Метка: 24 Hours of Le Mans

Is Wehrlein, not Vettel, a contender for Porsche Le Mans seat after surprise test?

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Pascal Wehrlein could be in the running for a factory drive with Porsche in next year’s Le Mans 24 Hours after a surprise appearance in last week’s Daytona test.

While Porsche Penske Motorsport has already announced the driver pairings for its two factory 963 LMDh cars in the 2025 World Endurance Championship, there will be one vacant seat available in its Le Mans line-up if it decides to field an additional entry.

Four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel has been repeatedly linked to a third Porsche entry at Le Mans, having tested the car earlier this year.

But last weekend, factory Porsche driver and former Formula E champion Wehrlein made an unexpected visit to the Daytona International Speedway, driving the Porsche 963 of customer squad JDC-Miller in the official IMSA-sanctioned test.

That gives a possible indication that Wehrlein, and not fellow German Vettel, could get the nod to drive for Porsche in the 93rd running of Le Mans.

Last month, Porsche motorsport boss Thomas Laudenbach said “it is more likely we will run three cars” at Le Mans next year after securing an additional entry for WEC’s centrepiece event by winning the GTP title in the IMSA SportsCar Championship.

Porsche currently has eight prototype drivers in its factory roster across WEC and IMSA for the 2025 season, down from 10 this year. With three drivers required in each car, that leaves one vacancy in its squad for a three-car attack.

Urs Kuratle, the project driver at LMDh, admitted that an extra driver would be needed should Porsche go ahead with its plan to field a third car.

He did not rule out Vettel being a contender for the seat and even confirmed to have held talks with him. But while the 37-year-old has mainly completed demo runs since his exit from F1 with Aston Martin at the end of 2022, Wehrlein is currently in the prime of his career.

#85: JDC-Miller MotorSports, Porsche 963, GTP: Tijmen van der Helm, Oliver Gray, Gianmaria Bruni, Pascal Wehrlein, Chris Miller

#85: JDC-Miller MotorSports, Porsche 963, GTP: Tijmen van der Helm, Oliver Gray, Gianmaria Bruni, Pascal Wehrlein, Chris Miller

Photo by: IMSA

Unlike Vettel, the 30-year-old, of course, is already a factory driver for Porsche in FE and tested the car while it was still being developed in 2022.

In fact, Wehrlein was a contender for a full season in the WEC upon Porsche’s return to the top echelon of sportscar racing in 2023. The German manufacturer eventually signed Frederic Makowiecki to complete its line-up in the Hypercar class.

Makowiecki, Andre Lotterer and Dane Cameron have all been dropped from Porsche’s LMDh line-ups in 2025, while Julien Andlauer has received a factory contract after a season spent racing for the customer Proton Competition team in the WEC.

No clashes with Formula E

What will happen next with Wehrlein’s Hypercar ambitions remains unclear, but a participation in the Daytona 24 Hours in JDC-Miller Porsche would be obvious after the test. 

There is no clash between the Formula E calendar and the IMSA season opener, which is scheduled for 27-28 January, and the ‘Roar Before The 24’ test that precedes the enduro.

Wehrlein also has no clashing Formula E commitments on the Le Mans test day, which will take place on 8 June, and Le Mans itself, which will be held on 11-15 June. 

In addition, a start in the IMSA classic in Sebring (15 March) would also be possible, serving as preparation for the blue-riband WEC round. 

With potential race appearances after last week’s test, Wehrlein could continue to learn the Porsche 963 and then support the factory team at Le Mans — the FE schedule would not stand in the way of his Le Sarthe debut. But that would mean the door to the factory team in the 24-hour enduro would be closed for his countryman Vettel.

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ACO announces changes at Circuit de la Sarthe for the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


The Le Mans 24 Hours organiser the Automobile Club de l’Ouest has announced a series of changes to improve the fan experience at its event in 2025.

This has been done «in response to the growing popularity» of the World Endurance Championship’s blue-riband round having acted on «precious feedback from loyal fans», according to the ACO.

The race organisers have added new track viewing areas, grandstands, fan parks and screens at three key parts of Circuit de la Sarthe where Ferrari will arrive having won Le Mans for the previous two years.

