2022 24 Hours of Le Mans GTE Preview

With prototype entries covered, today, we will look at the GTE entries in the 90th 24 Hours of Le Mans. Thirty cars are entered between the two GTE classes, seven in the professional class and 23 in the amateur class.

In GTE-Pro, three manufactures are on the grid, two with two entries and one with three. There are also three manufactures represented in the GTE-Am class.

Porsche and Ferrari have split the first two races this FIA World Endurance Championship season while Corvette has shown competitiveness in its first attempt at a full WEC season. In GTE-Am, Aston Martin entries have been on top, having multiple cars on the podium in each race, but there are plenty of challengers looking to claim the top spot at Le Mans.

GTE-Pro

#51 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo

Drivers: James Calado (7th), Alessandro Pier Guidi (7th), Daniel Serra (6th)

About This Team: Calado and Pier Guidi are defending World Endurance GT Drivers' Championship and they have won the GTE-Pro class two of the last three years at Le Mans with a runner-up finish to boot. Serra was a part of the team from 2018-2020. Serra also won in GTE-Pro in 2017 with Aston Martin. The #51 Ferrari has won four of the last eight races in GTE-Pro.

Test Day: 4th

#52 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo

Drivers: Miguel Molina (5th), Davide Rigon (9th), Antonio Fuoco (2nd)

About This Team: Currently fifth in the championship, Molina and Fuoco were third at Spa-Francorchamps. Fuoco made his Le Mans debut last year in LMP2 driving for Cetilar Racing. He won in IMSA's GT Daytona class at the 12 Hours of Sebring earlier this year with Cetilar. This will be the fifth time Molina and Rigon have been co-drivers together at Le Mans. Neither driver has a class victory at Le Mans. Rigon was second in GTE-Pro in 2015. Molina has never won in GTE-Pro and Rigon last won in the class at the 2017 Bahrain season finale.

Test Day: 2nd

#63 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C8.R

Drivers: Antonio García (16th), Jordan Taylor (8th), Nicky Catsburg (4th)

About This Team: García and Taylor are the reigning IMSA GT Le Mans champions with four victories and four runner-up finishes. They won at the 12 Hours of Sebring earlier this year in the GT Daytona Pro class. They are currently second the GTD Pro championship. This group was runner-up at Le Mans last year. García has three Le Mans class victories, the last coming in 2011. Taylor's only Le Mans class victory was 2015, Corvette's most recent Le Mans victory.

Test Day: 7th

#64 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C8.R

Drivers: Tommy Milner (13th), Nick Tandy (10th), Alexander Sims (4tg)

About This Team: Milner and Tandy are third in the championship with a runner-up at Sebring and fourth at Spa-Francorchamps. Milner and Tandy were second in IMSA's GT Le Mans championship last year with four victories and won the Endurance Cup championship. Milner has finished outside the top five in class in his last five Le Mans appearance. He has two Le Mans class victories. Tandy's only class victory was his overall victory in 2015 with Porsche. Sims' entry has failed to finish in two of his three Le Mans starts.

Test Day: 1st

#74 Riley Motorsports Ferrari 488 GTE Evo

Drivers: Sam Bird (9th), Felipe Fraga (4th), Shane van Gisbergern (1st)

About This Team: For the first time since 2015, Bird is not competing with AF Corse at Le Mans. In 2015, he was third in the LMP2 class with G-Drive Racing. Fraga was runner-up in the GTE-Am class last year with TF Sport driving an Aston Martin with Ben Keating and Dylan Pereira. Fraga won four races in IMSA's LMP3 class last year driving for Riley Motorsports and he won in LMP3 at the 24 Hours of Daytona this year with the team. Van Gisbergen won the Supercars championship last year and he has won nine races this season.

Test Day: 5th

#91 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR-19

Drivers: Gianmaria Bruni (14th), Richard Lietz (16th), Frédéric Makowiecki (12th)

About This Team: This is the fifth consecutive year this lineup had run together at Le Mans. They were runner-up in 2018 and 2019. Makowiecki has never won a class at Le Mans. His most recent WEC victory was the 2015 Bahrain season finale. Bruni and Lietz have not won in WEC competition since the 2019 Silverstone round. Lietz won the 24 Hours of Daytona in the GT Daytona class earlier this year.

Test Day: 3rd

#92 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR-19

Drivers: Michael Christensen (8th), Kévin Estre (8th), Laurens Vanthoor (7th)

About This Team: The #92 Porsche leads the World Endurance GTE Drivers' Championship with a victory at Sebring and a runner-up finish at Spa-Francorchamps. This trio won in GTE Pro in 2018 and raced together for three years at Le Mans. Vanthoor won the IMSA GTD championship last year with Pfaff Motorsports.

Test Day: 6th

GTE-Am

#21 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo

Drivers: Simon Mann (1st), Christoph Ulrich (2nd), Toni Vilander (13th)

About This Team: The #21 Ferrari has finished seventh and tenth in the first two races this WEC season. Vilander has six class podium finishes in 12 Le Mans starts. 

Test Day: 19th

#33 TF Sport Aston Martin Vantage AMR

Drivers: Ben Keating (8th), Henrique Chaves (1st), Marco Sørensen (8th)

About This Team: Keating and Sørensen have finished runner-up in class in the first two races of the 2022 season. Keating was runner-up last year in GTE-Am and infamously was disqualified from the GTE-Am class victory in 2019. Sørensen and Chaves are each competing in the European Le Mans Series driving separate entries for TF Sport. They were 1-2 at the Imola round last month with Sørensen taking the victory.

Test Day: 15th

#46 Team Project 1 Porsche 911 RSR-19

Drivers: Matteo Cairoli (6th), Nicolas Leutwiler (3rd), Mikkel O. Pedersen (1st)

About This Team: Cairoli has yet to finish on a class podium at Le Mans. His last WEC victory was in GTE-Am at Mexico City in 2017. Leutwiler returns to Le Mans for the first time since 2016 and he will drive in a GT class for the first time. Pedersen spent the last two seasons running in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup.

Test Day: 22nd

#54 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo

Drivers: Nick Cassidy (1st), Francesco Castellacci (7th), Thomas Flohr (6th)

About This Team: For the first time since 2017, Castellacci and Flohr will race together without Giancarlo Fisichella as their third driver. They are driving with Cassidy in WEC this season and finished fourth at Spa-Francorchamps. Cassidy is also competing in Formula E with Envision Racing but has only three points finishes in nine races this season.

Test Day: 8th

#55 Spirit of Race Ferrari 488 GTE Evo

Drivers: Duncan Cameron (6th), Matt Griffin (11th), David Perel (2nd)

About This Team: Cameron and Griffin were second in GTE-Am in 2017. This team was third in the ELMS GT class at the Imola race in May.

Test Day: 12th

#56 Team Project 1 Porsche 911 RSR-19

Drivers: Ben Barnicoat (2nd), Brendan Iribe (2nd), Ollie Millroy (2nd)

About This Team: This team was 12th in class last year and won the Asian Le Mans Series GT championship earlier this year. Barnicoat is also competing for VasserSullivan Lexus in IMSA. He is fourth in the GTD-Pro class championship and won at Belle Isle in GTD. Iribe is currently competing in the GTD class with two top five finishes. Iribe and Millory has competed together in International GT Open and Asian Le Mans Series the last two years.

Test Day: 21st

#57 Kessel Racing Ferrari 488 GTE Evo

Drivers: Mikkel Jensen (3rd), Takeshi Kimura (4th), Frederik Schandorff (2nd)

About This Team: Jensen won at the 12 Hours of Sebring in the LMP2 class. Schandorff won the International GT Open championship last year. Kimura remains active in WEC, Super GT and ELMS competition. 

