“We are delighted to further cement our relationship with Ligier, having run the 2015-16 Asian Le Mans LMP3 Championship winning Ligier along with victory in the 2016 Asian Le Mans Sprint Cup,” said Team Principal Mark Goddard. “Our aim is to finish what will be as ever a gruelling race. With two bronze drivers, our expectations are realistic, however, a trouble-free run can pay huge dividends and we want to make sure we are there at the flag with Ligier.”

The 2017 event marks Eurasia Motorsport’s second 24 Hours of Le Mans. Last year the team finished in fifth position in class, the first non WEC team across the line. This year’s driver line-up is all familiar with each other, having raced alongside each other in the European Le Mans Series last year.

Erik Maris competed in both LMP2 and LMP3 machinery last year in the Le Mans 24 Hours and European Le Mans Series respectively. Prior to that the Frenchman competed in selected rounds of the 2015 WEC in the LMP2 class, including Le Mans 24 Hours, and ran in GT classes in various series, classic and modern, since 2012.

Jacques Nicolet competed alongside Erik Maris last year with a Ligier JS P3 in the European Le Mans Series. Prior to that, he began racing in 2001 and ran in various endurance international series, including 8 participations to Le Mans 24 Hours from 2007 to 2015, in LM P1 and LM P2 classes.

Son Pierre competed last year with his father in the Road to Le Mans as well as the ELMS. From 2011 to 2015, he evolved into different series and categories, including notably single-seater and CN among others.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans race takes place 17-18 June, with practice and qualifying commencing from Wednesday 14 June.

Rosenqvist – whose main 2017 programme revolves around dual Formula E and Super Formula commitments – will slot into the #21 ORECA 07 Gibson machine entered by the DragonSpeed squad, completing a driver line-up that also includes team regulars Henrik Hedman (Sweden) and Ben Hanley (Great Britain).

It will mark 25-year-old Rosenqvist’s first attempt at the world’s most esteemed endurance race, which dates back to 1923 and takes place for the 85th time this summer.

”Racing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans has always been a dream of mine,” says Felix Rosenqvist. ”It’s one of the world’s most famous races, and to drive a sports prototype on that particular track I’m sure will be something very, very special.

“I had my first taste of 24-hour racing at Spa last year and it was a truly standout experience, so I can’t wait to find out what Le Mans – the most prestigious one of all – is like. I’m looking forward to working with DragonSpeed to try and achieve a strong result, and I’d like to thank them for giving me this opportunity.”   

The LMP2 category in which Rosenqvist will compete is the second-quickest of four classes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, featuring 600-bhp prototype cars.

“We’re delighted to have Felix join the team for the highlight of our season,” says DragonSpeed team principal Elton Julian. ”He is an emerging star who will now make his Le Mans debut in our fast-emerging team, and we couldn’t be happier about this perfect match.

“This will also mark our own first attempt at Le Mans, and for this special occasion it’s been hugely important to build a squad that we believe can challenge at the front. Felix’s well-known speed will be absolutely crucial to that, and makes the ideal addition to our well-established pairing with Henrik and Ben.”

The 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans will be run on the semi-permanent 13.6 km Circuit de la Sarthe – laid out partly on everyday roads on the outskirts of the city – on 17-18 June.

“Choosing the drivers for the most important race of the year was actually easy,” said Head of Porsche Motorsport Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser. “Our driver squad is so strong we basically couldn’t make a mistake. Patrick Pilet and Dirk Werner are the perfect complement to our regular team members. It is definitely an advantage that they all know each other very well from the races in the USA. We’re in an excellent position for Le Mans with these drivers.”

At the beginning of the two-day Prologue on the storied racetrack in Lombardy, the Porsche 911 RSR fielded by the Porsche GT Team delivered a strong performance. During the morning session, Michael Christensen and Kévin Estre clocked the fastest time in the GTE-Pro class with the number 92 vehicle, and they were the quickest again in the afternoon. For their team colleagues, Frédéric Makowiecki and Richard Lietz, third place in the second session of the day was the best placing.

The Porsche customer teams campaigning the 911 RSR in the GTE-Am class also did well. Gulf Racing with the all-British driver lineup of Michael Wainwright, Ben Barker and Nicholas Foster occupied first place in both sessions. Dempsey Proton Racing with Porsche Young Professional Matteo Cairoli (Italy), Christian Ried (Germany) and Marvin Dienst (Germany) set the second quickest time.

Quotes from Day 1
Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, Head of Porsche Motorsport: “The WEC made a very good choice with Monza for the two-day Prologue tests. It’s not just a racetrack rich in tradition but also perfectly suited to prepare for Le Mans. We were able to carry out our test schedule virtually unimpaired. We concentrated on the tyres and on working on the setup. There were no surprises, the 911 RSR behaved just as we’d expected. Of course, the performance is hard to assess. All the teams are still in the middle of preparations and will undoubtedly only show their cards at the first round in Silverstone.”

Marco Ujhasi, Overall Project Manager GT Works Motorsport: “Monza is the dress rehearsal before the start of the WEC season. We have our complete WEC squad here for the first time. Our first priority is to practice procedures that we devised over winter. It’s not only about finding the perfect fit for the vehicle, driver and setup for the WEC, it’s also about many other things, from the preparation of spare parts through to work in the back office. We are practicing here in a serious situation so that we line up in Silverstone as perfectly prepared as possible.”

Richard Lietz (Porsche 911 RSR #91): “It’s wonderful to be back in Monza. It’s just a shame that we’re not contesting a race here because the atmosphere with all the enthusiastic Italian fans would definitely have been unique. We’re all very pleased with our 911 RSR, our long runs today were very promising. We’ll continue to focus on our test schedule and we look forward to Silverstone.”

Frédéric Makowiecki (Porsche 911 RSR #91): “This prologue before the season starts is very important for us all. It’s the first time that the entire team has come together at the racetrack and can work on our two 911 RSR. Monza is ideal for this. There are many things we can’t try out for Le Mans, but we can certainly gain important insights with regard to other racetracks. The morning session didn’t go so well for us; we had a few problems in finding the right balance. In the afternoon we concentrated on a long run and turned consistently fast laps.”

Michael Christensen (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “That was a good day for me, for Kévin and the whole team. This Prologue gives us the opportunity to get to know each other even better. Many of the mechanics and engineers are new to the team. We did a lot of work on the setup, especially after my three-hour stint in the morning. We gained critical experiences for the first race of the season at Silverstone. And the many fans who came out on this beautiful day certainly got a real treat.”

Kévin Estre (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “Michael did the long run this morning, I was only out on the track for four laps. In the afternoon session, while I was attempting to gauge the limits of the 911 RSR, I ended up in the gravel, but luckily there were no damages to the car. The 911 felt very good today. We can be really satisfied.”

Matteo Cairoli (Porsche 911 RSR #77): “That was a good day. Our 911 RSR is well balanced and working with the team is great fun. We’re also pleased with our placing. We don’t know how hard our competitors pushed, we concentrated on ourselves and went through our test schedule. It’s a great opportunity for me to contest the WEC.”

Today (24 March, 2017) Algarve Pro – SO24 is pleased to announce its driver line-up of Mark Patterson, Matt McMurry and Vincent Capillaire as well as a new partnership with SO24!

“After the success of winning Asian Le Mans Series championship, we’re looking forward to our second Le Mans,” said Team Principal Stewart Cox. “We’re really happy to be partnering with SO24! and we’re confident in our preparations and driver line up.”
 
Patterson is no stranger to the team having competed in the Asian Le Mans Series this year, securing two podium positions.  The American racer previously competed in the European Le Mans Series and World Endurance Championship.

“After the recent success with Algarve, I couldn’t be happier signing up with Vincent and Matt for Le Mans, my fifth time competing at this fantastic event,” stated Patterson. “The LMP2 field is chock-a-block with talent and we look forward to a thrilling race where, as usual, anything can happen.”

McMurry is just 19-years of age and by his own admission is looking forward to returning to the French circuit now that he has more experience under his belt. “I’m incredibly excited to be going back to Le Mans again and cannot thank Stewart (Cox) and (Team Manager) Sam (Cox) enough for giving me this opportunity,” McMurry said. “There is no race on earth that compares.
 
“Le Mans was great in 2014 but it will be even better now because of the experience I have gained. I was a wet-behind-the-ears 16-year old back then and it will be a much more comfortable experience this time around. I’m glad to be going there with a team I’m familiar with and Mark and Vincent in the driver line-up.”

Capillaire competed in the European Le Mans Series last year with SO24! by Lombard Racing and this year brings his branding to the Algarve Pro Racing team for the Le Mans event.

“I’m really pleased to join Algarve Pro Racing and push the SO24! colours at Le Mans this year,” Capillaire said. “A good partnership is born as Algarve Pro Racing grows every year and they are fully-prepared with a great driver line-up. I have a lot of respect for Mark, he’s very experienced. Matt is fast and both are really nice guys. I’m determined to get involved in this programme to deliver the best possible result.”

Dominique Payen is the man behind S024 – Sarthe Objectif 24 – which competed in European Le Mans over the last five years, always with a focus on the 24 Hours of Le Mans itself.