A popular location to have watched the Prancing Horse take those victories would have been the Porsche Curves, which are fast, sweeping corners in the latter part of the 8.467-mile circuit.

Previously fans have watched the action on the outside of the sequence, but from 2025 spectators can now view the racing from a new grass bank on the inside of the track.

It will provide views of the cars as they exit the corners and can fit several thousands of fans located at the Circuit Alain Prost with no extra ticket needed for access.

Start action

Start action

Photo by: Emanuele Clivati | AG Photo

Other new facilities in that area include a fan zone which holds a big screen to watch the historic race, as well as bathrooms and places to eat and drink with it all accessible via the Karting, CIK and Maison Blanche gates.

Maison Blanche is another area that provides a stunning view of the Porsche Curves, so the ACO has built new grandstands plus a big screen there — though this area will require a separate ticket.

Changes are also being made at the start of the lap, as Tertre Rouge will feature a new fan zone that can hold over 10,000 spectators at Turn 7.

The «Chill Zone», as it is officially called, is replacing the popular Tertre Rouge camping area where members of that site have been offered alternative pitches. No additional ticket or upgrade is required for the fan zone, which will feature places to eat and drink plus a big screen for the race.

The 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours is due to take place on the 14-15 June with general sale tickets available from Wednesday 13 November.



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McNish returns to the cockpit of unraced Porsche LMP2000, 25 years after car’s only test

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Three-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Allan McNish has returned to the cockpit of the unraced Porsche LMP2000 25 years after he took part in the car’s solitary test.

McNish, who retired from racing after taking the World Endurance Championship title with Audi in 2013, drove the LMP2000 at Porsche’s proving ground at its Weissach research and development facility last week.

Porsche was marking the 25th anniversary of the LMP2000’s only run after recommissioning the open-top prototype powered by a 5.5-litre normally-aspirated V10 over the course of this year.

McNish, whose only previous outing in a racing car since his retirement came aboard an Audi R8 LMS GT3 in 2014, revealed that the car behaved exactly how he remembered.

“I looked at the test report this morning and the way the car reacted was just as I had described it at the time,” he told Motorsport.com.

“The other thing that came back to me was that everything in the cockpit was exactly where it should be.

“It all came back to me like it was yesterday.

“But one thing I’d forgotten was the engine note: when you open up the throttle, it sounds really nice, really throaty.”

Allan McNish, Porsche LMP2000

Allan McNish, Porsche LMP2000

Photo by: Deniz Calagan

McNish revealed after the test that his thoughts had turned to the late Bob Wollek, the Porsche veteran with whom he shared driving duties over the course of two days of testing in the LMP2000 at Weissach in early November 1999.

Wollek, who was killed in a cycling accident on the eve of the 2001 Sebring 12 Hours, did the initial laps in the car at the Weissach test.

“Seeing Bob’s name on the side of the car brought back memories,” said McNish.

“He was a very special character and taught young whippersnappers like me a lot.

“The funny thing is that when he drove this car he was more or less the same age as I am now.”

The LMP2000 was developed after Porsche opted not to defend its 1998 Le Mans crown, claimed up by McNish, Laurent Aiello and Stephane Ortelli sharing a 911 GT1-98, with a view to returning in 2000.

It decided to abandon the route it had pursued with the GT1-98 powered by a flat-six turbo, opting instead for an open-top LMP powered by a big-capacity V10 that had its roots in a Formula 1 development project from the mid-1990s.

But a return to Le Mans with the LMP2000 was never signed off by the Porsche board, which opted to stop the programme in the weeks leading up to the November test.

The team at Porsche Motorsport that had developed the LMP2000, codenamed the 9R3, under famed engineer Norbert Singer was allowed to finish one car and give it a short test that stretched over two days at Weissach.

Last week’s run was only the second official appearance of the LMP2000, the first coming with a static display at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Allan McNish, Porsche LMP2000

Allan McNish, Porsche LMP2000

Photo by: Deniz Calagan

What happened next

No one could have predicted it at the time, but the ‘winningest’ marque in Le Mans history wouldn’t be back at the Circuit de la Sarthe chasing overall victory until 2014.