Test Day: 1st

#59 Inception Racing Ferrari 488 GTE Evo

Drivers: Marvin Klein (1st), Côme Ledogar (5th), Alexander West (2nd)

About This Team: Ledogar won at Le Mans last year in GTE-Pro with Calado and Pier Guidi. Ledogar and Pier Guidi also won the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup and Intercontinental GT Challenge championships last season. West competed in GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup last year. Klein has not competed since the 2018 ELMS season. 

Test Day: 16th

#60 Iron Lynx Ferrari 488 GTE Evo

Drivers: Alessandro Balzan (2nd), Raffaele Giammaria (4th), Claudio Schiavoni (4th)

About This Team: Schiavoni ran the first two WEC races with Cressoni and Fisichella. Balzan returns to Le Mans for the first time since 2017. Giammaria has finished fifth in class in his last two Le Mans appearance.

Test Day: 20th

#61 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo

Drivers: Vincent Abril (3rd), Conrad Grunewald (1st), Louis Prette (2nd)

About This Team: This team was fourth in the Asian Le Mans Series GT championship after finishing third in each of the first three races. Abril and Prette raced together at Le Mans in 2019 with Prette's father Philippe. 

Test Day: 14th

#66 JMW Motorsport Ferrari 488 GTE Evo

Drivers: Jason Hart (1st), Mark Kvamme (1st), Renger van der Zande (5th)

About This Team: Van der Zande makes his first Le Mans appearance in a GT car, and he has won twice overall in IMSA competition this season in the street races at Long Beach and Belle Isle. Kvamme has competed mostly in IMSA's Prototype Challenge series the last two years. Hart was the GT4 America Pro-Am champion last year with Matt Travis. 

Test Day: 2nd

#71 Spirit of Race Ferrari 488 GTE Evo

Drivers: Gabriel Aubry (5th), Franck Dezoteux (1st), Pierre Ragues (14th)

About This Team: Aubry is competing in ELMS' LMP2 class with Team Virage. This is his first time running a GT car at Le Mans. Ragues returns to Le Mans for the first time since 2019. He has twice finished third in class, in LMP2 in 2008 and in LMP2 in 2017. Dezoteux competed in Michelin Le Mans Cup and an ELMS race last year before joining WEC this year.

Test Day: 3rd

#75 Iron Lynx Ferrari 488 GTE Evo

Drivers: Pierre Ehret (10th), Christian Hook (2nd), Nicolás Varrone (1st)

About This Team: Ehret and Varrone won the ELMS season opener in the GT class at Circuit Paul Ricard. Last year, Ehret returned to Le Mans for the first time since 2014 with Hook as a co-driver. The team retired after an accident. 

Test Day: 9th

#77 Dempsey-Proton Racing Porsche 911 RSR-19

Drivers: Seb Priaulx (1st), Christian Ried (13th), Harry Tincknell (9th)

About This Team: Winners at Spa-Francorchamps, the #77 Porsche is third in the championship. Ried's only Le Mans class victory was in 2018. Tincknell has two class victories, the 2014 LMP2 victory with Jota Sport and the 2020 GTE Pro victory with Aston Martin. Priaulx won the Porsche Carrera Cup North America championship last year. His father Andy never had a class victory at Le Mans. In six starts, Andy Priaulx was runner-up in GTE-Pro in 2017, and Tincknell was his co-driver, as they were co-drivers for three years in the Ford GT program. 

Test Day: 11th

#79 WeatherTech Racing Porsche 911 RSR-19

Drivers: Julien Andlauer (5th), Cooper MacNeil (8th), Thomas Merrill (1st)

About This Team: Andlauer won the GTE-Am class at Le Mans on debut in 2018. He was third in the Michelin Le Mans Cup GT3 championship. MacNeil won three races in the IMSA GTLM class last year, including the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans. Merrill competes in the Trans-Am Series and was fourth in the TA2 championship last year.

Test Day: 18th

#80 Iron Lynx Ferrari 488 GTE Evo

Drivers: Matteo Cressoni (5th), Giancarlo Fisichella (13th), Richard Heistand (2nd)

About This Team: Cressoni and Fisichella have finished eighth in the first two races this season. Cressoni won the ELMS GT championship last year with three victories and podium finishes in every race. Heistand remains active in IMSA's GTD class.

Test Day: 5th

#85 Iron Dames Ferrari 488 GTE Evo

Drivers: Sarah Bovy (2nd), Rahel Frey (4th), Michelle Gatting (4th)

About This Team: This team was fifth at Sebring. In the two ELMS races, it was fourth at Circuit Paul Ricard and eighth at Imola. 

Test Day: 6th

#86 GR Racing Porsche 911 RSR-19

Drivers: Ben Barker (7th), Riccardo Pera (3rd), Michael Wainwright (8th)

About This Team: GR Racing was sixth at the Spa-Francorchamps round. Barker and Wainwright's best class finish at Le Mans is fifth, and they have never won a WEC race. Pera was second in class at Le Mans in 2020, and he won the 2019 Spa-Francorchamps WEC round in GTE-Am, his second start in the series.

Test Day: 17th

#88 Dempsey-Proton Racing Porsche 911 RSR-19

Drivers: Jan Heylen (1st), Patrick Lindsey (3rd), Fred Poordad (1st)

About This Team: Heylen won the Michelin Pilot Challenge GS championship last year, and he has won twice this season in IMSA's GTD class with Wright Motorsports, including the 24 Hours of Daytona. Lindsey won at Le Mans in GTE-Am in 2019 with Team Project 1. Poordad has spent the last two seasons competing in GT World Challenge America.

Test Day: 23rd

#93 Proton Competition Porsche 911 RSR-19

Drivers: Matt Campbell (5th), Michael Fassbender (1st), Zacharie Robichon (1st)

About This Team: Campbell has two victories this season in IMSA's GTD Pro class, including at the 24 Hours of Daytona. Robichon won IMSA's GTD championship with Laurens Vanthoor last year and won in GTD at the 24 Hours of Daytona this year. Fassbender is in his third season competing in ELMS and he has three podium finishes in his ELMS career.

Test Day: 7th

#98 Northwest AMR Aston Martin Vantage AMR

Drivers: Paul Dalla Lana (10th), David Pittard (1st), Nicki Thiim (9th)

About This Team: The #98 Aston Martin leads the Endurance Trophy for GTE AM Drivers championship after a victory at Sebring and third at Spa-Francorchamps. Dalla Lana has yet to finish on a class podium at Le Mans. Thiim won in GTE-Am at Le Mans in 2014. Pittard competed in GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup last year.

Test Day: 4th

#99 Hardpoint Motorsport Porsche 911 RSR-19

Drivers: Andrew Haryanto (2nd), Alessio Picariello (2nd), Martin Rump (1st)

About This Team: Haryanto and Picariello were seventh in GTE-Am last year. Rump has spent majority of his career competing in the GT World Challenge Asia Championship.

Test Day: 10th

#777 D'station Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR

Drivers: Charlie Fagg (1st), Tomonobu Fujii (2nd), Satoshi Hoshino (3rd)

About This Team: Fujii and Hoshino are competing full-time in the GTE-Am class for the second consecutive year. Fagg won the GT4 European Series Silver Cup championship last year with Bailey Voisin. 

Test Day: 13th

Practice opens with a three-hour session this morning at 8:00 a.m. ET. A one-hour qualifying practice session will follow at 1:00 p.m. ET before a two-hour practice closes out the day at 4:00 p.m. ET 

On Thursday June 9, a three-hour session opens the day at 9:00 a.m. ET. The 30-minute Hyperpole session will be held at 2:00 p.m. ET with another two-hour night practice at 4:00 p.m. ET.

The cars will not return to Circuit de la Sarthe until 4:30 a.m. ET on Saturday June 11 for the 30-minute warm-up session. The 90th 24 Hours of Le Mans will begin at 10:00 a.m. ET. 