“Along with my business partner Pascale Leclaire, we’re really happy with the new partnership with Algarve Pro Racing,” said Payen “It’s a blank canvas and we’re aiming to paint at a very good picture at Le Mans.”

In order to allow faster access to firefighting vehicles, a new paddock access way located at the back of the first pits is being built and will be operational before the 85th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Until now, there have been two gates sufficiently large to allow vehicles to enter the paddock, but soon a third gate will be available, particularly so fire trucks can intervene more quickly when necessary.

Undertaken by the Ouvrage du Syndicat mixte of the 24 Hours circuit, the work is well under way and while the backhoe continues excavation, the borders have already been laid out. Despite a different layout, an access ramp for disabled individuals will still be available, in compliance with the Agenda d’Accessibilité Programmé in process at the circuit. The work will allow access to various areas for those with reduced mobility.

The Houston, Texas-based American team, who won the 2016 Petit Le Mans race in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class, and finished second at the 2016 running of the Le Mans endurance race, has received an invitation to this year’s prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans race in the GTE-Pro class with their Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE.

Finish driver Toni Vilander, Italian Giancarlo Fisichella and a yet-to-be-named third co-driver will compete in the fan favorite Rosso Corsa (racing red) No. 82 Risi Competizione Ferrari for Team Principal Giuseppe Risi.

They have just come off a podium finish (third place) in the GTLM class at the recent International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Rolex 24 At Daytona race with drivers Vilander, Fisichella and Brit James Calado, who is entered at Le Mans in the AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE for 2017.

At last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans Vilander, Fisichella and Italian Matteo Malucelli finished in second place in a battle to the finish against the Ford factory teams and where the small privateer team led many laps.

“It’s always an honor to be invited to Le Mans and this year is no exception,” said Giuseppe Risi. “Our little team has shown it can battle against the factories with a well-prepared car, excellent crew and drivers, and the determination to succeed in endurance races. The Ferrari 488, which was new last year, has proven to be another excellent car and we hope to show its abilities again this June.”

2017 will be Risi Competizione’s eighth visit to Le Mans, the first time being in 1998 and the last in 2016. They have three victories at the Circuit de la Sarthe and three additional podiums. Fisichella and Toni Vilander (FIN) have two victories each as teammates; Fisichella has three additional podiums and Vilander four.

Risi Competizione has won at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on three of seven occasions. The first appearance of the Risi team at Le Mans was in 1998 when Wayne Taylor, Eric van de Poele and Fermin Velez won the LMP-1 class in the Ferrari 333 SP. Risi Competizione collected back-to-back victories in the Ferrari 430 GT in 2008 with Jamie Melo, Mika Salo and Gianmaria Bruni and again in 2009 with Melo, Salo and Pierre Kaffer. The team made appearance in 2003, 2007 and their last entry was in 2010. On numerous occasions Risi Competizione entered two cars at La Circuit de la Sarthe.

“I think we are headed to Le Mans with a very strong package,” MacNeil said. “Bill and Townsend won there last year in a Ferrari. We will be running a brand new 488 GTE and the Scuderia Corsa team knows the car and knows us as well. I run with them in the Ferrari Challenge Series, so between us three drivers and the team we already have a great racing relationship. This will help us to get right down to getting the car set-up and ready to go for race day.”

 ”We have threatened to team up for a couple of years,” Sweedler said. “Cooper had his own program and we had ours, but this year we were able to get all of the pieces in place to do it together!  We have known the MacNeils for a many years and shared resources at Alex Job Racing in the past. Cooper has a lot of miles at Le Mans and has a lot of time behind the wheel of a Ferrari. Experience, drive, and a former winning team gives us another shot at winning the biggest sports car race in the world.”
 
“With our win last year, we have learned what it takes to stand on top of the podium at Le Mans,” Bell said. “We will have high expectations and we’ll have to be at the top of our game again. We’ve been friends with Cooper for a long time now in the paddock and I’m looking forward to racing with him.  He is a great guy and has the experience at Le Mans which is key. As we found out to be successful at the 24 you have to have the pace. No excuses. No full course yellows, wave bye to game your way back on the lead lap.”
 
The team will travel to Le Mans, France for the pre-test weekend June 3 and return for the race to run June 17-18.

Sweedler and Bell are returning as the defending Le Mans GTE-Am Class winners from 2016. MacNeil will be making his fourth start at the French classic. Combining the efforts of the seasoned IMSA WeatherTech Championship drivers under the Scuderia Corsa banner for the 24 hours was a natural decision.

“I think we are headed to Le Mans with a very strong package,” MacNeil said. “Bill and Townsend won there last year in a Ferrari. We will be running a brand new 488 GTE and the Scuderia Corsa team knows the car and knows us as well. I run with them in the Ferrari Challenge Series, so between us three drivers and the team we already have a great racing relationship. This will help us to get right down to getting the car set-up and ready to go for race day.”
 
“We have threatened to team up for a couple of years,” Sweedler said. “Cooper had his own program and we had ours, but this year we were able to get all of the pieces in place to do it together!  We have known the MacNeils for a many years and shared resources at Alex Job Racing in the past. Cooper has a lot of miles at Le Mans and has a lot of time behind the wheel of a Ferrari. Experience, drive, and a former winning team gives us another shot at winning the biggest sports car race in the world.”

“With our win last year, we have learned what it takes to stand on top of the podium at Le Mans,” Bell said. “We will have high expectations and we’ll have to be at the top of our game again. We’ve been friends with Cooper for a long time now in the paddock and I’m looking forward to racing with him.  He is a great guy and has the experience at Le Mans which is key. As we found out to be successful at the 24 you have to have the pace. No excuses. No full course yellows, wave bye to game your way back on the lead lap.”

The team will travel to Le Mans, France for the pre-test weekend June 3 and return for the race to run June 17-18.

Sweedler and Bell are returning as the defending Le Mans GTE-Am Class winners from 2016. MacNeil will be making his fourth start at the French classic. Combining the efforts of the seasoned IMSA WeatherTech Championship drivers under the Scuderia Corsa banner for the 24 hours was a natural decision.

“I think we are headed to Le Mans with a very strong package,” MacNeil said. “Bill and Townsend won there last year in a Ferrari. We will be running a brand new 488 GTE and the Scuderia Corsa team knows the car and knows us as well. I run with them in the Ferrari Challenge Series, so between us three drivers and the team we already have a great racing relationship. This will help us to get right down to getting the car set-up and ready to go for race day.”

“We have threatened to team up for a couple of years,” Sweedler said. “Cooper had his own program and we had ours, but this year we were able to get all of the pieces in place to do it together! We have known the MacNeils for a many years and shared resources at Alex Job Racing in the past. Cooper has a lot of miles at Le Mans and has a lot of time behind the wheel of a Ferrari. Experience, drive, and a former winning team gives us another shot at winning the biggest sports car race in the world.”

“With our win last year, we have learned what it takes to stand on top of the podium at Le Mans,” Bell said. “We will have high expectations and we’ll have to be at the top of our game again. We’ve been friends with Cooper for a long time now in the paddock and I’m looking forward to racing with him. He is a great guy and has the experience at Le Mans which is key. As we found out to be successful at the 24 you have to have the pace. No excuses. No full course yellows, wave bye to game your way back on the lead lap.”

The whole team is delighted for the ACO Le Mans decision and they will enter the #47 Dallara P217 in the LMP2 class. This makes Cetilar Villorba Corse the only Italian team among the two prototype categories admitted to the 85th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As previously announced, the team will also take part in the 2017 European Le Mans Series.

Team Principal Amadio says; “To be welcomed in the major motorsport temple among the best teams in the world is an unbelievable feeling. It represents a very big step forward in our twenty-year history. A special thought goes to the ‘Road to Le Mans’ project, to Cetilar and to Lacorte and Sernagiotto, who have always believed in such a result from the very beginning”.

The Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team’s 2016 victory came 50 years after an historic 1-2-3 finish for Ford at the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours. Ford also won the race in 1967 when Dan Gurney (US) and A. J. Foyt (US) piloted the Ford GT40 to victory, giving the team another target to hit this time around.

“When we came to Le Mans last year there was a lot of pressure on the team to deliver a win to commemorate the Ford GT40 1-2-3 finish in 1966,” said Raj Nair, executive vice president of Global Product Development and chief technical officer, Ford Motor Company. “It was fantastic to win but we will not rest on our laurels. We return to Le Mans in June with another year of experience racing the Ford GT behind us, seven wins including the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours and the 2017 Rolex 24 at Daytona, and we can’t wait to compete again at this incredible event.”

The Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team will again field a strong team of drivers to defend its 2016 LM GTE Pro class win.

New to the team for 2017 is young Brazilian, Luís Felipe “Pipo” Derani, who will join Andy Priaulx (GB) and Harry Tincknell (GB) in the #67 Ford GT for the FIA World Endurance Championship races at Silverstone, Spa and Le Mans. The 23 year-old came to Ford’s attention in 2016 when he won the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Sebring 12 Hours on his debut, marking himself as one to watch.