Porsche returned to the prototype ranks with the US-focused RS Spyder LMP2 programme in 2005, but it wasn’t until the arrival of the 919 Hybrid LMP1 that it would bid to add to its 16 wins.

The 919 would go on to claim a hat-trick of hat-tricks, winning Le Mans and the WEC drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles in 2015-17.

McNish had been loaned out to Toyota to race its GT-One at Le Mans in 1999 and had a three-year contract in place with Porsche but, with no chance of winning Le Mans, he negotiated a release and signed for Audi.

The Scot won the American Le Mans Series title in 2000 before returning to Toyota for its F1 entry, undertaking a year of testing in 2001 and then one season of racing in 2002.

He was back at Audi in 2004 and went on to take a further two ALMS titles as well as his second and third Le Mans victories in 2008 and 2013.

Resources at Porsche Motorsport were diverted to development of the Carrera GT: the supercar was powered by a V10 developed from the prototype’s powerplant.



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Vanthoor claims Kubica pushed him off on purpose in race-ending Le Mans clash

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BMW driver Dries Vanthoor believes AF Corse Ferrari rival Robert Kubica deliberately pushed him off the track while trying to lap him during the night at last weekend’s Le Mans 24 Hours.

Vanthoor has expressed his disappointment at what he believes was a lack of respect from the one-time Formula 1 race winner after he was sent to the medical centre for check-ups due to the sizeable impact from their collision.

Speaking on the ‘Over the limit’ podcast he jointly hosts with brother and Porsche factory driver Laurens, Vanthoor said: «I personally think yes, that he did it on purpose because the way he tried to defend himself was wrong.

«The way he did not care about me after the crash, or did not show any respect or just human being to me, also showed to me that it was on purpose. Just not caring, just not coming to see how I was doing.

«I had a small concussion, I have a little thing on my left foot. Not doing any effort to even send a text and know how I am doing [was disappointing].

 

«If I had a crash with someone and I would know he is hurt or he has to go the medical centre, you would just be respectful. I know we are racing and we want to race hard. This was just very unrespectful [sic] and for me not done and something you don’t do in racing. It’s completely wrong.

«You should show respect. We all want to be safe, it’s the number one priority of every organiser, FIA, ACO, SRO. It’s the number one priority in racing.

«Even if he was pissed off, even if it was my own mistake of the crash, which let’s be completely straight, it wasn’t at all, I would have still said something.

#83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Robert Kubica, Robert Shwartzman, Yifei Ye

#83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Robert Kubica, Robert Shwartzman, Yifei Ye

Photo by: Alexander Trienitz

«I would have said, ‘sorry mate, I turned into you’. But he just turned to the right like nobody was there and I was driving there, driving completely straight.»

Vanthoor was trying to stay on the lead lap in his WRT-run #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 in the ninth hour, having just switched from wet tyres to slicks, when he encountered the race-leading #83 satellite Ferrari 499P of Kubica on the Mulsanne straight.

The Belgian driver missed the second chicane on cold tyres and had to take to the escape road before rejoining the track, putting him in the thick of the fight with Kubica — who previously raced for WRT in LMP2 — and the #92 Porsche GT3 car.

But as the ex-F1 driver tried to jump both approaching the braking zone for the right-hand Mulsanne Corner, he jinked to the right and clipped Vanthoor’s BMW, pitching him head-on into the barriers on the left-hand side of the road.

Such was the intensity of the impact that the car bounced back and skated to the inside side of the track, before coming to a rest with heavy damage to the front-end.

The collision between Vanthoor and Kubica marked a premature end to BMW’s race, with the sister #20 car having already been sent back to the garage following a separate accident when Robin Frijns crashed at the Ford Chicane.

The stewards deemed Kubica guilty of causing the crash and handed him a 30-second stop/go penalty, a sanction that was described as too lenient by WRT boss Vincent Vosse.

Explaining the moments in the lead-up to the crash, Vanthoor said: «Going into the second chicane, there was a Ford just in front of us.