2022 24 Hours of Le Mans Prototype Preview

For the first time since 2019, the 24 Hours of Le Mans will take place in June and we are days away from the historic endurance race. 

The third round of the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship, Le Mans comes at a time when the Hypercar class is mixed up. Toyota has had a car drop out of each of the first two races and Alpine snapped Toyota's nine-race winning streak at the Sebring season opener while Glickenhaus won pole position at Spa-Francorchamps. 

Sixty-two cars are entered for this year's race, but we again will split the grid into two, prototypes and GT cars while looking at each entry. Today, we will start with the prototype entries and give a brief blurb about the cars competing in Hypercar and LMP2.

Hypercar

#7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 Hybrid

Drivers: Mike Conway (9th), Kamui Kobayashi (8th), José María López (6th)

About This Team: The defending world champions, the #7 Toyota scored its first Le Mans victory last year, and won the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps last month, but retired from Sebring after López's violent accident. Toyota has won four consecutive 24 Hours of Le Mans and could become the sixth manufacture with at least five overall Le Mans victories.

Test Day: 1st

#8 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 Hybrid

Drivers: Sébastien Buemi (11th), Brendon Hartley (9th), Ryō Hirakawa (3rd)

About This Team: The #8 Toyota was runner-up at Sebring but retired at Spa-Francorchamps. Buemi has three victories and could become the ninth driver with four Le Mans victories. Hartley is a two-time Le Mans winner and Hirakawa makes his hypercar debut at Le Mans. Hirakawa had made two LMP2 starts at Le Mans in 2016 and 2017. 

Test Day: 3rd

#36 Alpine Elf Matmut Alpine A480-Gibson

Drivers: Nicolas Lapierre (15th), André Negrão (6th), Matthieu Vaxivière (6th)

About This Team: Winners at Sebring, Alpine leads the championship after finishing second at Spa-Francorchamps. This trio was third overall last year. Lapierre and Negrão won the LMP2 class toggery in 2018 and 2019. Vaxivère was third in LMP2 in 2019 and 2020

Test Day: 5th

#708 Glickenhaus Racing Glickenhaus 007 LMH

Drivers: Pipo Derani (7th), Romain Dumas (22nd), Olivier Pla (15th)

About This Team: Dumas and Pla have finished third in each of the first two races this season and are second in the championship. Dumas is looking for his third overall victory with a third different manufacture. Pla's only class podium at Le Mans was a LMP2 runner-up finish in 2013. Pla and Derani was fourth overall last year.

Test Day: 2nd

#709 Glickenhaus Racing Glickenhaus 007 LMH

Drivers: Ryan Briscoe (8th), Franck Mailleux (8th), Richard Westbrook (12th)

About This Team: This is the sixth time Briscoe and Westbrook have run the 24 Hours of Le Mans together. They were third in the GTE Pro class in 2016 with Scott Dixon. Mailleux was apart of Glickenhaus' fourth-place effort last year, his first Le Mans starts since 2014.

Test Day: 4th

LMP2

#1 Richard Mille Racing Team Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Charles Milesi (3rd), Sébastien Ogier (1st), Lilou Wadoux (1st)

About This Team: Milesi won in the LMP2 class last year with Team WRT and won the Endurance Trophy for LMP2 Drivers'. Ogier is an eight-time World Rally champion. Wadoux was third in the Alpine Elf Europa Cup championship last year with one victory.

Test Day: 10th

#3 DKR Engineering Team Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Alexandre Cougnaud (1st), Jean Glorieux (1st), Laurents Hörrs (1st)

About This Team: Hörrs won the European Le Mans Series LMP3 championship last year, a year after he won the Michelin Le Mans Cup LMP3 championship with Glorieux as his co-driver. Cougnaud spent 2021 in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup driving for Sainteloc Racing. 

Test Day: 5th

#5 Team Penske Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Dane Cameron (1st), Emmanuel Collard (25th), Felipe Nasr (3rd)

About This Team: Cameron has three IMSA championship, a Daytona Prototype international, Prototype and GT Daytona. Nasr has two IMS DPi championships. Neither Cameron nor Nasr have won an overall 24-hour race in their careers. Nasr has twice finished runner-up overall in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He did win in the GTD Pro class this year with Pfaff Motorsports. Cameron has never even finished on the podium in Daytona. Collard is back in LMP2 at Le Mans for the first time since 2017. This will be Team Penske's final race of the WEC season as it turns its focus on the Porsche LMDh test program.

Test Day: 13th

#9 Prema Orlen Team Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Lorzeno Colombo (1st), Louis Delétraz (3rd), Robert Kubica (2nd)

About This Team: Prema has won the first two rounds of the European Le Mans Series season. Delétraz and Kubica were infamously apart of the Team WRT entry that broke down of the final lap while leading in LMP2 last year. Delétraz also won at Laguna Seca in the LMP2 class last month. Colombo won in the FIA Formula Three Championship last year at Spa-Francorchamps. 

Test Day: 9th

#10 Vector Sport Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Sébastien Bourdais (15th), Ryan Cullen (4th), Nico Müller (1st)

About This Team: Bourdais makes his first Le Mans start in LMP2. This is his first Le Mans appearance in a prototype since 2012. Cullen won the 24 Hours of Daytona in the LMP2 class in 2019. Müller has twice finished runner-up in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters championship. 

Test Day: 5th

#13 TDS Racing x Vaillante Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Mathias Beche (8th), Philippe Cimadomo (1st), Tijmen van der Helm (1st)

About This Team: Beche makes his first Le Mans start since 2019. This trio has finished tenth in each of the first two ELMS races this season. 

Test Day: 8th

#22 United Autosports Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Filipe Albuquerque (9th), Philip Hanson (5th), Will Owen (5th)

About This Team: Albuquerque won the 24 Hours of Daytona for the second time overall earlier this year. Albuquerque and Hanson won the LMP2 class at Le Mans in 2020. Owen returns to Le Mans for the first time since 2020. All of Owen's starts have been with United Autosports. 

Test Day: 1st

#23 United Autosports Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Oliver Jarvis (11th), Alex Lynn (6th), Josh Pierson (1st)

About This Team: Jarvis and Pierson won in LMP2 at the Sebring season opener. Jarvis is currently second in the IMSA DPi championship driving a Meyer Shank Racing Acura. Lynn won the 12 Hours of Sebring for the second time earlier this year driving for Chip Ganassi Racing. Pierson will become the youngest Le Mans starter. He spent the previous two seasons competing in U.S. F2000 and he currently runs an LMP2 entry for PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports in IMSA. 

Test Day: 3rd

#24 Nielsen Racing Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Matt Bell (1st), Ben Hanley (6th), Rodrigo Sales (2nd)

About This Team: Nielsen Racing won the Asian Le Mans Series LMP2 championship this season with two victories and two runner-up finishes. This trio has finished 13th and 12th in the first two ELMS rounds this season. For the first time Hanley is running Le Mans for a team other than DragonSpeed.

Test Day: 5th

#27 CD Sport Ligier JS P217-Gibson

Drivers: Christophe Cresp (1st), Michael Jensen (1st), Steven Palette (1st)

About This Team: Cresp and Palette won the Asian Le Mans Series LMP3 championship last year. Cresp also competed in the last two years in LMP3 competition between the Michelin Le Mans Cup and European Le Mans Series. Jensen is driving for RLR MSport in the ELMS LMP3 class this year and is currently third in that championship.

Test Day: 5th

#28 Jota Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Jonathan Aberdein (2nd), Ed Jones (1st), Oliver Rasmussen (1st)

About This Team: On top of his WEC responsibilities, Aberdein is running in ADAC GT Masters and is currently third in that championship with Raffaele Marciello driving a Mercedes-AMG. Jones spent four of the previous five years competing in IndyCar and had three podium finishes, the last of which came over four years ago. Rasmussen ran in the FIA Formula Three Championship last year and competed in the Imola and Barcelona rounds earlier this season. He was seventh in the Imola sprint race.