The winners of last weekend’s Rolex 24 At Daytona, Joey Hand (US), Dirk Müller (GER) and Sébastien Bourdais (FRA) will defend their historic 2016 Le Mans victory in the #68 Ford GT. The sublime squad proved with their two 24-hour victories that they are very hard to beat.

The #66 Ford GT will keep the regular rapid line up of Stefan Mücke (GER) and Olivier Pla (FRA) in the FIA WEC, and they will again be joined by Billy Johnson (US) for the Silverstone, Spa and Le Mans races.

In the #69 Ford GT the top squad of Ryan Briscoe (AUS), Richard Westbrook (GB) and Scott Dixon (NZ) will be looking to improve on their third place Le Mans podium finish of 2016.

“We are really looking forward to getting back to Le Mans with the Ford GT this year,” said Chip Ganassi, Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team owner. “Although we came home with the win last year, I think we also learned a great deal about that race, the Ford GT and what it takes to compete for the win. I feel like we will be even better prepared this time around. In addition, we will also once again take four cars and 12 of the best racing drivers in the world so I can’t wait to get back there and defend our title.”

DRIVER COMMENTS:

PIPO DERANI #67

“I am delighted and proud to have been chosen to represent such a successful and respected manufacturer like Ford. To compete for a team like Ford Chip Ganassi Racing has been one of my aims since starting in racing and to be recognised and selected by them is a big deal for me. I especially want to thank George-Howard Chappell for his trust and belief in order to give me this opportunity.

“The way that the Ford GT has performed in endurance racing over the last 12 months has been exceptional and I am very much looking forward to working with the team to try and bring more success in the FIA World Endurance Championship and to defend the Le Mans LM GTE Pro title.”

SÉBASTIEN BOURDAIS #68

“It’s exciting thinking about going back. But also a little stressful because everyone is going to be looking at us and saying, ‘Alright, you set the bar there and now you have to do it again.’ But, at the end of the day, that’s what racing is all about. You do something big, and then the challenge is to keep it there.

“It’s great to be part of this programme. To be lucky enough to be in the GT on its return 50 years later, and then to have the scenario of Ford and Ferrari battling it out… it was such a privilege to be part of it and I will remember it for the rest of my life.

“The historic meaning of the race was really what did it for me. To put my name there and to be associated with a programme that means so much to so many people is special. To be honest, to give to the Ford family what they had been chasing it for a little while, with their commitment and dedication and heart was meaningful. When the family arrived at Le Mans, the whole thing took a different spin for me. I could tell it was very personal to them. It was not simply another race or another racing programme. That’s what was very special about it for me. ”

HARRY TINCKNELL #67

“One of the special things about Le Mans is that because some of the circuit utilises public roads you can’t go and test there during the year. You just get that one shot, every summer. It’s the biggest endurance race in the world. Over 250,000 people come along and create an atmosphere like nothing I have experienced before.

“The circuit itself is unbelievable. It’s high speed and it suits the Ford GT perfectly as the car was designed for Le Mans. We made history last year, on the 50th anniversary of the 1966 win. I’m in the #67 car and Ford won Le Mans in 1967 too so let’s hope we can make more history this year. I think we have a good chance this year. We (the WEC team) had only done two races before last year’s Le Mans but now we have a year of racing under our belts and we are a solid unit. We ended the 2016 season with a strong run of results and competing at Daytona last week means we are up and running early for the 2017 season.

“We go to Le Mans with high expectations. It’ll be tough of course but I can’t wait. It’s the biggest race of the year!”

Live from Le Mans on Thursday 2nd February 4:00 pm (GMT + 1) the lists will be revealed exclusively on the Internet in a new innovative interactive format.

Media and surfers can ask questions via the social networks. On a dedicated stage in a friendly ambiance, the hosts will interview ACO representatives and will have the on-the-spot reactions of key players in the world of endurance thanks to several platforms.

Several new subjects will be tackled during this innovative reveal! Rendezvous on our internet sites and social networks on 2nd February.

The new LEGO Speed Champions set will include both cars as well as racing driver minifigures, a chequered flag and even a trophy to make it easy to recreate those history-making victories.

“Many people in my team grew up with the legend of Ford’s history-making 1966 victory – and experienced the excitement of building and design for the first time through LEGO bricks,” said Dave Pericak, global director, Ford Performance. “This kit is a powerful way to tell our Le Mans story, and will hopefully inspire the race drivers, engineers, and designers of the future.”

Ford won at Le Mans earlier this year after returning to the scene of what was a historic 1-2-3 clean sweep 50 years previously. The LEGO Group worked closely with Ford’s design and licensing teams on every detail of the 1966 winning car, and the new Ford GT race car.

“This was a dream project – with a lot of pressure. The Ford GT40 is one of the most iconic race cars of all time, and the new Ford GT is just incredible,” said Craig Callum, head of design, LEGO Speed Champions. “Designed for children, but with grown-ups fans in mind too, we know these models will be closely scrutinized for authenticity.”
 
Callum, who in his spare time races a Ford Model A hot-rod, and started out as a designer of full-sized cars, helped develop ten prototypes before the final versions of each model were selected, all created from existing LEGO bricks.

High stress areas on the Bugatti Circuit like the Dunlop curve, the La Chapelle and Garage Vert bends were renovated in recent years, but it was necessary to repave the whole surface layer at this stage to have a homogeneous track surface, eliminating transversal joints.

Ghislain Robert, Technical Director of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) Le Mans Resort, said: “The ability of the track to provide excellent grip in all weather conditions is of paramount importance. This is why we decided to use Shell Cariphalte Racetrack. It provides good adhesion to the aggregates, and offers high drainage for the circuit.”

Thus, the 4.185 km surface of the Bugatti circuit was repaved with Shell Cariphalte Racetrack – an asphalt made from a high performance polymer modified binder and specially developed for racing applications. It has a strong resistance against deformation, and has been used on many tracks around the world, like Nürburgring and Hockenheim in Germany, and Ferrari’s own Fiorano test track in Italy.

“Thanks to Shell we were able to develop an asphalt mix that meets our strict specifications, as well as the requirements of drivers and our high standards as the organizers of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Aside from Shell’s high-performance bitumen solution, we also used a specific type of aggregate which has very high abrasiveness in order to meet the specifications set by tyre manufacturers”, said Ghislain Robert.

During the renovation carried out by Eurovia (a subsidiary of HRC) from the 10th to 27th of October 2016, more than 50 000 m2 of asphalt were scraped off and replaced. The new track will provide a better grip and a more uniform surface – crucial factors that enhance the performance of racers in competitions such as the 24 hours of Le Mans, the Grand Prix of France Moto, the European Championship of trucks and some other French competitions.

The Le Mans circuit is renowned for being a testing laboratory for next generation vehicles like the prototypes that participate in the 24 hours of Le Mans race.

Pierre Fillon, President of ACO explains, “The last time the Bugatti Circuit was completely refurbished was in 2004. The track was slightly worn, and some parts of the circuit caused discomfort to some riders. This renovation project was entrusted to the expertise of Syndicat Mixte of the 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit. In addition to supplying its bitumen expertise, Shell is  also the official fuel supplier of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as well as for the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the European Le Mans Series (ELMS). This new bitumen is likely to improve the performance and safety of motorcycles and cars on the track, thus contributing to more exciting races here in Le Mans.”
 
Health and safety, as well as environmental responsibility are core values for the ACO and the Syndricat Mixte of the 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit, the project owner. This is why the new asphalt was treated with Shell Bitufresh, a bitumen additive that has been specially formulated  to reduce the odour of bitumen during application.

The UK-based team were invited by the ACO to enter the LMP2 class of the world famous endurance race after winning the 2016 European Le Mans Series LMP3 championship. The team have now taken up that invitation by purchasing a Ligier JS P217 from French manufacturer, Onroak Automotive. They also intend to use the car in the 2017 ELMS, building on their success in the LMP3 class. They will however, continue with their LMP3 programme in 2017 and have announced their first driver line up of John Falb, Enzo Potolicchio and Sean Rayhall.

The team, who are also UK agents for Onroak Automotive LMP3 and CN cars, have decided to commit to buying an LMP2 car in order to fully prepare for the 24-hour race.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the oldest endurance race in the world and has been held annually since 1923. It runs on the Circuit de La Sarthe and contains a mix of public roads and racing circuit. The driver line up for the 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours is still to be confirmed.

United Autosports became 2016 ELMS LMP3 champions at the penultimate round of the season at Spa Francorchamps, after scoring three wins, a second and third place in five races. In total, the team scored eight podiums from six races with their two Ligier JS P3 sports prototypes.

Zak Brown, Team Owner and Chairman, United Autosports:
“I’m thrilled United Autosports will be able to take up the ACO’s invitation to enter the 24 Hours of Le Mans. We have committed to purchasing our own LMP2 car as it is the best way to prepare for such an important race. We are also looking at entering the 2017 ELMS too. We see it as great potential for the team and so we are working on getting a programme together and will be testing drivers in the coming weeks and months.”
 