«So I was like, f**k I need to get by this Ford. So we braked for the corner, just behind the Ford. I braked at the same point as him.

#15 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8: Dries Vanthoor, Raffaele Marciello, Marco Wittmann

#15 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8: Dries Vanthoor, Raffaele Marciello, Marco Wittmann

Photo by: BMW AG

«But I was like ‘I need to get this Ford between us [so] I don’t have the blue flag’ because he needs to pass the Ford first. But I was on the inside on cold tyres on the wet part of the track and I didn’t make the corner.

«I went on power again [after the chicane] and he had a run on me again.

«I tried to use the Porsche to slow him down, but it didn’t work because he had such a run, so I was fair in that way to make the space and let go the Porsche by to not make it dangerous.

«And unfortunately, he decided to make it more dangerous and pushed me off the road. That was it actually.»

Vanthoor revealed that he received a lot of hate messages in the aftermath of the accident on social media, with many accusing him of not respecting blue flags when a faster Ferrari was on his tail.

While he did admit that he had been instructed to do everything it took to stay on the lead lap to remain in the hunt for a top result, the 2017 GTE Am class winner at Le Mans claimed he had enough time under the regulations before letting Kubica through.

«They [BMW] told me it’s going to be crucial to keep the car behind to stay on the lead lap, because when you are not on the lead lap, unless there is a safety car then it’s very difficult to get your lap back,» he added.

«When you are lap down, it’s very very tough to impossible to do something.

«For all the haters who said ‘why you exceeded blue flags’, I saw the replays and I saw there was a blue flag. But when you are in a battle or in the moment I honestly did not see [it].

#15 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8: Dries Vanthoor

#15 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8: Dries Vanthoor

Photo by: BMW AG

«And even if I had seen it, I wouldn’t have done anything because the rule is in WEC you have one sector or two time to let somebody go for blue flags.

«Maybe I fully did not respect the rule, but the rule said I had two sectors to let somebody by. I didn’t try to let him by, but people can stop saying this because it’s bullshit.»

On his part, Kubica denied that he caused the incident on purpose, stating that any attempt at touching another car at high speed would have jeopardised his own chances for victory.

«Firstly, I’m not the sort of person who would swerve into another car at 300kph, leading in a race and with 18 hours to go,» he said in an interview with Mikolaj Sokol for Motowizja.

«By swerving into him I would be the one risking ending up in the barriers on the right. That’s the first argument.

«The second argument is that if it had been me [causing the collision], my car should have moved much earlier, not just after contact. And that was not the case.»

Kubica also hit back at Vanthoor for not respecting blue flags or letting him by easily when he was about to drop a lap down, saying: «I come from a championship where you have respect for other drivers, especially the leaders, especially when you are being lapped.

«On the other hand, there are also championships, and apparently that’s what Dries races in, where the blue flags and the rules and regulations don’t give a damn [about them]. I’m fortunate enough to have grown up in those first championships.

#83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Robert Kubica

#83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Robert Kubica

Photo by: Marc Fleury

«However, there are drivers in slower cars who want to prove themselves at all costs. I don’t know why.

«I know Dries has been instructed to stay on the lead lap at all costs. Well if someone tells me to jump from the eighth floor, for example, an engineer, I won’t do it. But apparently there are drivers who would do it.»

The #83 499P Kubica shared with Ferrari factory drivers Robert Shwartzman and Yifei Ye retired with just over three hours to run due to hybrid issues.

You can listen in full to the Vanthoor brothers’ podcast here.

Additional reporting by Tomasz Kalinski

Watch: 2024 Le Mans 24hrs Analysis — Ferrari Rain Supreme



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Gasly lays out Le Mans victory ambitions after 2024 race visit with Alpine

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Formula 1 driver Pierre Gasly said it ‘didn’t feel right’ to attend the Le Mans 24 Hours in casual clothing as he revealed his ambition to compete in the sportscar epic.

Gasly and Alpine F1 team-mate Esteban Ocon were in attendance at last week’s 92nd running of the French endurance classic, where the Renault-owned squad made its Hypercar return with the new A424 LMDh prototype.