Test Day: 12th

#30 Duqueine Team Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Richard Bradley (6th), Reshad de Gerus (1st), Memo Rojas (7th)

About This Team: Bradley has spent the last four seasons in ELMS but has not won a race since the 2017 season finale at Portimão. De Gerus ran the first half of the FIA Formula Three Championship in 2021 and did not score any points. Rojas has not competed full-time since 2019 and his best Le Mans finish was fifth in the LMP2 class three years ago. 

Test Day: 5th

#31 Team WRT Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Robin Frijns (2nd), Sean Gelael (2nd), René Rast (4th)

About This Team: The current Endurance Trophy for LMP2 Drivers leading team, the #31 Oreca won at Spa-Francorchamps and was runner-up at Sebring. Frijns won at Le Mans last year for Team WRT. Gelael was runner-up in LMP2 driving for Jota. This is Rast's first Le Mans appearance since he was runner-up in LMP2 driving for G-Drive Racing in 2016. 

Test Day: 6th

#32 Team WRT Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Mirko Bortolotti (1st), Rolf Ineichen (2nd), Dries Vanthoor (3rd)

About This Team: Bortolotti and Ineichen have won the GT Daytona class together twice in the 24 Hours of Daytona driving for GRT Grasser Racing Team. Bortolotti is currently second in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters championship. Ineichen won the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup Silver Cup championship last year. This is Vanthoor's first Le Mans start in LMP2. He won in GTE Am in 2017. 

Test Day: 5th

#34 Inter Europol Competition Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Alex Brundle (9th), Esteban Gutiérrez (1st), Jakub Śmiechowski (4th)

About This Team: Brundle and Śmiechowski were fifth in class last year. Gutiérrez returned to on-track competition this year for the first time since 2017 when he raced in IndyCar for Dale Coyne Racing. Inter Europol Competition has yet to be classified in the first two WEC races this season.

Test Day: 5th

#35 Ultimate Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: François Heriau (1st), Jean-Baptiste Lahaye (1st), Matthieu Lahaye (6th)

About This Team: These three drivers ran together in ELMS for five seasons, four years in the LMP3 class and last year in LMP2. Last year, they had a pair of fifth-place finishes. 

Test Day: 5th

#37 Cool Racing Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Niklas Krütten (1st), Ricky Taylor (8th), Ye Yifei (2nd)

About This Team: Yifei won the LMP2 championship last year with Team WRT and was in the Team WRT entry that broken down from the lead last year at Le Mans. Yifei and Krütten are currently third in the ELMS LMP2 championship with Nicolas Lapierre. Krütten was runnr-up in the ELMS LMP3 championship last year. Taylor's best Le Mans finish was fifth in the GTE Am in a Larbre Compétition Corvette in 2013. 

Test Day: 7th

#38 Jota Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: António Félix da Costa (5th), Roberto González (6th), Will Stevens (7th)

About This Team: Da Costa and González will drive together at Le Mans for the third consecutive year. Stevens was third in LMP2 last year with Papis Racing. He won at Le Mans in 2017 in the GTE Am class and he was runner-up at the 24 Hours of Daytona this year with Wayne Taylor Racing.

Test Day: 2nd

#40 Graff Racing Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: David Droux (1st), Sébastien Page (1st), Eric Trouillet (2nd)

About This Team: Droux, Page and Trouillet won the ALMS LMP2 Pro-Am championship earlier this year with three class victories. They were fifth in the ELMS LMP3 championship last year.

Test Day: 5th

#41 RealTeam by WRT Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Rui Andrade (2nd), Ferdinand Habsburg (2nd), Norman Nato (5th)

About This Team: Currently third in the Endurance Trophy for LMP2 Drivers championship, RealTeam by WRT has been on the podium in each of the first two races. Habsburg won in LMP2 last year with Team WRT. Nato was second overall in 2020 driving for Rebellion Racing. 

Test Day: 4th

#43 Inter Europol Competition Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Pietro Fittipaldi (1st), David Heinemeier Hansson (9th), Fabio Scherer (2nd)

About This Team: Heinemeier Hansson is returning to Le Mans for the first time since 2019. Scherer won two races last year with United Autosport. Fittipaldi makes his Le Mans debut four years after he was originally supposed to run an LMP1 car with DragonSpeed.

Test Day: 5th

#44 ARC Bratislava Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Miroslav Konôpka (6th), Tristan Vautier (1st), Bent Viscaal (1st)

About This Team: Vautier has three podium finishes this season in IMSA's DPi class. Viscaal was 14th in the Formula Two championship last year. Viscaal ran in Formula Two last year and had a pair of runner-up finishes. He was second in the ELMS season opener driving for Algarve Pro Racing with Sophia Flörsch. Konôpka competes in the other WEC races with Tijmen van der Helm.

Test Day: 5th

#45 Algarve Pro Racing Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: James Allen (5th), René Binder (4th), Steven Thomas (1st)

About This Team: The #45 Oreca has finished 11th in the first two WEC races. Allen was third in class last year at Le Mans. Thomas was second in IMSA's LMP2 championship driving for WIN Autosport.

Test Day: 5th

#47 Algarve Pro Racing Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Jack Aitken (1st), John Falb (4th), Sophia Flörsch (3rd)

About This Team: Aitken is driving for Racing Team Turkey in ELMS this season and he has been in the top Pro-Am LMP2 car in each race. Falb is driving full-time in ELMS with James Allen and Alex Peroni. Flörsch was second overall in the ELMS season opener at Circuit Paul Ricard driving with Bent Viscaal. 

Test Day: 5th

#48 IDEC Sport Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Paul-Loup Chatin (8th), Paul Lafargue (6th), Patrick Pilet (14th)

About This Team: Chatin and Lafargue will drive together for the fifth consecutive Le Mans. Their best finish was fifth in 2019. This is the second consecutive year Pilet has joined them. Pilet has only two class podium finishes at Le Mans, both in GTE-Pro.

Test Day: 5th

#65 Panis Racing Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Julien Canal (13th), Nico Jamin (4th), Job van Uitert (4th)

About This Team: Currently second in the ELMS LMP2 championship, Panis Racing has finished third in class the last two years at Le Mans. Jamin was a part of the team in 2020. This will be the fourth different team van Uitert has driven for at Le Mans. 

Test Day: 11th

#83 AF Corse Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Nicklas Nielsen (3rd), François Perrodo (9th), Alessio Rovera (2nd)

About This Team: This trio won in GTE Am last year and won the Endurance Trophy for GTE Am Drivers championship. They have started on pole position in LMP2 for the first two races of this season but has finished ninth each time. 

Test Day: 5th

Practice opens with a three-hour session on Wednesday June 8 at 8:00 a.m. ET. A one-hour qualifying practice session will follow at 1:00 p.m. ET before a two-hour practice closes out the day at 4:00 p.m. ET 

On Thursday June 9, a three-hour session opens the day at 9:00 a.m. ET. The 30-minute Hyperpole session will be held at 2:00 p.m. ET with another two-hour night practice at 4:00 p.m. ET.

The cars will not return to Circuit de la Sarthe until 4:30 a.m. ET on Saturday June 11 for the 30-minute warm-up session. The 90th 24 Hours of Le Mans will begin at 10:00 a.m. ET. 

2021 Motorsports Christmas List

Christmas is coming up this weekend and we must hand out some presents! Many had better years in 2021 than 2020, but everyone needs something to make their lives a little better. Though life might still be unsettled, this is a chance to find some joy and celebrate what we have. 