Richard Dean, Team Owner and Managing Director, United Autosports:
“It will be great for Zak and I to bring United Autosports to the Le Mans 24 Hours. It is the most important endurance race in the world and to have our team among the grid will be a fantastic feeling. We have committed to our own Ligier JS P217 as it made perfect sense for the direction we want the team to go in. Now comes the task of putting our test programme together and finding the perfect driver line up for the car.”

The three winning designs, seven finalists and 10 honorable mentions were chosen from more than 1,600 registrants representing 80 countries. Over 16 years, Michelin Challenge Design has received a total of 9,901 entries from 123 countries.

“The winners of our 2017 Michelin Challenge Design presented numerous highly innovative features for the Le Mans race in the year 2030 and the quality of work from this year’s entries was truly outstanding,” said Thom Roach, vice president of original-equipment marketing for Michelin North America. “We congratulate the winners for their thought-provoking, visually captivating designs for the world’s greatest endurance race, Le Mans 24 Hours.”

Winners of the 2017 Michelin Challenge Design:

• First place: Tao Ni of Wuhu, China, for design entry “Infiniti Le Mans 2030”
• Second place: Daniel Bacelar Pereira of Vila Real, Portugal, for “Bentley 9 Plus Michelin Battery Slick”
• Third place: Kurt Scanlan of Toronto, Canada for “Cierzo C1”

Finalists of the 2017 Michelin Challenge Design (in alphabetical order):

• Mehdi Alamdari and Vahid Shahvirdi of Victoria, Australia, for design entry “Audi R28”
• Carlos Eduardo de Carvalho of Sao Paulo, Brazil, for “Embraer P1 Phenom Hybrid with Michelin Tire Wings”
• Josh Gadomski of Caledon Village, Ontario, Canada, for “Hydracross”
• Guilherme Kataoka, Luiz Ortega and Marcelo Toledo of Sao Paulo, Brazil for “Bentley Speed X”
• Vruttant S. Phatak of Maharashtra, India, for “Neuraura”
• Vladislav Semenov and Maria Ryadno of St. Petersburg, Russia, for “Bugatti Wimille”
• David Voltner of Zlin, Czech Republic, for “Citroën C030 LMP1”

“The Le Mans 24 Hours race has always been the theater of the greatest innovations for the motor car that are tried and tested during the mythical race for series production vehicles. The Michelin Challenge Design fits perfectly into our ongoing innovative process with Michelin, one of the Le Mans 24 Hours’ historic partners,” said Pierre Fillon, president of Automobile Club de l’Ouest. “I can understand how difficult it was for the judges to decide among the candidates given the quality of work sent in for the competition, which aims to predict what kind of car will race in the 2030 Le Mans 24 Hours.”

Juror Comments

“The quality of work is clearly at another level since I was a juror a couple of years ago. The world is watching this competition.” – Chris Chapman, Hyundai America Technical Center

“I am very surprised by the quality of the work. The average level is so incredibly high for the number of people.” – Joji Nagashima, BMW Groupe Design

“There is a phenomenal array of creativity on display. The quality level, the thought, the understanding and the interpretation of the technology and how that folds into the aesthetics from a design perspective from all over the world is what Le Mans is all about.” – Tom Peters, General Motors Corporation

“(My) first time on the jury, and it’s quite amazing…a super high level of talent, so I’m really impressed with that. There were 40-50 really, really amazing proposals with a very high level of professionalism, creativity and thinking.” – Gilles Vidal, PSA Peugeot Citroën

“Many of the designs took on a holistic approach. From the cars to the racing suits to how the cars pit and the graphics that were included. They told a story. It wasn’t just about the race car.” – Craig Metros, Ford Motor Company

“I will tell you it’s impressive. Massive jobs they’ve done and it was impressive. The subject is difficult. I’m quite surprised at the level some of them are really reconsidering the full race. It’s ambitious.” – Bertrand Barre, Groupe Zebra

“Michelin Challenge Design is an insight into what the landscape of the world is towards some specific automotive related subject. Many of these designs showed how you could improve the brand of racing and look for alternative ways. Part of the spirit of competition is the human aspect. The enjoyment of driving will never go away.” – Dave Marek, Honda R&D Americans, Inc.

“What I like about these entries is they didn’t tell a long story. They let the images tell the story.” – Richard Plavetich, Nissan Design America

“We as jurors all agree that this year’s entrants were the highest quality and the most exciting ever. We were looking for something super creative and artful and at the same time something that would draw in new science that would be relevant for future car development. Whether that science is about new materials, chassis dynamics, new powertrains, light weight structures or aerodynamics, we saw lots of solutions that touched all of those topics.” – Stewart Reed, Jury Chairman & Art Center College of Design

In recognition of the exceptionally high number of outstanding design entries, the jury chose to recognize the following 10 entries as worthy of Honorable Mentions in the 2017 Michelin Challenge Design (in alphabetical order):

• Samuel Marquez Arango of Torino, Italy, for “Bugatti Benoist”
• Martin Chatelier of Hauts-de-Seine, France, for “Mercedes Benz Design to Win”
• Jeroen Claus and Fabian Brees of Antwerp, Belgium, for “Tesla LMPE”
• Andhika Dimas Dwiputra and Freksa Arista Ihsan of Bekasi, Indonesia, for “Audi Ayrus”
• Po-Sen Huang and Po-Yuan Huang of New Taipei City, Taiwan, for “TOKON”
• Minwoo Jeon and Donghun Nam of Seoul, South Korea, for “ConverT”
• Nicolas Francisco Loyola of Torino, Italy, for “Faraday Future Singularity”
• Miguel Ferreira Rodrigues of Coimbra, Portugal, for “NEO”
• Chirayu Shinde of Maharashtra, India, for “Renault Sun Run”
• Emre M. Yazici of Ankara, Turkey, for “Appleone”

(Images of the winning entries are available at www.michelinchallengedesign.com).

The first, second and third place winners will be invited to attend the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) as guests of Michelin and will be recognized during Michelin’s annual private Designer’s Reception, where they will participate in a private portfolio review with members of the jury.

The first-place winner will be recognized at the 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours race. All members of each winning team and finalist category are invited to join an exclusive online community restricted to Michelin Challenge Design winners and jurors.

 2017 Michelin Challenge Design Jury:
Stewart Reed: Chair, Transportation Design Department, Art Center College of Design, Consultant and Jury Chairman, Michelin Challenge Design

• Bertrand Barre: President & Co-Founder, Groupe Zebra
• Chris Chapman: Chief Designer, Hyundai America Technical Center
• Dave Marek: Acura Global Creative Director, Honda R&D Americas, Inc.
• Craig Metros: Design Director, North American Exterior, Ford Motor Company
• Damien Michelin, Honorary Juror, Michelin North America
• Joji Nagashima: Creative Director, Concept Cars, BMW Groupe Design
• Thomas Peters: Director of Design, General Motors Corporation
• Richard Plavetich: General Manager, Design Business, Nissan Design America
• Gilles Vidal: Director of Design, PSA Peugeot Citroën

He remains to this day an established name in the world of motor racing: Jochen Mass. He recorded numerous victories from the 1970s until into the 1990s, among them his overall victory in the famous “24 Hours of Le Mans” in a Sauber-Mercedes C 9 in 1989. After that, and up to the present day, Jochen Mass has regularly driven for Mercedes-Benz at historical events, piloting famous classic cars from the company’s own collection. His next outing, for example, will be at the Zoute Grand Prix (6 to 9 October 2016) in the Belgian coastal resort of Knokke.

Stuttgart. High praise from an illustrious source: Jochen Mass “is an extremely knowledgeable driver with a tremendous feel for racing cars,” says former racing driver Sir Stirling Moss. “He is familiar with the racing history of every age.” This is precisely the description that fits Jochen Mass: not just that, in his active days, he was Germany’s most successful racing driver, but he is equally at home in racing cars from the complete history of motor sport, knowing how to pilot them with great virtuosity. Whether pre-war or post-war cars, Mercedes-Simplex, Mercedes-Benz SSK, famous Silver Arrows such as W 25 and W 196 R, the Sauber-Mercedes C 9 or the rally racers of the 1980s: Jochen Mass is always an expert at the wheel.

And he possesses an unrivalled ability to describe the peculiarities of vehicles from every age and to accurately compare their technologies and driving characteristics. In this way, Jochen Mass allows enthusiasts and visitors to share in his driving experiences. As he now turns 70, Mercedes-Benz Classic sends him the warmest congratulations.

Jochen Mass was born on 30 September 1946 in Dorfen near Wolfratshausen and grew up near Mannheim. His first career move was as a sailor on the world’s oceans. After that, however, he quickly turned towards motor sport. Having served his apprenticeship as a mechanic, in 1968 he began his varied career in motor sport with touring car racing. In 1972, he won the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. At the same time, he took part in Formula 2, finishing second in the 1973 European championship. In the same year, Mass made his Formula 1 debut in the Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone, driving for the Surtees team. Having proved himself in top-tier motor sport, he went on to contest a total of 105 Grand Prix races for various teams, collecting 71 world championship points. Alongside Wolfgang Graf Berghe von Trips, he was until that time Germany’s most successful Formula 1 driver.