Frenchman Gasly had spent a large part of his teen years living in Le Mans while he was a part of the French federation’s young driver programme, and even completed his schooling in the same city.

Returning to La Sarthe as it played host to the fourth round of the 2024 World Endurance Championship on June 15-16, the 28-year-old said there was something off about watching the race from the sidelines.

Speaking to Eurosport on the starting grid, the one-time grand prix winner expressed a desire to get hold of a competitive car and fight for outright victory at Le Mans in the coming years.

“I think it’s every kid’s dream,” he said. “I watched this race since I was that tall [pointing to the ground].

“I actually lived five years in Le Mans, I studied here, and I’ve got a very close proximity with this city and this track.

Photo by: Alpine

“For sure, it will be a dream to win Le Mans one day. We will see. For now, I’m fully focused on Formula 1 and it’s not really in the pipeline.

“But definitely seeing these guys out today but just wearing normal sneakers and jeans just doesn’t feel right, so hopefully one day I will be able to be in a good car to participate in Le Mans.”

Gasly is the latest F1 driver to have publicly talked about his dream of racing in the blue riband round of WEC.

World champion Max Verstappen recently revealed that he had been contacted by a number of teams regarding an entry into Le Mans, while Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc was also keen on taking part in the race with the Italian marque’s 499P LMH after watching the Prancing Horse score victory in last year’s centenary event.

Any Le Mans outing for an F1 driver in the near future, however, has been ruled out by a calendar clash, with next year’s 93rd edition falling on the same weekend as the Canadian Grand Prix.

Gasly said he has a “lot of respect” for drivers who compete at Le Mans, with a gruelling schedule and changeable weather combining to make it one of the hardest races on the motorsport calendar.

“I find it fascinating,” he said. “I talked about it. I’ve got many friends racing here actually which makes it even cooler because I’m on the grid and I’m seeing a lot of guys I raced against.

“I was saying like, ‘4am, with one hour of sleep, it’s going to be absolutely pissing down and it’s going to be very extreme’.

“I think we have got to appreciate [them]. As a racing driver, I really appreciate how hard it is and hopefully, people on TV can realise as well because it’s tough.

«To focus for an hour and a half, it’s a big challenge, but to focus for the full 24 hours and sharing the car…..

“These guys are the best to explain it, but [I have] a lot of respect for these guys.”

Alpine had shown promising pace at the start of the 2024 WEC season with its pair of A424s run by the factory Signatech team, but its Le Mans appearance was cut short after both cars suffered engine failures in the first six hours.

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How AF Corse sacrificed potential LMP2 Le Mans victory to ensure Pro-Am spoils

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Throughout the build-up to the Le Mans 24 Hours there was discussion about whether a Pro-Am LMP2 entry could win the class outright — and AF Corse nearly managed just that.

The Pro-Am crews must feature a bronze-graded amateur driver, while the regular LMP2 entries only need to run a silver alongside two golds or a gold and a platinum.

The #83 AF Corse ORECA of Ben Barnicoat, Nico Varrone and Francois Perrodo was one of six key cars that was in victory contention for much of this year’s race but, ultimately, a slightly conservative strategy and some late reliability woes cost it the chance of making history by becoming the first Pro-Am outright LMP2 winner.

The trio enjoyed a handy advantage out front in the 18th hour, thanks to some impressive pace from Barnicoat, before the final safety car presented the team’s strategists with a tough decision as they were mindful of the potential threat from the #14 AO by TF machine that was second in the Pro-Am class but a lap down at that stage.

«We were out front, winning the race and had it pretty well under control and then that last safety car really put us in a difficult position,» Barnicoat told Motorsport.com.

«Do we pit now and go for the overall win, but that would’ve given AO a lap back and that would’ve brought them back into the fight of Pro-Am so we decided to stick to the job that we set in March when we all came together and started working for this programme.»

#183 AF Corse Oreca 07: Gibson: Francois Perrodo, Ben Barnicoat, Nicolas Varrone

#183 AF Corse Oreca 07: Gibson: Francois Perrodo, Ben Barnicoat, Nicolas Varrone

Photo by: Alexander Trienitz

Ultimately, AF decided to be cautious and cover off the threat of TF by not pitting immediately. When Barnicoat did finally stop, Varrone emerged in third place.