There are many people who need something, whether they know it or not, whether they will say they need it or not say a thing. This is our chance to give out items even if they were not asked for. Why wait any longer? 

Let's see what is around the Christmas tree!

To Kyle Larson: People not asking him if he is going to run the Indianapolis 500. Come on, people! The answer is no.

To Jimmie Johnson: Two co-drivers for an IMSA Endurance Cup effort. How about Joey Hand and Juan Pablo Montoya?

To Álex Palou: Just a sliver of notoriety in the United States. He may be from Spain, but Palou is one of the most affectionate drivers in the world and IndyCar should not let his nationality be a deterrent. He has the personality the series needs from a top driver.

To Scott Dixon: A moratorium on people writing the "Is Scott Dixon Done?" articles and columns for at least all of 2022.

To Tony Kanaan: A Ganassi fifth car for all the ovals. Let's give him one final trip to Texas, Iowa and Gateway.

To Marcus Ericsson: A few more rabbit's feet, because he can't count on being any luckier in 2022 than he was in 2021.

To Alexander Rossi: A few IndyCar victories, just to shut people up. 

To Colton Herta: Timely cautions in his favor and sturdy driveshafts.

To Hélio Castroneves: A three-place bump to his road/street course qualifying results. He is going to need it. 

To Simon Pagenaud: No mistakes doing laundry now that he will be with Meyer Shank Racing and have more pink apparel. 

To Sébastien Bourdais: A four-year commitment that Chip Ganassi Racing will take him to Le Mans starting in 2023 with LMDh.

To Romain Grosjean: DHL sponsorship for the next five years.

To Kyle Kirkwood: A guarantee that he will spend at least the next five years in IndyCar and most of those years will to be with A.J. Foyt Racing. 

To Oliver Askew: Respectable Formula E results and a part-time IndyCar seat. 

To Patricio O'Ward: Justifiable promotion in Mexico and to the Hispanic-American population. IndyCar seriously does not understand what a gem O'Ward is and is going to blow growing its fanbase.

To Felix Rosenqivst: His 2019 IndyCar season in a bottle.

To Josef Newgarden: No opening lap spins.

To Will Power: Somehow, he needs fewer mechanical issues again this year! 

To Will Power and Scott McLaughlin: A Bathurst 1000 wild card entry.

To Scott McLaughlin: Better friends taking him to NFL games.

To Rinus VeeKay: More consistent results.

To J.R. Hildebrand: A chance in the IndyCar broadcast booth.

To James Hinchcliffe: A GTD-Pro ride with Pfaff Motorsports. If there is any driver that should drive a plaid Porsche, isn't it Hinchcliffe?

To Jack Harvey: A box of chocolates. He is just a good guy. He deserves some sweets. 

To Graham Rahal: A few days off at home.

To Christian Lundgaard: A stomach strong enough to handle American cuisine, especially if he lives in Indiana.

To Callum Ilott: Formula One teams not forgetting he exists.

To David Malukas: A rookie season that matches some of Dale Coyne's other recent rookies.

To Takuma Sato: A trip to Le Mans with the Acura LMDh program. 

To Charlie Kimball: A car specifically built and trimmed for the Indianapolis 500.

To Mazda: Enough funding to continue in IMSA in 2022 and pursue an LMDh program.

To Corvette: Favorable Balance of Performance in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

To Marc Márquez: Full fitness.

To the other three Honda MotoGP riders: A bike they can handle.

To Valentino Rossi: A GT3 program that includes starts at the 24 Hours of Daytona, Bathurst 12 Hour, 24 Hours of Spa and a European Le Mans Series GTE program to boot.

To KTM: Civility among its four MotoGP riders. Remy Gardner and Raúl Fernández could be a dangerous teammate pairing and not for the right reasons.

To Fabio Quartararo: Better chest protectors. 

To Franco Morbidelli: All his bones remaining in one piece.

To Andrea Dovizioso: A comeback season for the history book.

To the motorcycle community: An Isle of Man TT. We have been waiting.

To Suzuki: Riders staying upright more often. 

To Darryn Binder: Better corner entry judgment. 

To Johann Zarco: His first career MotoGP victory. He deserves it. 

To Aprilia: The best of Maverick Viñales. 

To Jack Miller: No long-lap penalties.

To Francesco Bagnaia: Keeping the tires on the track when it matters most.

To MotoGP: A race at Barber Motorsports Park. This is going to be on this list every year until it happens. 

To Toprak Razgatlioglu: A MotoGP opportunity before too much time passes.

To Jonathan Rea: A MotoGP opportunity now. Who cares how old he is? Let's give him a shot!

To Liam Lawson: Better sportsmanship from his competitors.

To Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters: A return to Brands Hatch and a visit to Anderstrop, two of the races from the original 2020 schedule that didn't happen.

To Oscar Piastri: Alpine dropping some dough to get him a handful of IndyCar races. If Alpine is funding part of Christian Lundgaard's IndyCar program, the least it can do is get Piastri a few real races in 2022.

To Shane van Gisbergen: Safe bike rides.

To Brad Keselowski: Aspirin.

To Kevin Harvick: A victory with some help from teammate, maybe holding up a driver from a certain Chevrolet team. 

To Kyle Busch: Sponsorship that will keep him happy from 2023 onward.

To Denny Hamlin: A psychologist. 

To Bubba Wallace: Social media platforms going extinct. 

To Harrison Burton: No comparisons to his successor. 

To Joey Logano: Less than six months between victories.

To Kurt Busch: More sports car opportunities.

To Erik Jones: A larger bookshelf. 

To Daniel Hemric: A second NASCAR Grand National Series victory.

To Kaz Grala: A full-time NASCAR Grand National Series entry. If Landon Cassill is getting one, why not Grala? 

To Andy Lally: Ideal conditions in his handful of NASCAR starts.

To Gateway Motorsports Park: Its NASCAR Cup race being a night race.  

To Texas Motor Speedway: Starting over. I am serious. Let's bulldoze most of it, if not all of it, and try again. Let's take a year or two off and then come back in 2025 with a better racetrack. 

To Doug Coby: Full-time NASCAR Truck Series season with a few short track races in NASCAR's second division. 

To SRX: An even better second season but remaining true to work in season one. Keep it short, keep it on short tracks and attract a few more contemporary drivers and not as many retired out of race shape drivers.

To IMSA officials: A few new whistles because they swallow their previous ones during the final lap at Petit Le Mans.

To IMSA: A sensical points system.

To Ricky Taylor: Not being blocked at the least opportune time or at least getting the officials to call a block when he has been blocked.

To Jordan Taylor: A proper NASCAR Cup ride on road courses. It is bullshit it hasn't happened already.

To A.J. Allmendinger: Better results in October and November. February through September he has down pat. Just those two months.

To Virginia International Raceway: A return of IMSA's top prototype class.

To Mazda MX-5 Cup: A few races on network television. People would love it! 

To James Davison: A quality ride somewhere. Something that at least matches his talent.

To Formula One: Competent race control and fewer red flags.

Also To Formula One: Realizing sprint qualifying isn't as good as it is being made out to be.

To American Formula One fans: A television partner that brings its own Formula One analysis and does more than simulcast Sky Sports' coverage. It is good to have more voices in the room.

To NASCAR: Realizing it owns a short track, it is called Iowa Speedway, and giving that a Cup race.

To Indianapolis Raceway Park: A NASCAR Grand National Series race. By the way, how the fuck did we allow 11 years to go by between NASCAR national series races at IRP? How stupid are the people in charge that they let such a thing happen? Morons. 

To Dane Cameron: More respect for his talent level.

To Felipe Nasr: A one-off IndyCar race with Team Penske at Road America.

To JDC-Miller Motorsports: More than one good race. 

To Jack Hawksworth: Assigned as the lead driver for Toyota's IndyCar return.