After his years in Formula 1, his career carried on apace: in 1984, Mass piloted a Mercedes-Benz 500 SLC (C 107) in the Paris–Dakar Rally. In this highly challenging event, simply completing the race represented a great achievement: he finished 62nd. After winning the German Sports Car Championship in 1985 and a stint as a works driver at Porsche, in 1988 he joined the Sauber-Mercedes team as a works driver. He drove in Group C for the same team until 1991. In the new Silver Arrow, the Sauber-Mercedes C 9, Jochen Mass triumphed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1989 in the same team as Manuel Reuter and Stanley Dickens, going on to finish runner-up in the world championship in the same year. Three years later, in 1992, Mass moved to team management of the DTM. On land, water and in the air – Jochen Mass is a competitor through and through: in 1992, the trained sailor took part in a balloon race across the Atlantic. From 1993 to 1997, he worked as a co-commentator on Formula 1 broadcasts for the RTL television station.

Given this extensive experience, it is hardly surprising that Jochen Mass is today active as a Mercedes-Benz brand ambassador, taking part in historical events. He regularly competes in a team with other famous racing drivers. Sir Stirling Moss recalls their joint participation in the Mille Miglia in 2005 – fifty years after his legendary triumph in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR. Moss: “I drove out into the night and, as agreed, handed over this great car just a short time later to my replacement driver – Jochen Mass. I did so with no misgivings whatsoever, as, for me, Jochen is a kindred spirit.”

The automotive world is stunned to hear that Porsche will race in Le Mans. The carmaker, founded in 1948, is the first (and only) German brand to enter this most venerable of French endurance races in the aftermath of World War II. The announcement is not only motorsports news but also a political statement. Just a few years after the war, German carmakers are not exactly welcome in France. True, at last year’s motor show in Paris, Charles Faroux—the director of the race in Le Mans—expressly called for Porsche to participate, but his compatriots still harbor a good deal of resentment toward Germans, stemming from the occupation. The decisive impetus for Porsche to take part finally comes in the form of Auguste Veuillet, the future exclusive importer for Porsche in France. He wants to drive in the race himself, and he also plans to handle local organizational matters for Porsche with motorsports director Paul von Guilleaume.

For the racing team from Zuffenhausen, Teloché is an ideal location

But where should the Porsche racing team be based? Veuillet finds a garage in Teloché. Its owner, Georges “Jojo” Després, rents part of the auto shop to the team. It is not an easy decision for Després, who is criticized by neighbors and customers for bringing Germans into the village. For the racing team from Zuffenhausen, however, Teloché is an ideal location. Its cars can be driven straight to the circuit without having to be loaded onto trailers or trucks. Moreover, there is still a rear entry to the circuit at the end of the Mulsanne straight, which means the team can avoid congestion at the main entrance.

The 1951 race takes place on June 23 and 24. Auguste Veuillet and Edmond Mouche drive the 356 SL to a class victory for engines under 1,100 cc. They also place 20th overall: a noteworthy result. The victory earns Porsche a fair amount of approval and attention, both in France and internationally. Furthermore, Le Mans henceforth becomes a fixed date on the Zuffenhausen racing calendar. Porsche enters three factory cars in 1952 and 1953, and then four beginning in 1954. With two mechanics per car plus the racing director and his staff, an ever larger team sets off each year for Teloché.

Porsche’s auto shop in Teloché is relegated to the pages of history

The villagers rent out their guest rooms, bedrooms, and children’s rooms to Porsche, and many friendships are formed over the years. No one minds when the cars take loud test-drives through the village in the morning or the evening, or when the team returns from its practices after midnight—au contraire. At Madame Peschard’s Café des Sports, breakfast awaits the Porsche crew at seven in the morning, and an evening meal is also ready even if they come back late from the circuit.

With the advent of Group C and the Porsche 956 in the early 1980s, a new age of racing begins—one that requires substantially more technical preparation. The mechanics start to work directly at the drivers’ camp, right next to the trucks that carry the cars. From then on, Porsche’s auto shop in Teloché is relegated to the pages of history.

Drivers Joey Hand (US), Dirk Müller (GER), Sébastien Bourdais (FRA) and team owner Chip Ganassi joined Ford Performance executives to present the winners’ trophy to Ford Motor Company employees on Tuesday at Ford’s Product Development Center, while third-place finishers Ryan Briscoe (AUS) and Richard Westbrook (GB) joined them for a formal presentation with Ford executives, question-and-answer sessions and autograph signing near Ford’s global world headquarters.

“It’s always a great day when you can bring a celebration like our Le Mans victory back to Ford employees and be able to present this trophy to them,” said Dave Pericak, global director, Ford Performance. “This victory for was them. So many of our employees worked very hard to help us get ready to race at Le Mans, and we couldn’t have done it without them. And all of our employees, here and globally, have been behind us from the start in this effort, and we wanted to let them know how much their support meant to us.”

With his 175th victory Ganassi becomes the only owner in history to win the Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500, Brickyard 400, Rolex 24 At Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring and Le Mans 24 Hours.

Ganassi attended with team partner Rob Kauffman, Chip Ganassi Racing President Steve Lauletta, Managing Director Mike Hull, IMSA sports car team principal Mike O’Gara and WEC team principal George Howard-Chappell. Multimatic Vice President Larry Holt and Doug Yates, CEO of Roush Yates Engines, also were on hand for the celebration.

“The new Ford GT is a spectacular car and we feel honored to be the ones to race it and represent Ford,” Ganassi said. “In just two-and-a-half years this Ford Performance Chip Ganassi Racing program has won the 12 Hours of Sebring, the Rolex 24 At Daytona, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans – among others. You can probably call that the sports car triple crown – the three biggest sportscar races in the world and Ford and Chip Ganassi Racing have made an indelible mark on all of them. I couldn’t be more proud.”

First unveiled to the media at Le Mans last year, the Ford GT’s Le Mans victory came 395 days after the car turned a wheel for the first time on May 20, 2015, at Calabogie Motorsports Park in Canada. The new Ford GT began as a secret project that only a few Ford employees knew about, but has become a company-wide point of pride.

“I think what’s important with any program you’re on, but especially this one, is you have to look back at how it started,” Hand said. “This race car started with all the employees at Ford and Ford Performance, in the special basement studio. Having a car that could race to win Le Mans and then to do it, on the day of the anniversary, is nothing short of amazing. It’s the people at Ford, from the Ford family down, to Multimatic and Chip Ganassi Racing that make it as special as it is. We all feel like we’re a family on this program. I think everyone can be really proud, on all levels of this program, about what we did.”

In all, four Ford GTs raced at Le Mans – two that campaign fulltime in the global FIA World Endurance Championship, based in the UK, and two that compete in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in North America. They raced at Le Mans with the numbers 66, 67, 68, 69, in homage to the four years Ford won the storied race in a row with the Ford GT40.

The morning of the visit, Westbrook and Briscoe presented a pair of boots and gloves they were wearing at Laguna Seca, when they earned the first win for the new Ford GT, to The Henry Ford museum.

 “(The win at Laguna Seca) was a great stepping stone to the success we were able to continue with going to Le Mans and beyond,” Briscoe said. “I think it was just a really important win for everyone involved, especially on the race team. Just to give us the confidence that we can get the job done and yes, we can do this and let’s go to Le Mans and do it again. We’d had a few issues in the races before, so it was just great to have an absolutely trouble-free weekend and everything was really reliable, performance was strong. It was the perfect way to send off to Le Mans.”

Both the No. 66 Ford GT (the car that won at Le Mans) and the No. 67 (the p3 finisher) were on display for employees to see.

“It’s amazing (to see the support),” Westbrook said. “At Le Mans Dave (Pericak) and Raj (Nair) were always reminding us about how popular this program is and how much support for this program there is in Dearborn, and that was a big comfort racing at Le Mans, knowing that we’re racing for a big team, not just our guys at the track, but all of those people supporting us back at Ford World Headquarters in Michigan and around the world. To come see them is really special. It reminds us of why we’re racing. We’re not just racing for ourselves, but for a whole workforce. A huge amount of people who have put a lot of work into this program. It’s really special.”

“Celebrating the anniversary of Ford’s historic victories at Le Mans has always been a part of the return of the Ford GT,” said Raj Nair, Ford executive vice president, product development, and chief technical officer. “The 2017 Ford GT ’66 Heritage Edition is a stunning tribute to the car that kicked off Ford’s string of Le Mans victories in 1966.”

The Ford GT ’66 Heritage Edition features a Shadow Black exterior in either gloss or matte finish with silver stripes and exposed carbon fiber package. The car sports Frozen White #2 hood and door graphics, and 20-inch one-piece forged aluminum wheels in a gold satin clearcoat with black lug nuts.

The interior of the limited edition model wraps the Ford GT carbon-fiber seats in Ebony leather, with pillowed inserts and plow-through stitching, and the seats’ head restraints and the steering wheel are debossed with the Ford GT logo. The instrument panel, pillars and headliner also features an Ebony-leather wrap, with gold appliqués on the instrument panel, the seat’s X-brace and shift paddles. Like the 1966 race car, the steering wheel is leather wrapped, with seat belts featuring a unique blue webbing.

