All roads lead to France as the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans takes place this coming weekend. We take a closer look at what fans can expect in this 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans preview. The event represents round four of this year’s FIA WEC season. This is the 92nd running of the enduro classic which was first staged in 1923. Last year marked the 100th anniversary of the first race but the 2024 edition is expected to be no less spectacular. Over 320 000 fans are expected at the famous track over the course of the race weekend.

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The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a crucial race in the WEC calendar. It is the longest of the year by some margin. As a result there are double points on offer for the winning crews in both Hypercar and LMGT3. A team than excels here can really turn the tables on its competition for world championship glory.

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Full House

A total of 62 cars and 186 drivers will compete in this year’s race. The Hypercars are the headline category at the race. The Hypercar line-up for Le Mans is set to be the biggest yet with a total of 23 entries. These prototype racers acheive speeds of around 350 km/h. Seventy per cent of the lap is completed with the throttle fully open. During each lap drivers make 78 gear shifts over the 13,6-km course. In addition there will be 16 entries in the hotly contested LMP2 category.

There has been an influx of manufacturers who have joined the series over the last 24 months. This year’s entry list includes Alpine, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Isotta Fraschini, Lamborghini, Peugeot, Porsche and Toyota.Porsche is the most represented marque on the Hypercar grid with a total of five 963 challengers. The German automaker will be aiming to secure its 20th outright victory at Le Mans, extending its lead as the most successful brand in this event. Porsche cars have won two out of three races in this year’s FIA World Endurance Championship so are looking good to challenge for overall honours. Toyota Gazoo Racing are reigning world champions while Ferrari AF Corse claimed a victory at La Sarthe one year ago.

GT Cars

Twenty three cars will race in the new-for-2024 LMGT3 category. The  manufacturers competing include Aston Martin, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, Lexus, McLaren and Porsche. The production-based machines are no less impressive than their purpose-built counterparts. You can expect to see 911s battling Huracans, Vantages and 720Ss for honour. The name of the game in this category is survival. There’ll be plenty of wheel-to-wheel racing, but surviving the night and avoiding mechanical issues is key.

Crews

186 drivers will compete in this years event. They hail from all corners of the world, including South Africa. Johannesburg brothers, Sheldon and Kelvin van der Linde will both make their debut appearance at famous race. They are the latest in a long line of locals who have raced here. Sheldon will be racing a BMW Hypercar and his brother will be driving a Lexus LMGT3. An all-female crew called the Iron Dames will race a Lamborghini Huracan LMGT3 Evo2.

2009 F1 world champion Jenson Button will be behind the wheel of a Porsche 963. Former Alfa-Sauber F1 driver Antonio Giovinazzi, winner of the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans, will be back to defend his team’s crown. Other former Formula One stars in the field include Robert Kubica, Nyck de Vries, Romain Grosjean and Mick Schumacher. Valentino Rossi, nine-time world motorcycle GP champion, will make his 24 Hours of Le Mans debut in a BMW M4 LMGT3.

The 24-hour race starts at 16:00 this Saturday.