Thiim won the GTE-AM class in 2014 and was this in GTE-Pro last year. The Dane took the 2019-20 World Endurance GT Drivers' Championship. Gomes was the 2019-20 Asian Le Mans Series GT champion.
Test Day: 16th
#99 Proton Competition Porsche 911 RSR-19
Drivers: Vuttikhorn Inthraphuvasak (1st), Florian Latorre (1st), Harry Tincknell (8th)
About This Team: This was a complete lineup change just about ten days before the event. Tincknell won in GTE-Pro last year with Aston Martin. Tincknell is third in IMSA's Daytona Prototype international championship with a victory in the 6 Hours of the Glen and five podium finishes this season. Latorre has been climbing up the Porsche ladder for a few years. The former U.S. F2000 champion has been third in Porsche Carrera Cup France in multiple seasons, and this is his fourth season in Porsche Supercup. He is fourth in the championship this year. Inthraphuvasak was the 2019 GT World Challenge Asia GT3 Pro-Am champion and was second in the overall GT3 championship.
Test Day: 1st
#388 Rinaldi Racing Ferrari 488 GTE Evo
Drivers: Jeroen Bleekemolen (16th), Pierre Ehret (9th), Christian Hook (1st)
About This Team: Bleekemolen makes his 16th consecutive Le Mans appearance this year. This is his first time driving without Ben Keating since 2014 when he and Cooper MacNeil drove a two-man Porsche effort in the GTE-Pro class. His lone Le Mans class victory was in LMP2 in 2008, sharing a Porsche RS Spyder with Jos Verstappen and Peter van Merksteijn, Sr. Ehret has not raced at Le Mans since 2014 and his best result was second in GT2 in 2006. He was also third in GT2 in 2007 and 2008. Hook won three of four GTE-Am races in the 2021 Asian Le Mans Series season and took that championship.
Test Day: 7th
#777 D'station Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR
Drivers: Tomonobu Fujii (1st), Satoshi Hoshino (2nd), Andrew Watson (2nd)
About This Team: After finishing third at Monza, the #777 Aston Martin is seventh in the championship. Watson was fifth last year in GTE-Am last year at Le Mans. Hoshino ran at Le Mans two years ago and that race ended after 79 laps. Prior to this year, Fujii spent 16 setons competing in Super GT's GT300 class. He was second in that championship in 2012 and he had eight victories.
Test Day: 17th
The first practice session for the 24 Hours of Le Mans will be at 8:00 a.m. ET on Wednesday August 18. The session is scheduled for three hours. A two-hour second practice will be held later that day at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Hyperbole qualifying will be on Thursday August 19 at 3:00 p.m. ET. A two-hour practice session will follow at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Saturday August 21 opens with a 30-minute practice at 5:30 a.m. ET. The 24 Hours of Le Mans starts at 10:00 a.m. ET.