«Even though that was the strategy we opted for, we were still on for an overall podium but the last four or five hours the battery was running a little bit low and it was taking an extra five seconds to stop the car every pitstop,» Barnicoat explained.

«With these cars, it does 40 minutes [before needing to pit again] and, with the weather, you’re pitting so much.

«It was at the point where you’re just praying the car was going to start.»

Fortunately for AF Corse, the car did start each time and it was able to take the flag in fourth place, 35 seconds behind the victorious #22 United Autosports crew, but achieved its target of taking the Pro-Am spoils.

Barnicoat was still «so, so happy» to take his first class win at Le Mans and put the disappointment of last year, when he crashed out, behind him. And he praised the vital role of bronze driver Perrodo in both this year’s triumph and in how to avoid such mistakes.

«They [bronze drivers] may not be the fastest but Francois certainly kept it clean and did his job,» said Barnicoat.

«I learned a big lesson last year when I didn’t do it and it was great to redeem myself this season.

«The way the earlier safety cars fell for us was amazing because it meant we were able to get Francois’ driving time done early and, in his early stints, he did a phenomenal job and that just left the job down to me and Nico.»

#14 AO by TF Oreca 07: Gibson: Pj Hyett, Louis Deletraz, Alex Quinn

#14 AO by TF Oreca 07: Gibson: Pj Hyett, Louis Deletraz, Alex Quinn

Photo by: Emanuele Clivati | AG Photo

The TF crew of Louis Deletraz, Alex Quinn and PJ Hyett also had ambitions of winning LMP2 outright as a Pro-Am entry, especially after starting from pole. However, awkward timings for some of the safety cars — just after Hyett had completed stints in the car — meant the crew was unable to capitalise upon using up the bronze driver time under caution as much as some of its rivals and ultimately slipped a lap down.

«There were always slow zones and safety cars that stopped us from coming back,» Deletraz told Motorsport.com.

«AF did a fantastic job, they were quick all race, no mistakes so they deserve it.»

Instead Deletraz had to settle for second in class for a third successive year as his wait for an elusive Le Mans triumph continues.



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Rules extension boosts McLaren’s outright Le Mans ambitions

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McLaren’s ambitions to repeat its 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours victory remain on track and have been given a boost by the extension of the current prototype regulations until 2029.

Zak Brown, boss of McLaren Racing, has stated that an entry into either the Hypercar or GTP classes of the respective World Endurance Championship and the IMSA SportsCar Championships is “more when than if”.

He explained that the decision to extend the lifecycle of Le Mans Hypercar and LMDh regulations by two years beyond 2027 announced last week has given McLaren “more breathing space”.

“Costs in all motorsport are critically important and I think the extension definitely helps our business model that we have laid out internally,” said Brown, who has spoken openly about McLaren’s aspirations at the the pinnacle of sportscar racing since taking up his current role in 2018.

PRIME: The winding road that brought McLaren back to Le Mans

“We would have to work on a two-year lead time: if we were talking about ’26 we would need to make a decision tomorrow.

“You wouldn’t want to enter a championship Le Mans in its last season.”

Brown revealed that McLaren is “looking at all the scenarios” with regard to its first top-flight sportscar campaign since the F1 GTR programme of the 1990s.

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, celebrates victory with his team

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, celebrates victory with his team

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

“But clearly if you are in sportscar racing you want to win Le Mans,” he said.

Brown has previously stated that McLaren’s ambitions lay in the WEC with a factory team of LMDhs and potentially customer cars in IMSA.

“LMDh would be the more favourable category,” he confirmed.

What cannot be known is whether there will be room in the WEC for another manufacturer in Hypercar later in the decade: the grid is likely to be at capacity next year despite its expansion to 40 cars.

McLaren’s LMGT3 class campaign with United Autosports in the WEC this year could be crucial in paving the way for a step up in class, explained Brown.

“We need commercial partners and the exposure we get in GT3 will give us a sense of what the commercial market is and how much support we can get,” he said.