Rounding out the modifications to the Ford GT ’66 Heritage Edition are a unique serialized identification plate, the #2 interior door graphic, and exposed matte carbon fiber door sills, air register pods and center console.

Garen Nicoghosian, exterior design manager for the car, says the team set out to highlight where it all started with the Ford GT. “While the looks are distinctly based on the GT40 Mark II race car,” he says, “we’ve accentuated new styling cues to provide a modern interpretation.”

To increase the level of the LMP1 Privateer class, a number of adjustments to the Technical Regulations have been approved:

- Increase of chord and width of rear wing

- Increase of width of front part of the bodywork

- Lower minimum weight 830kg

- Only one fuel flow meter

- No required torquemeter

- No engine quantity limitation

- No restriction in engine capacity

• The winning team of Romain Dumas (FR), Neel Jani (CH) and Marc Lieb (DE) in the number 2 car completed 384 laps (5,233.54 kilometres).

• Car number 2 was leading the race for 51 laps. The number 1 sister car of Timo Bernhard (DE), Brendon Hartley and Mark Webber (AU) was leading for 52 laps in the first third of the race.

• Due to the many phases with reduced speed because of safety car periods and slow zones, the race distance was almost 150 kilometres short of the distance covered in 2015.

• For 327 of the 384 laps the number 2 car was able to go at full race pace. On 57 laps either the safety car was on track or at least one so called slow zone was in place – this means that only 80 km/h was allowed for safety reasons at certain parts of the 13.629 km long track.

• In total the race saw four safety car periods (16 laps) and 24 slow zones.

• Car number 2 spent a total of 38 minutes and five seconds in the pits for refuelling and tyre changes. Because of a water pump change and repairs for the subsequent damage, car number 1 was in the pits for a total of two hours, 59 minutes and 14 seconds.

• The average speed of the winning Porsche 919 Hybrid was 216.4 km/h.

• The highest top speed of a Porsche 919 Hybrid in the race was 333.9 km/h and was done by Brendon Hartley on lap 50.

• The Porsche 919 Hybrid recuperated and used 2,22 kWh (8 megajoule) per lap. If it was a power plant, a family home could be supplied with electricity for three months.

• Car number 2 was refuelled 30 times, car number 1 was refuelled 20 times.

• Car number 2 used 11 sets of tyres in the race. The first set were rain tyres, all others were slick tyres.

• The longest distance covered with one set of tyres was 53 laps with Marc Lieb at the wheel.

• The fastest pit stop, including a tyre and driver change, by the Porsche Team was 1:22.5 minutes.

• The fastest stop for refuelling was done in 65.2 seconds.

• The winning Porsche’s gearbox mastered 22,984 gear changes (up shift and down shift) during the 24 hours.

• The longest time behind the wheel in the winning car was for Neel Jani with nine hours and 24 minutes. Romain Dumas spent the longest continuous time in the car.

• The drivers had 0.85 litres of drink on board for each stint. The drink bottle was changed at every refuelling stop.

• For the best possible visibility, the prototypes had four tear-offs on the windscreens, which were removed one after the other.

• The highest ambient temperature during the race was 22.4 degrees Celsius at 17:30 hrs. The lowest was 12.3 degrees Celsius at 06:15 hrs.

• 32.11 gigabytes of data from car number 2 were transmitted to the pits during the 24 hours.

• After three rounds of the FIA World Endurance Championship, with double points in Le Mans, Porsche now leads the championship with 127 points, followed by Audi (95) and Toyota (79). In the drivers’ world championship Dumas/Jani/Lieb have scored 94 points and are leading by a gap of 39 points. Bernhard/Hartley/Webber are currently in 19th position with 3.5 points.

After hectic practice and qualifying, the team decided to change the chassis of the car, rebuilt on Friday. It proved to be a well-inspired decision, as the car basically led during the first quarter of the race. Unfortunately, at midnight, an engine problem arose that required two long stops for repairing. Once on track again, the Porsche could climb positions to finish in the top ten.

Joel Camathias:

“It has really been a 24 Hours of intense and mixed emotions, as only such a great race can give. After qualifying, we were relatively concerned by the unpredictable behavior of the car. The team decided to have the chassis changed, and a new one was dent from Stuttgart. It took an entire day to the mechanics to rebuild the car, which then worked to perfection. During the first hours of the race, we have always been first or second, and I must say that it was a great sensation to be leading the race during my first stint. Then, we had this engine issue that cost us two hours and any chance of a podium. Once again, the boys have done a terrific job to put the car back in condition.  Eventually, we managed to finish the race, which is always a nice satisfaction, although we cannot avoid some sense of regret.”​​

It had been a promising start for the Hong Kong-based squad, with British ace Richard Bradley doing an excellent four-hour stint, where he went from the outfit’s starting position of ninth to fifth in tricky conditions. With torrential rain sweeping across Circuit de la Sarthe moments before the 15:00 start, the 84th running of the French endurance classic had got underway behind the Safety Car. Richard had taken advantage of this caution period, as he pitted for intermediates on lap seven.

Halfway through his mammoth stint, the team bolted a set of slicks on the #47 machine with the track beginning to dry out. The 24-year-old was able to lift the car into the top three, after a run of consistently quick laps around the 13.629 kilometre venue.

Matt, who claimed the class victory for KCMG in Le Mans alongside Richard last year, then took over from his fellow Brit at 19:00 to begin his first stint in the car. The Norwich-born driver had limited running during the qualifying sessions but was quick to get up to speed in the #47 ORECA 05-Nissan, holding fourth place for much of his spell.

During the two-and-a-half hours Matt drove he didn’t put a foot wrong, and was able to get the car back into a podium spot, after the #44 Manor span in front of him at the Dunlop chicane. Two-time Formula Nippon champion Tsugio Matsuda then took to the track just before 21:30 keeping third position and showing good pace, before suffering from an issue after a piece of debris hit the car’s marshalling system, killing the master switch.

The #47 ORECA 05-Nissan came to a halt on Mulsanne straight, with Matsuda pulling over to the right-hand side of the track.

It looked like the #47 machine was facing retirement, but the Japanese pilot was able to get the car back to the garage after over an hour delay. Richard then took back over the wheel, after an excellent effort from the technical team.

However, a few laps into Bradley’s stint, the car ran into the gravel trap after suffering more electrical-related gremlins and the team was forced to retire the car.

Tsugio Matsuda: “I was very disappointed that we weren’t able to finish the race. It’s a shame, but it was a great experience to be back at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Even though we didn’t have enough time to test the car, it still showed strong pace and I’m very proud of how everyone in the team performed. The boys did an excellent job fixing the car, and for the first six hours we were in the top three. Again many thanks to all of our supporters and I hope to be back next year with the team!”

Matt Howson: “Our initial problem was related to the marshalling system. We then started to encounter some electrical issues, which led to a loss of battery voltage, and ultimately power steering, which put Richard into the gravel where he was unable to restart. We’re not yet sure if the issues are related so the team will investigate further when the car returns. Obviously we’re so disappointed as we were right in the race for the LMP2 victory, and I can’t thank everyone at KCMG enough for their efforts, I’m certain we’ll have our time again. I had a great return to Le Mans after Richard’s superb opening stints, putting us in the fight for first position from ninth on the grid. We had a lot more pace to use when needed, and it’s been satisfying to show once again what a force KCMG is in LMP2”

Richard Bradley: “It’s obviously gutting, you can always look at the negative side, but that’s not going to gain anything. We came in; we did one race, and didn’t have as much preparation as anyone else, but ended up being very competitive. It looked like we had a very real chance of a podium. While the car was running everybody did their job very well and the team can be happy with that, and now we can look forward to the future.”

In a dramatic race that was only decided on the last lap, Lucas di Grassi (BR), Loïc Duval (F) and Oliver Jarvis (GB) clinched third place for Audi at the last moment. Marcel Fässler (CH), André Lotterer (D) and Benoît Tréluyer (F) finished in position four. With that, Audi, in its 18th participation since the brand’s Le Mans debut in 1999, achieved its 18th podium in succession including 13 overall victories.

“Unfortunately, neither of our two cars made it over the distance without issues,” said Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “This weekend once more showed why Le Mans is regarded as the world’s toughest endurance race. I’m proud of our squad having managed to bring both cars home. But, obviously, this is not the result we were hoping for. Congratulations to Porsche on their second victory in succession. Following a tremendous race, Toyota, on making their 18th attempt, again just barely missed finally winning Le Mans – that speaks volumes about how incredibly difficult this race is.”

Due to heavy rainfalls, the field started behind the safety car for the first time in Le Mans history. Following the all-clear for the race, it took André Lotterer only a few laps to advance from grid position five to first place. However, the #7 Audi R18 lost its chance for victory as early as in the second hour when Lotterer, while leading the race, had to pit for a change of the turbocharger.