To Bill Aubelen and Robby Foley: Contact that goes in their favor. 

To Tommy Milner: No one ever calling him Tommy Milner, Jr. 

To Chip Ganassi Racing's sports car program: No tire punctures in the 24 Hours of Daytona.

To Kamui Kobayashi: A Super Formula race victory.

To Gabby Chaves: Reminders to the top teams in Daytona Prototype international and IndyCar that he still exists. 

To Spencer Pigot: The same thing Gabby Chaves is getting. 

To FIA World Endurance Championship: Compelling racing in its professional classes.

To Peugeot: Counterpunches that land on Toyota.

To Ferrari: No delays or hiccups in its Hypercar development.

To Gustavo Menezes: Becoming the first American to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans overall since 1996. 

To Glickenhaus: A full-time WEC effort.

To Pipo Derani: A full FIA World Endurance Championship season along with his full IMSA season.

To the Indianapolis 8 Hours: Roger Penske embracing it. Also, America's top GT3 teams embracing it as well. 

To Team WRT: Success in the United States.

To SportsCar 365: A revival of The Double Stint podcast. It was quite a good show, an informative and concise chat about sports car racing each week. 

To Ryan Hunter-Reay: One final full season in IndyCar.

To Ed Carpenter: Committing to two full-time drivers for his IndyCar team while accepting an oval-only or Indianapolis 500-only program for himself.

To Marco Andretti: More races, but if he is happy doing what he is doing, he could re-gift those to someone else.

To Ernie Francis, Jr.: Five-year commitment to open-wheel racing.

To Kaulig Racing; A guarantee that all sponsorship payment checks clear.

To Martin Truex, Jr. and Christopher Bell: Soft landing spots for whenever either is kick out of Joe Gibbs Racing for Ty Gibbs. 

To Ty Gibbs: A year off to see the world, talk to some different people, see some different cultures, learn a few things. 

To John Hunter Nemechek: Someone at Toyota looking out for him. 

To Austin Cindric: A deep playoff run.

To Chase Briscoe: A firm understanding of NASCAR's cutting the course rules on road courses, because he is the only one who seemed not to understand it. 

To Alex Bowman: More top ten finishes.

To Ryan Blaney: A better sense of humor. 

To Tyler Reddick: A move to a bigger and better team.

To Road Atlanta: A NASCAR weekend. We don't need a second weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

To Dover International Speedway: A promise that Speedway Motorsports, Inc. doesn't screw it up. 

To World Rally Championship: A close championship possibly involving multiple drivers named Sébastien.

To Spa-Francorchamps: Ten years without rain on Belgian Grand Prix race day. 

To Max Verstappen: Humility. 

To Lewis Hamilton: A few timely virtual safety cars.

To Fernando Alonso: Esteban Ocon coming to his aid. 

To Daniel Ricciardo: That better second year he has regularly had.

To Yuki Tsunoda: Acceptance that his Formula One career could be over before he is 23 years old.

To Lando Norris: Intuition to stop for wet weather tires a lap before everyone else. 

To Nicholas Latifi: Anonymity. 

To Kimi Räikkönen: Peace and quiet. 

To Pietro Fittipaldi: A full-time ride somewhere! Stop wasting your time as a Formula One reserve driver for a team that will never give you the full race seat! 

To Race of Champions: Kyle Larson blowing off the Clash to race on ice in Sweden and Lewis Hamilton deciding he needs a Swedish holiday as well and competes. 

To Formula E: A compelling championship that does not require a convoluted qualifying format.

To Oliver Turvey: Any ride he wants in the world of motorsports. He cannot be thrilled running at the back for NIO in every race.

Also To Oliver Turvey: Patience with his new teammate.

To Mitch Evans: Perfect launches from every start next season.

To New Zealand: An FIA Grade 1 circuit, but one with legitimate grass runoff, that can host Formula One, WEC, IndyCar and any other major motorsports series. It deserves it. 

To Carlos Sainz, Jr.: Long-term commitment from Ferrari. How is this guy already on the fence? And he beat Charles Leclerc in the championship! 

To George Russell: Some thick skin. 

To Sergio Pérez: His best race coming in Mexico City. 

To Valtteri Bottas: More rallying opportunities.

To Sebastien Vettel: Sufficient fuel levels the next time he finishes on the podium. 

To Mick Schumacher: A few good days that go with his talent. 

To Every Formula One Circuit: Adequate grass runoff on the edge of the circuit. 

To the Bathurst 12 Hour: A healthy grid with drivers from all around the globe. 

To Supercars: Fewer border restrictions.

To Canada: A Canadian Grand Prix. We are missing Montreal. 

To Super Formula: A few more international drivers. 

To Phillip Island: MotoGP and World Superbike weekends. Another track that has been gone for too long due to the pandemic.   

To the inaugural Miami Grand Prix: Suitable support races. North American grand prix weekends have underwhelming support races. We can do so much better.

To the Bahrain Grand Prix: Moving to the perimeter circuit. Mind as well do something different. 

To the Asian Le Mans Series: A return to the Pacific region. 

To Nyck de Vries: A Formula One ride so the world can have a Dutchman to root for.

To Fontana: Remaining a two-mile oval. It sounds like everyone is getting cold feet over the re-configuration. Just leave it how it is then. Plus, I don't think NASCAR know what it wants to do. 

To Alex Zanardi: A full recovery.

Finally, I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, a Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year. What an odd year this has been? The quintessential example of two steps forward and one step back. We have come a long way from last Christmas, and yet this Christmas feels like it has circled back to where we were a year ago. This year had many positives. It felt more normal, arguably was close to normal, but we didn't quite get fully back there. It was better than 2020, but that wasn't going to be that hard to accomplish. And yet here we are, uncertain and clueless about what will happen next. 

But there is plenty to be encouraged about and 2022 should be better. Positivity will take us a long way. Most importantly, stay safe, stay healthy and enjoy this time with friends and family.  

2021 24 Hours of Le Mans Prototypes Preview

After previewing the GTE classes, it is time to look at the two prototype classes competing in the 89th 24 Hours of Le Mans. 

This year's race marks the inaugural appearance for the Hypercar class. Five entrants make up the premier class, but with Le Mans being an unknown for these cars, there is a belief one of the 25 LMP2 entrants could pullout an overall victory. 

Along with the 30 cars between the two prototype classes, this preview will also feature the one innovative, Garage 56 entrant. This year's Garage 56 entrant is a specially adapted Oreca 07-Gibson allowing two disabled competitors to take part in this year's race.

Like with the GTE preview, we will look over each entry, the drivers listed for each car and provide a little background on those lineups. 

Hypercar

#7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 Hybrid

Drivers: Mike Conway (8th), Kamui Kobayashi (7th), José María López (5th)

About This Team: The #7 Toyota has opened the season with finishes of third, second and first and the defending world champions are currently second on 69 points. Le Mans has been the one race that has escaped the #7 Toyota team. This car has been on the podium the last three years. The #7 Toyota has been snake-bitten more than its sister car, but Le Mans is bound to fall for this trio one of these years. The car is an unknown and Toyota has expressed concerns about if it can make it the distance without any issue, but Toyota can still pull out a victory. 

Test Day: 2nd

#8 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 Hybrid

Drivers: Sébastien Buemi (10th), Brendon Hartley (8th), Kazuki Nakajima (10th)

About This Team: The #8 Toyota has won two of the first three races of the FIA World Endurance Championship season and leads the World Endurance Drivers' Championship with 75 points. Buemi and Nakajima have won Le Mans the last three years and Hartley won the race last year, the second time in his career. The car ran into fuel pressures at Monza, knocking it out of contention for victory.