Brown also stressed it will be important that a top-flight sportscar programme doesn’t distract from McLaren Racing’s other activities in Formula 1, IndyCar, Formula E and Extreme E.

“If we take on another project we have to make sure it doesn’t disrupt our other activities,” he said.

“We are not far away from feeling we could take on another project without diluting our F1 team or IndyCar team or our electric teams.

#70 Inception Racing McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo: Brendan Iribe, Ollie Millroy, Frederik Schandorff

#70 Inception Racing McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo: Brendan Iribe, Ollie Millroy, Frederik Schandorff

Photo by: Marc Fleury

“We are turning a profit as a racing team; McLaren Racing is very healthy, and then it is just about timing.”

Michael Leiters, CEO of McLaren Automotive, insisted that none of the key technical decisions about a potential LMDh project have been made.

That includes the choice of engine: the unsuitability of its M840T road car V8 was one reason why McLaren’s prototype aspirations have remained on hold.

“First we have to decide when and how to do it, and then we come to the engine,” he explains.

“It would be perfect to have an engine in line with our road car programmes — that would be our dream — but we would never compromise our competitiveness.”

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Watch: 2024 Le Mans 24hrs Analysis — Ferrari Rain Supreme



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Drugovich hopes Le Mans debut «opens some doors» as future remains unclear

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Aston Martin Formula 1 reserve Felipe Drugovich hopes that his Le Mans 24 Hours debut will “open some doors”, as he debates remaining in sportscar racing or returning to single-seaters.

Drugovich made his first appearance in the French endurance classic last weekend as he joined Action Express Racing at the wheel of a factory Cadillac V-Series.R in the Hypercar class.

Together with IMSA SportsCar Championship regulars Pipo Derani and Jack Aitken, he finished 15th in class after Derani heavily damaged the #311 Cadillac in a crash at Indianapolis in the 19th hour.

Asked if he sees his future in formula cars or prototypes in the wake of his maiden outing in an LMDh prototype, Drugovich told Motorsport.com: “I don’t know yet.

“For sure I enjoyed [Le Mans] really a lot. It’s a really cool world and I’m enjoying it.

“Also, this race can sometimes open me some doors. We will see what is going to happen. For the moment I’m really happy with the opportunities I have.”

#311 Whelen Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R: Pipo Derani, Jack Aitken, Felipe Drugovich

#311 Whelen Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R: Pipo Derani, Jack Aitken, Felipe Drugovich

Photo by: Emanuele Clivati | AG Photo

Drugovich’s La Sarthe outing with Cadillac was the highlight of his 2024 campaign, which includes a full-season with the Vector Sport LMP2 squad.

As things stand, he is not lined up to compete in any more WEC or IMSA races with Cadillac. That is despite the General Motors brand having signed only two drivers for the full-season in its sole Hypercar entry, with the last remaining seat to be decided on a race-by-race basis or left completely vacant for shorter events.

The 2022 Formula 2 champion made it clear he is keen on competing in more endurance races in the near future, saying “these 24 hour races have always been kind of a dream for me so I’m really happy [to take part in them].”

Drugovich spent the 2023 season on the sidelines following his title success in F2, as he elected to focus on his test and reserve duties with Aston Martin in F1.

After failing to find a spot on this year’s F1 grid, he announced a switch to sportscar racing in the ELMS, while maintaining that he hasn’t lost sight of his F1 dream.

Drugovich, who also tested a Maserati Formula E car for a second time in Berlin last month, said his racing juices have started flowing again after a year out of competitive action.

“I was buzzing to get back racing again this year and so happy to be back doing ELMS and especially [Le Mans], this is something impressive,” he said.

“It’s just a massive opportunity given from Cadillac. It’s not everywhere that a manufacturer puts a rookie driver into a hypercar, especially at Le Mans. So very grateful to them.”

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The Le Mans Hypercar strength Cadillac’s LMDh couldn’t fight against

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


2024 marked the second year of the merged Le Mans Hypercar and LMDh regulations into the WEC’s Hypercar category, ruled by a Balance of Performance, but LMDh cars are yet to grab their first win at the Le Mans 24 Hours after an extremely competitive race this year.