From this point on, Audi Sport Team Joest’s hopes were pinned on the #8 Audi R18 which, in spite of various incidents, kept pace with the group of the front runners throughout the night and, on Sunday morning, trailed the subsequent winners with a gap of less than two laps. A defective brake disc caused the deficit to increase to twelve laps four hours before the end of the race. As a precaution, the front brake discs were subsequently changed on the #7 “sister” car

Consequently, Audi still achieved its aim in bringing both new cars home and to score valuable points for the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) that will continue with the 6-hour race at the Nürburgring in Germany on July 24.

This is a historic success not only for Alpine, which also ranked fifth overall, but for ORECA too which becomes the first manufacturer since Porsche (2008-2009) to win twice back to back in the increasingly competitive and qualitative LM P2 class comprising no less than 23 prototypes. The ORECA chassis, with V8 Nissan prepared at Magny-Cours engine department, have been in the lead during the 24 hours. They achieved a double win, while a third one end up in the Top 5: Eurasia Motorsport and driver lineup Jun-Jin Pu, Nick De Bruin and Tristan Gommendy.

This outcome is all the more convincing as it is completed by G-Drive Racing’s pole and Manor’s fastest lap in race. Murphy Prototypes’s and Race Performance’s ORECA 03R also made it to the chequered flag. Manor and Thiriet by TDS Racing have led for a while before having to retire from the race, having run off track. KCMG and Baxi DC Racing-Alpine also had to withdraw after having been amongst the leaders.
What they’ve said.

“To win with the ORECA 05 and KCMG last year was a great joy. It’s once again an amazing feeling to see Alpine and Signatech win with an ORECA chassis” ORECA Technology’s design bureau Director Christophe Guibbal confides. “We really wanted to live such a success again as a manufacturer, but we also were fully aware that realizing your potential is probably one of the most difficult things to do. The ORECA chassis have always been in control, yet it wasn’t an easy race. It was stressful. Thanks to the excellent performances delivered by the teams and drivers, we’ve been able to go beyond the objective we’d set ourselves. We’ve improved and got a double. It’s a true satisfaction, a fantastic reward for the entire ORECA Group and once again some more motivation for what’s up next: the second part of the season to begin with, then the ORECA 07′s first shakedown – a car that will be defending this double title in 2017!”  

“It’s always difficult to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, thus to do it twice in a row is just incredible” Nicolas Lapierre notes (No. 36 Alpine A460/Signatech-Alpine) . “It wasn’t really the best start for us in terms of tyres and encountering difficulties in the pits. We had to attack to come back, then we had to top off fluid levels, but finally we made it to the first position quite quick. The car was fast, racing at a good pace and we were able to push or to control when needed. My teammates did a fabulous job, we only encountered a few issues and the car was intact by the end of the race, which is quite something in Le Mans. It was also lots of pressure to feel like you’re already being chased at mid-race. I’m very happy with this win. With the whole Signature team, we’ve got a common history and after having won together in Macao, it’s great to add Le Mans to our prize list. It’s also very special to race in France for such a brand as Alpine.”  

“The race went well, we finish second and there’s obviously some disappointment in the air because we were there to win and not only to show that we could go fast” René Rast admits (No. 26 ORECA 05/G-Drive Racing). “The car worked really well. We didn’t encounter one single issue, it’s fast and easy to handle which makes it a very good endurance car. The next stage is our next race and we’re going to continue to fight for the title.”“It was a long race!” Nick De Brujin says, smiling (No. 33 ORECA 05/Eurasia Motorsport). “It was so exciting, my first go at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, I’ve really appreciated the night shifts. We’ve had a difficult beginning but we fought our way back. For a first in Le Mans, it was really enriching. The car behaved perfectly. It could always be better and some bits and bobs can be optimized but we’ve done our best. Also, now that we’ve clocked the fastest time – on the Test Day – we’re fully aware of the car’s potential. It was a really sensational experience. We’re going to continue to work in order to show what we can do and to try to be one of the leaders in the future.”  

“We were right in the middle of a solid race and so we’re obviously really disappointed with this withdrawal” Thiriet by TDS Racing Team Manager Xavier Combet confides. “We started from the 7th place and went onto leading very quickly. The drivers were great. Mathias performed like we expected him to, Ryo’s driving was outstanding for a first hour here and Pierre clocked an excellent lap time. Despite a little issue with the power steering, the car behaved perfectly well. We were on it. The team did a great job, the mechanics achieved lightning quick pit stops. All of these things encouraged us to project a very interesting result. But unfortunately it didn’t work in our favour with this crash. These things happen in Le Mans. The entire team is just remarkable. We were chasers in the qualifying and then became the ones being chased, we were always in the lead.”  

“I’m obviously very disappointed that we had to withdraw” Tsugio Matsuda declares (No. 47 ORECA 05/KCMG). “It’s a shame but these 24 Hours of Le Mans will remain a fantastic experience. Though we didn’t get as much time as our rivals to test the ORECA 05 before the event, we were clearly racing at the right pace and I’m really proud of what the team has achieved. The mechanics and engineers have done an excellent job to prepare the car. And let’s not forget that we were fighting within the Top 3 throughout the first six hours of the race. I want to say special thanks to all of our fans and I hope to be back with the team next year”.

Race report.

#36 & #35. The two Alpine A460, designed and manufactured by ORECA, started from the second and third places on the grid. After fifty minutes under the safety car because of heavy rain, ‘les Bleus’ remained in the lead as the green flag was waved. However the two cars struggled at their first refueling. On board the No. 36, Nicolas Lapierre pushed hard and came back from the 12th to the 3rd row during his quadruple stint. Gustavo Menezes and Sétphane Richelmi successively replaced him and stayed within the leading trio. The Alpine A460 picked up momentum and showed up at the first place several times, despite having to top off fluid levels during H9. The car took control of LM P2 class halfway into the race and would never let go of it. What came next was the perfect performance: stints succeeded one another at a high pace while the team kept on changing tyres and refueling. The gap widened up to about one lap at H18. It remained that way and the No. 36 crossed the finish line first, more than two minutes ahead of the first contender down the road.

The efforts of sister car, entrusted to Manciatici/Ho Pin Tung/Cheng, didn’t get rewarded the same way. Out of the Top 10 after the first hour, the No. 35 gradually caught up thanks to a flawless performance. 7th midway through the race, it came back to the 4th place by the end of H16. Unfortunately it crashed early in the morning and had to withdraw.

#26. With their third pole back to back in the FIA WEC, G-Drive Racing kept control during the first hour. Slightly off in terms of strategy, then having to endure a slow puncture (H3) as well as to serve a drive-through penalty (H6), the No. 26 ORECA 05 quickly came back towards the front of the race. The fast Rast/Rusinov/Stevens trio constantly stayed within the Top 3, clinching the first place in class on several occasions. It’s finally at dawn that the No. 26 had to let go facing the future winner, suffering from a one-minute penalty. Despite a perfect last third of the race, the Russian team ended up on the second step of the podium.

#33. After a delicate first hour, following on a sensor problem, Eurasia Motorsport delivered a solid performance for its first visit to La Sarthe. Pu Jun-Jin/De Bruin/Gommendy demonstrated consistency and avoided pitfalls. Back in the Top 10 at the beginning of H7, the No. 33 ORECA 05 progressed overnight to finally enter the Top 5 in H17. The team never went back down in the rankings and clinched a very positive result for its first go at the 24 Hours, and with two rookies.

Though not rewarded this time, the three other ORECA 05 have also shone during this 84th edition. Starting from the 7th place, Thiriet by TDS Racing reached the Top 3 right from the beginning of H2. Particularly efficient, Beche/Hirakawa/Thiriet’s No. 46 car then took the lead, a good minute ahead of runner-up by the end of the first quarter. After a quick work on power steering, the French team always remained amongst the leading contenders. It was still fighting for victory as the sun rose, before having to retire from the race because it had gone off the track at Mulsanne (H17). For their debut in La Sarthe, Manor have encountered similar disappointment. In the first place after Roberto Mehri’s impressive quintuple stint, the No. 44 ORECA 05 first swung around and lost a couple of seconds, then had to deal with a starter issue (H7) and went off track (H9). The British contenders moved down in the rankings. Merhi/Graves/Rao’s adventure stopped in late morning after a crash (H21). Finally, KCMG which were defending their title, did remind their rivals the great contenders they are. In third position for a while, the trio Bradley/Howson/Matsuda showed an excellent level of competitiveness before encountering an electrical issue which forced the No. 47 to give up (H10).

The two ORECA 03R that also took to the track made it to the chequered flag. After different incidents during the race, Murphy prototypes ranked 15th with Ben Keating, Jeroen Bleekmolen and Marc Gossens; Race Performance 17th with Nicolas Leutwiler, Shinji Nakano and James Winslow.

The next race for ORECA LM P2 chassis will take place at the Red Bull Ring on July 16th-17th.

The success is the 18th overall victory for Porsche at the world’s hardest car race. One of the most eligible trophies on the globe will be homed for the second consecutive year at Porsche’s head quarters because the company came as record holder and title defender. In 2015 drivers Earl Bamber (NZ), Nico Hülkenberg (DE) and Nick Tandy (GB) won with a Porsche 919 Hybrid. The first ever overall Le Mans victory for Porsche dates back to June 14th, 1970 and was achieved by Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood in a 917 KH Coupé.