Test Day: 3rd

#36 Alpine Elf Matmut Alpine A480-Gibson

Drivers: Nicolas Lapierre (14th), André Negrão (5th), Matthieu Vaxivière (5th)

About This Team: Alpine opened the year with three podium finishes, including two runner-up results. The car has had its maximum stint energy allowance reduced, which should give Toyota a greater advantage. What plays into Alpine's hands is this car is Le Mans tested and gone 24 hours. The Toyota is unknown. Alpine has been in the ballpark the entire season. If Toyota slips up, even with the energy reduction, Alpine should be there. Lapierre has been one of the best LMP2 drivers at Le Mans with four class victories in the last six years. Two of those were with Negrão.

Test Day: 4th

#708 Glickenhaus Racing Glickenhaus 007 LMH

Drivers: Pipo Derani (6th), Franck Mailleux (7th), Olivier Pla (14th)

About This Team: Glickenhaus has been respectable in its first two races. This entry's Monza race ended with gearbox issues. Glickenhaus has completed a 30-hour test at Aragón. This car led the Le Mans test day, but one-lap pace is different than an entire stint. Derani has an overall 24 Hours of Daytona victory and three 12 Hours of Sebring victories. All these drivers have plenty of Le Mans experience, but Mailleux has not been in the race since 2014. 

Test Day: 1st

#709 Glickenhaus Racing Glickenhaus 007 LMH

Drivers: Ryan Briscoe (7th), Romain Dumas (21st), Richard Westbrook (11th)

About This Team: The #709 Glickenhaus was fourth overall at Monza after a lengthy stop for a brake change. Dumas has won Le Mans twice overall. Briscoe and Westbrook ran four Le Mans together with the Ford GT program and they even had a class victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona. Briscoe does have an overall 24 Hours of Daytona victory.

Test Day: 5th

LMP2

#1 Richard Mille Racing Team Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Tatiana Calderón (2nd), Sophia Flörsch (2nd), Beitske Visser (2nd)

About This Team: This is the second year for the all-female lineup. Their best finish was sixth at Portimão. Calderón has also paired another season in Super Formula with this WEC effort. Visser is competing in W Series, where she is ninth in the championship on 18 points after four races. Flörsch is running an Audi in Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters and her best result is 15th. 

Test Day: 18th

#17 IDEC Sport Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Ryan Dalziel (6th), Dwight Merriman (1st), Thomas Laurent (5th)

About This Team: Laurent was a late change to the lineup as Kyle Tilley had to pull out due to a shoulder injury. Laurent won in the LMP2 class on his Le Mans debut in 2017 and as second overall that year. He was third overall the following year. Dalziel and Merriman won the LMP2 class at the 24 Hours of Daytona earlier this year. Merriman ran in the Asian Le Mans Series and is currently running in the European Le Mans Series. His best finish in ELMS competition is 11th. Dalziel returns to Le Mans for the first time since 2016. He won in LMP2 with Starworks in 2012.

Test Day: 24th

#20 High Class Racing Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Dennis Andersen (2nd), Marco Sørensen (7th), Ricky Taylor (7th)

About This Team: High Class Racing is splitting its deck for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Andersen has finished ninth in all three WEC races this season. Sørensen's previous Le Mans starts were all with the Aston Martin GTE program. Taylor has retired from his last two Le Mans starts and in four starts in the LMP2 class, his best class finish is ninth. 

Test Day: 14th

#21 DragonSpeed USA Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Henrik Hedman (5th), Ben Hanley (5th), Juan Pablo Montoya (3rd)

About This Team: DragonSpeed's best finish this year in WEC is sixth and its best finish in ELMS competition is 12th. It has never been competitive at Le Mans with two retirements and its best class finish being 12th. 

Test Day: 15th

#22 United Autosports USA Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Filipe Albuquerque (8th), Phil Hanson (4th), Fabio Scherer (1st)

About This Team: Albuquerque and Hanson have been on a tear in LMP2 competition since the end of 2019, and not just in WEC, but also the European Le Mans Series. Hanson leads the LMP2 championship on his own, as he had to run in the #23 United Autosport Oreca at Portimão after the #22 Oreca had to withdraw. Scherer has stepped in and kept up the pace. It is hard not to like this car at Le Mans. It cannot win every race, but it shows no sign of slowing down.

Test Day: 5th

#23 United Autosports Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Wayne Boyd (1st), Alex Lynn (5th), Paul di Resta (4th)

About This Team: Boyd has spent four of the previous five years in ELMS' LMP3 class and he won the championship last year with Tom Gamble and Rob Wheldon. Boyd did drive in LMP2 in 2018 but did not run Le Mans as Juan Pablo Montoya took his seat. Lynn won the GTE-Pro class at Le Mans last year and he just won his first Formula E race back in July. This will be Lynn's first time in an LMP2 car since 2017. Di Resta won in LMP2 last year at Le Mans, and he won four races with Albuquerque and Hanson last season.

Test Day: 5th

#24 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Gabriel Aubry (4th), Patrick Kelly (1st), Simon Trummer (5th)

About This Team: Kelly won the IMSA LMP2 championship last year and Aubry and Trummer were two of his co-drivers. However, Kelly's only start this season was the WEC round at Spa-Francorchamps, where he, Aubry and Trummer were 11th in class. Trummer's only other competition this year was Asian Le Mans in February, where he was third in three of four races. Aubry has been driving for Starworks in IMSA's LMP2 class.

Test Day: 9th

#25 G-Drive Racing Aurus 01-Gibson

Drivers: Rui Andrade (1st), John Falb (3rd), Roberto Merhi (3rd)

About This Team: Andrade is in his first year in sports cars. He spent the last few years in Formula 4 and Formula Renault series with no notable results. Merhi was 14th in LMP2 last year at Le Mans. Falb has been in the top ten in LMP2 the last two years at Le Mans.

Test Day: 16th

#26 G-Drive Racing Aurus 01-Gibson

Drivers: Franco Colapinto (1st), Roman Rusinov (11th), Nyck de Vries (3rd)

About This Team: This entry is currently second in the ELMS championship, and it won at Circuit Paul Ricard. Rusinov won the Asian Le Mans Series championship this year. De Vries won the Formula E championship last week and he had two victories. The Dutchman has been 15th in the LMP2 class in two Le Mans starts. Colapinto is 18 years old, and he was third in the Formula Renault Eurocup championship last year.

Test Day: 21st

#28 Jota Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Tom Blomqvist (2nd), Sean Gelael (1st), Stoffel Vandoorne (2nd)

About This Team: Blomqvist and Gelael won two races in the Asian Le Mans Series and they have two podium finishes in WEC this season with Vandoorne. Vandoorne had a respectable Formula E season, winning a race with Mercedes, while Blomqvist was stuck at the rear of the field with NIO, but Blomqvist did pick up a point in the finale last Sunday.

Test Day: 20th

#29 Racing Team Nederland Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Frits van Eerd (5th), Giedo van der Garde (5th), Job van Uitert (3rd)

About This Team: Van der Garde and van Uitert missed Monza due to positive COVID tests. The Dutch team has always been respectable, and it had four podium finishes last season, but it won only one race and in the last three trips to Le Mans, its best finish is seventh in class. 

Test Day: 7th

#30 Duqueine Team Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: René Binder (3rd), Tristan Gommendy (12th), Memo Rojas (6th)

About This Team: Currently fifth in the ELMS championship, Gommendy has been runner-up in the LMP2 class three times at Le Mans. Rojas' best class finish at Le Mans was fifth in 2019. This is the third different team Binder has driven for in three Le Mans trips. 

Test Day: 10th

#31 Team WRT Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Robin Frijns (1st), Ferdinand von Habsburg (1st), Charles Milesi (2nd)

About This Team: While they were second in LMP2 at Monza, this is a young trio with Frijns leading the way. Habsburg has been transitioning to sports cars and won two races and the Asian Le Mans Series LMP2 championship with G-Drive Racing. Team WRT's foray into prototypes has gone well and it has much endurance race success, albeit all in GT3 competition. 