Together with veteran Richard Westbrook, Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn had achieved a third-place finish in their Cadillac V-Series.R in the 2023 contest, led by the #51 Ferrari and the #8 Toyota. But this time around, only LMH machinery made it to the podium at Circuit de la Sarthe – the #50 Ferrari took the win from the #7 Toyota and the #51 Ferrari.

The polesitting #6 Porsche LMDh was just one second off the podium, with Andre Lotterer’s fears that team-mate Kevin Estre’s «exceptional» pole lap «maybe is not 100% representative of the performance» somewhat justified.

Meanwhile, the #2 Cadillac LMDh now shared by Bamber and Lynn with Alex Palou was in contention for a win for a long time, leading after 21 hours. However, it suffered from higher-than-average tyre degradation in mixed track conditions and ended up seventh under the chequered flag.

«At one point, it was looking very good, but in the end, I think Ferrari and Toyota just had a little bit more pace in all conditions,» Alex Lynn told Motorsport.com.

«That was ultimately the difference. At certain points we could match them, but never have something extra. Also, they were always very, very competitive. I think we were looking okay for a P3, but in the end we had a bad last hour or so, and that was it.»

«The Hypercars are very strong with the four-wheel drive, that’s why they’re all on the podium», Earl Bamber added when speaking to Motorsport.com. «It’s hard to fight against.»

#7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 - Hybrid: Jose Maria Lopez, Kamui Kobayashi, Nyck De Vries

#7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 — Hybrid: Jose Maria Lopez, Kamui Kobayashi, Nyck De Vries

Photo by: Alexander Trienitz

Toyota, Ferrari and Peugeot’s four-wheel-drive set-up comes in particularly handy in wet conditions, due to the extra traction this provides compared to the rear-wheel-drive LMDhs. In this particular instance, although a number of showers spiced up the race, this was partly mitigated by the safety car neutralising the race when the rain was at its worst, between 3:45am and 8:10am.

LMH cars were faster in all sectors in the race, with two Toyotas and two Ferraris leading the way on the Mulsanne straight and its two chicanes – the leading LMDh was the #2 Cadillac driven by Palou [1m20.048s], nearly three tenths off Sebastien Buemi’s #8 Toyota [1m19.786].

In the third sector, comprised of many corners with various speed profiles, Alessandro Pier Guidi was fastest in the #51 Ferrari with a 1m35.364s time, but Porsche’s Laurens Vanthoor and Cadillac’s Palou were just 0.085s and 0.089s off respectively.

Of course, the fastest race times were set in dry conditions, and with no session being run fully in wet conditions, analysing fully the advantage enjoyed by LMH cars is tricky.

Porsche’s Frederic Makowiecki admitted to Motorsport.com after the race that the German constructor was «lacking a little bit to be able to compete with Toyota and Ferrari. Not much, but a little too much.

«The difference is [Ferrari] can overtake you, but you can’t overtake them! This is getting complicated: we’re not quite on an equal footing.»

The aforementioned sector 2 times on the Mulsanne straight tend to corroborate the French veteran’s analysis. On the other hand, three cars recorded a 344.5km/h top speed in the race – both Toyotas and… Felipe Nasr’s #4 Porsche. But it was the only instance when one of the German cars went above 339.1km/h over the 24 hours, with the Brazilian driver most likely catching a big tow.

Looking at each car’s average top five speed-trap entries, the picture becomes clearer with both Toyotas on 342.6km/h and 342.1km/h and two Ferraris on 340.9km/h and 340.6km/h. The top LMDh becomes the #36 Alpine on 339.1km/h, with the quickest Porsche reaching 338.9km/h thanks to Jota’s #12 customer entry and no Cadillac doing any better than 336km/h for the #2 car.

In the end, there is little regret in the American camp. «Ultimately, I think this race we maximised,» Lynn added. «I was really proud of how we did. We had, I think, a really strong race. It was just Ferrari and Toyota in particular.

«Obviously I know we got beaten by two Porsches, but I don’t feel like they were better. We lost to them, but Ferrari and Toyota were better.»

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