And they’re off! With the signal from 2024 official starter Zinedine Zidane, 62 cars have launched into the 92nd 24 Hours of Le Mans, the fourth round of the FIA WEC. The race to 16:00 tomorrow begins, where the winner of this exceptional event will be revealed!
The 92nd 24 Hours of Le Mans kicked off amidst vibrant scenes on and off the track. Over 300,000 fans poured into the motoring capital for the weekend, where French celebrities like Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly, Gad Elmaleh, Vincent Cassel, and Mathieu Kassovitz were spotted enjoying the unique atmosphere.
This iconic race, a technological testing ground for over a century, continues to lead the way in sustainable mobility. Hydrogen technology was showcased as the Mission H24 prototype, Solution F’s Foenix H2, Ligier JS2 RH2, and Alpine Alpenglow Hy4 took to the track. Looking ahead, a new hydrogen class will debut in 2028, opening the door for zero-emission cars to compete for victory.
The excitement built up long before the race began. At 13:30, the grid started to form following a thrilling French Navy Rafale flypast. The 24 Hours of Le Mans Trophy was presented, and outgoing winners Ferrari returned it to the competition, heightening the anticipation. Moments before the race, the Patrouille de France performed their traditional flypast, marking the start of the formation lap led by Grand Marshal Kazuki Nakajima.
All cars across Hypercar, LMP2, and LMGT3 classes are running on fully renewable Excellium Racing 100 fuel from TotalEnergies. As the seconds ticked down, the atmosphere was electric. Finally, the world’s greatest endurance race roared to life.
Ferrari wasted no time making their mark. Nicklas Nielsen in the #50 Ferrari 499P seized the lead in the opening laps, overtaking the #51 sister car and Sébastien Bourdais in the #3 Cadillac V-Series.R. By the end of the first hour, Ferrari held the top two spots, with Nielsen recording the fastest lap at 3:29.311. Antonio Giovinazzi, driving the #51 Ferrari, was the fastest on lap two and swiftly moved up to third, then second, overtaking the polesitting #6 Porsche driven by Laurens Vanthoor. Former Formula One star Robert Kubica also made significant strides, moving from 12th to fifth in the #499P Ferrari.
However, the race wasn’t without its mishaps. The #15 BMW M Hybrid V8, driven by Marco Wittmann, crashed into the barrier but managed to continue after a pit stop. The #99 Porsche 963 faced mechanical issues, pushing it into the garage for repairs.
In LMP2, the COOL Racing #47 Oreca 07-Gibson encountered a radiator leak, and the #33 DKR Engineering car suffered a slow puncture. Veteran American driver Ben Keating had an early spin into the gravel in the United Autosports USA #23 Oreca.
The LMGT3 class saw the Inception Racing #70 McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo, driven by Frederik Schandorff, lead throughout the first hour. He was followed by Ben Barker in the Proton Competition #77 Ford Mustang LMGT3 and Larry Ten Voorde in the JMW Motorsport #66 Ferrari 296 LMGT3.
As the race continues, Ferrari remains in control, setting a thrilling pace. With 24 hours of intense racing ahead, the outcome is still anyone’s guess. Stay tuned as this legendary endurance challenge unfolds.