Test Day: 8th

#32 United Autosports Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Jonathan Aberdein (1st), Nico Jamin (3rd), Manuel Maldonado (1st)

About This Team: Jamin and Maldonado drive this car full-time in ELMS and while they finished third at Circuit Paul Ricard, their next best finish is ninth. Aberdein drives the #22 United Autosport Oreca in ELMS and he is third in the championship with runner-up results in the last two races. 

Test Day: 11th

#34 Inter Europol Competition Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Alex Brundle (8th), Jakub Śmiechowski (3rd), Renger van der Zande (4th)

About This Team: Inter Europol has been good since it moved up to LMP2 competition in WEC. Brundle and van der Zande are solid professional drivers to build around, though Brundle's recent years at Le Mans have not been great. He has finished outside the top ten in LMP2 in each of those years. Van der Zande has retired from two of his previous three starts. 

Test Day: 17th

#38 Jota Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: António Félix da Costa (4th), Anthony Davidson (13th), Roberto González (5th)

About This Team: United Autosports' foil, Jota won in Portugal and has been an LMP2 stalwart for years. It has won this race before. Davidson really should at least have a class victory at Le Mans considering how well he has done here in the past. Da Costa remains one of the least respected drivers in the world. González will be capable of competitive lap times among the amateur drivers. The #38 Oreca was second and first in the first two WEC races, but these drivers are 18 points behind Hanson in the championship. 

Test Day: 19th

#39 SO24-DIROB By Graff Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Vincent Capillaire (8th), Arnold Robin (1st), Maxime Robin (1st)

About This Team: This is a full-time ELMS entry, but its best finish is 13th through four races. The Robins spent the last few years in LMP3 competition between the V by V Endurance Series and ELMS. Capillaire was second in LMP2 at Le Mans in 2018. 

Test Day: 23rd

#41 Team WRT Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Louis Delétraz (2nd), Robert Kubica (1st), Ye Yifei (1st)

About This Team: The #41 Team WRT entry leads the European Le Mans Series championship after winning the first two races. Yifei also won the recent Asian Le Mans Series championship with G-Drive and he was the 2020 Euroformula Open Championship. Delétraz has moved into sports cars after four years in Formula Two. He was eighth in the championship the last two seasons. 

Test Day: 3rd

#44 ARC Bratislava Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Miro Konôpka (5th), Matej Konôpka (1st), Oliver Webb (8th)

About This Team: ARC Bratislava skips the even years, as it has run in 2017 and 2019 at Le Mans. This is typically not a threatening entry. Prior to this year, Matej Konôpka had a few starts in the 24H Series. Miro Konôpka did run an LMP3 car in the Asian Le Mans Series, but his best finish was sixth and ARC Bratislava was ninth in the championship. Webb spent the previous five years driving for ByKolles at Le Mans. He has retired in his last seven Le Mans starts. Only one of those entries made completed over 200 laps.

Test Day: 22nd

#48 IDEC Sport Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Paul-Loup Chatin (7th), Paul Lafargue (5th), Patrick Pilet (13th)

About This Team: Running full-time in IMSA, this team's best finish is sixth at Red Bull Ring. Chatin won the LMP2 class at the 24 Hours of Daytona with Era Motorsport. This is the fourth consecutive year Chatin and Lafargue are co-drivers at Le Mans. This is the second consecutive year Pilet is competing in LMP2 at Le Mans. He was 11th in class last year.

Test Day: 1st

#49 Sashi-High Class Racing Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Anders Fjordbach (3rd), Jan Magnussen (23rd), Kevin Magnussen (1st)

About This Team: Fjordbach and Jan Magnussen move to this second entry to allow Kevin Magnussen to drive with his father once at Le Mans. Fjordbach and Jan Magnussen have been ninth in every race. Kevin Magnussen has started his sports car career this year with Chip Ganassi Racing's Cadillac program, and he won at Belle Isle. A flat tire derailed a podium finish in the 24 Hours of Daytona. Kevin Magnussen will be a part of the Peugeot hypercar program next year. 

Test Day: 12th

#65 Panis Racing Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: James Allen (4th), Julien Canal (12th), Will Stevens (6th)

About This Team: Panis Racing won the most recent ELMS round at Monza and this car is fourth in that championship. Canal won his class in his first three Le Mans appearances and he was third last year in LMP2 in this entry. Stevens won at Le Mans in GTE-Am in 2017 and he has four WEC LMP2 class victories. He drove for Jackie Chan DC Racing last year and was fifth in the LMP2 championship with a victory and five podium finishes. 

Test Day: 2nd

#70 Realteam Racing Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Loïc Duval (10th), Esteban Garcia, Norman Nato (4th)

About This Team: Duval is back after missing Le Mans last year for the first time since 2017. He was third in class in 2019 with TDS Racing, which operates the Realteam Racing effort. Nato was second overall last year with Rebellion Racing. Nato just won his first Formula E race on Sunday in Berlin. Garcia spent the last two seasons in ELMS' LMP3 class and was third in the championship last year.

Test Day: 13th

#74 Racing Team India Eurasia Ligier JS P217-Gibson

Drivers: Tom Cloet (2nd), John Corbett (1st), James Winslow (5th)

About This Team: Cloet returns to Le Mans for the first time since 2006 when he drove for Noel del Bello Racing and one of his co-drivers was Patrick Bourdais, father of Sébastien Bourdais. It was Patrick Bourdais' final of nine Le Mans starts. Cloet drove for ARC Bratislava's LMP3 entry in the Asian Le Mans Series over the winter and he has spent the last few years in LMP3 competition. Winslow has never finished in the top fifteen in class at Le Mans. Corbett started two Asian Le Mans Series races this past season and he has some LMP3 experience. 

Test Day: 25th

#82 Risi Competizione Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Ryan Cullen (3rd), Oliver Jarvis (10th), Felipe Nasr (2nd)

About This Team: Risi Competizione is making a switch this year at Le Mans, fielding an LMP2 entry instead of a Ferrari in the GTE-Pro class. Jarvis drove for Risi in 2019. Last year, Jarvis and Cullen paired in a G-Drive Racing entry. Nasr's only Le Mans starts was in 2018 and he was 11th in LMP2 with Cetilar Villorba Corsa. Jarvis and Nasr are both race winners in IMS this year. Jarvis won the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen with Mazda. Nasr has won the last two races with Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac.

Test Day: 6th

Innovative Car

#84 Association SRT41 Oreca 07-Gibson

Drivers: Takuma Aoki (1st), Nigel Bailly (1st), Matthieu Lahaye (5th)

About This Team: This year's Garage 56 entry features two disabled drivers. Aoki competed in grand prix motorcycle racing and was fifth in 1997 500cc world championship behind Mick Doohan, Tadayuki Okada, his brother Nobuatsu Aoki and Àlex Crivillé with his best finish being second in the season finale in Australian. Aoki was paralyzed in an accident during preseason testing ahead of the 1998 season. He has previously competed in the Dakar Rally. Bailly was paralyzed in a motocross accident when he was 14 years old. The Belgian has run in LMP3 competition across a few series since 2018. Lahaye was a late change for François Hériau, who was injured in a fall last week.

Lahaye has twice finished on the LMP2 class podium at Le Mans, but his last Le Mans start was in 2012. He did not compete at all in 2020, but he is running in ELMS this year and Hériau is one of his co-drivers. They have finish fifth in two races this season. Association SRT41 has run two ELMS races this season. The car completed 127 laps at Barcelona and 117 laps at Circuit Paul Ricard. 

Test Day: 28th overall (would have ranked 23rd in the LMP2 class)

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. 

Hyperpole 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. 

2021 24 Hours of Le Mans GTE Preview

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.