The second Porsche 919 Hybrid with car number 1, shared by reigning endurance world champions Timo Bernhard (DE), Brendon Hartley (NZ) and Mark Webber (AU), had a long stop for repairs at night, fought back and finished 13th overall. In the LMP1 class it came fifth. Porsche was rewarded in Le Mans with a total of 71 points for the manufacturers’ standings of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). For the Le Mans 24-Hours twice as many points are awarded as for the other eight six-hours races of the championship. Porsche leads the manufacturers’ standings with 127 points ahead of Audi (95) and Toyota (79). In the drivers’ standings, Dumas, Jani and Lieb have now 94 points in total and lead by 39 points.

How the race went for Porsche after Sunday noon:
Marc Lieb had a strong quadruple stint, occasionally leading in the number 2 Porsche 919 Hybrid before he handed the car over to Neel Jani at 11:50 hrs after 331 laps. The Swiss refuelled after 345, 359 and 373 laps. After 381 laps he had to pit because of a slow puncture and then, in the last moments of the race, a P2 finish appeared the best possible result. But then the leading Toyota stopped on track just before the final lap.

The number 1 sister car, that was leading earlier in the race but dropped back by 39 laps after a water pump failure and consequential damage at 23:13 hrs, was in the hands of Mark Webber at 11:20 hrs after it had done 285 laps. Webber refuelled after 298 and 311 laps. After 324 laps Webber handed over to Timo Bernhard, who had his final splash and dash after 337 laps and brought the car home in 13th place overall after it had covered a distance of 346 laps.

Quotes after the race:
Fritz Enzinger, Vice President LMP1: “First of all I would like to express my respect for the sensational performance which Toyota gave in this race. It was a great fight with them. Shortly before the finish we had settled for second place until we suddenly claimed our second Le Mans victory in a row. I would like to thank our great team in Weissach, our team here in Le Mans and all Porsche employees and fans which have supported us here.”

Andreas Seidl, Team Principal: “First of all we certainly feel for our colleagues and friends from Cologne. To give away such a great race this way on the last lap is something you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. But this is the sport with all its highs and lows and that’s also why we love it for. It was a strong fought victory. We had to put Toyota under pressure and went flat out for the entire race. Also our drivers were on the edge. The frequency with which the leader changed was extreme. Since we have started development and preparation for the 919 Hybrid we have delivered a strong performance. This goes for our colleagues at home in Weissach as well as for the race team. As happy as I am for the number 2 crew, I feel sorry for the guys from the number 1 car. Without the failure and the long repair they would have been able to fight for the win as well. To win Le Mans is the highlight of the season and it is difficult to believe we have managed it twice now in what is only our third year. Now we look forward. We take a lot of points from here and now we want to defend both world championship titles as well.“

Drivers Porsche 919 Hybrid car number 1:
Timo Bernhard (35, Germany):
(9 races: overall victory 2010, overall second 2015, class victory GT 2002)
“Congratulations to our sister car and the Porsche Team, it is a well deserved win. They fought for the lead for 24 hours and were very close in the end. Of course I feel sorry for everybody at the Toyota Team. To lose a race this way is brutal. We were not lucky either and I also feel sorry for Mark, Brendon and our crew. The guys were relentless and did an excellent job to fix the 919 Hybrid and get it up and running again. We had quite a bit of misfortune this year but have to be able to handle that. Our car was really fast, we easily could go at the speed of the leaders and at least we have won more points for the manufacturers’ championship for Porsche. Next year we come back. I don’t give up and want to win here with Porsche.”

Brendon Hartley (26, New Zealand):
(4 races: overall second 2015)
“On the final stints in our car it was important to get the driving time in for all drivers to collect some points. Our Porsche was feeling very good. We are all a bit upset that we had problems earlier on. But everyone in the team showed fighting spirit and then we kept our fingers crossed for the sister car.”

Mark Webber (39, Australia):
(4 participations: overall second in 2015, not racing in 1998 and 1999)
“I am very proud of the team, proud of the mechanics who worked so hard. It’s an honour to drive for Porsche in Le Mans again. It wasn’t our day, we were unlucky with the water pump. That was the big problem for us, we lost a lot of time. But Timo’s and Brendon’s drives were awesome. In the end we all prayed for car 2 and of course I’m happy for our team mates and Porsche. But what has happened to Toyota today, is really hard to take and you have to feel for them.”

Drivers Porsche 919 Hybrid car number 2:
Romain Dumas (35, France):
(15 races: overall victory 2010, 3rd place overall 2007, 5th place overall 2015, class victory GTE 2013)
“For sure we feel sorry for Toyota. It was a great race. But of course if you get the chance to win Le Mans, you won’t say no thank you. It’s impossible to realize right now what just happened. This year, the lap times were a bit slower due to the regulation changes.”

Neel Jani (32, Switzerland):
(7 races: qualifying record lap and 5th place overall 2015)
“I feel heartbroken for the Toyota drivers. I think every racing driver knows how this feels like. I still have no words to describe winning the 24 hours of Le Mans. This is really surreal. Still we drove a very good race with very few mistakes and pushed the car to the maximum. This win is really, really special.”

Marc Lieb (35, Germany):
(10 races: 5th place overall 2015, class victories GTE 2013, GT2 2010, GT 2005)
“It was not at all an easy race with regards to traffic and slow zones. The last quadruple stint I did was really on the edge. Even the first three stints were quite difficult with overtaking in the traffic and taking risks. In the last one I then also had to save fuel, and especially the front tyres that began to lose performance. I gave everything I had – and now I think I have to digest what all has happened today.”

Both TS050 HYBRIDs took turns to lead the race as part of an exciting battle with the #2 Porsche and was poised to win with the #5 crew of Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima before incredible late drama.

Starting what would have been the penultimate lap, with Kazuki at the wheel, the #5 suffered a sudden loss of power. Despite strenuous efforts to restore drive, the car struggled round the lap and stopped on the start-finish line. It was eventually restarted and completed the final lap too slowly to be classified.

The #6 of Stéphane Sarrazin, Mike Conway and Kamui Kobayashi, a long-time leader of the race which suffered its own troubles late in the race, finished second, behind the winning #1 Porsche.

That marked TOYOTA’s sixth podium finish, its fifth second place, in its 18th Le Mans since a debut entry in 1985.

The race was one of the closest fights in Le Mans history, with three cars locked in an intense battle for the entire 24 hours.

As a new car for 2016, the TS050 HYBRID, with its powerful 2.4litre turbo engine, 8MJ hybrid system and redesigned chassis, did not start the race as favourite but demonstrated its potential by setting the pace throughout.

Better fuel efficiency from the TS050 HYBRID allowed it to complete 14 laps per stint, while its rivals pitted one lap earlier. That reduced the number of stops required and contributed to a fascinating battle for the win.

Prior to the late drama, the TS050 HYBRID had suffered few issues. The #5 needed an additional pit stop early in the race due to severe tyre vibrations, while the #6 lost 30secs to repair minor bodywork damage following contact with a lapped car.

After 20 hours of flat-out racing, the top three were covered by less than 30 seconds, but soon the #6 dropped out of the battle for second, spending nine minutes in the garage to repair bodywork. Nevertheless, it resumed in a comfortable third place.

There was no respite for the team in a nervous finale as the #5 held off its rival until, with the race seemingly heading TOYOTA’s way, 260,000 stunned fans witnessed one of the most dramatic finales in the history of Le Mans.

The team will analyse the cause of the problem as part of its preparations for the 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours, which begin immediately.

Toshio Sato, Team President: “I am incredibly proud of our team effort, not just today but since Le Mans last year. Thank you to the team in Higashi-Fuji and Cologne, as well as our partners Oreca. The way we have responded to the pain of our 2015 disappointment, by developing an all-new chassis and powertrain in a short timeframe, has been impressive and the performance of the TS050 HYBRID was strong. We worked as one team and took part in an amazing Le Mans 24 Hours. Congratulations to Porsche on its victory. I have no words to describe our emotions today. It is simply heartbreaking but we will return stronger and more determined to win.”
 
TS050 HYBRID #5 (Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima)
Race: Not classified, 384 laps, 28 pit stops. Fastest lap: 3min 22.495secs
Grid: 4th

Anthony Davidson: “That was an unbelievable end to such a difficult race. You couldn’t have written the way it ended; no-one would ever have believed a movie if it ended like this. So to actually live through the experience is pretty hard to take, but it will make us stronger and we’ll be back.”
 
Sébastien Buemi: “It’s hard to find the words for what has happened today. We were in control of the race and were so close to the win that we all want. This is the biggest race of the year so it’s even tougher to accept. It is so disappointing for the whole team; we did the right preparation and we had the car to win. So we already look to next year when the target will be clear.”

Kazuki Nakajima: “First of all thank you to all the team members; we did everything right. The car was great to drive. It was tough to have Porsche #2 only 30 seconds behind me towards the end but we had the pace and we managed it very well. It was only two laps missing and it’s a pity we didn’t get the trophy; the team deserved to win. When I was doing my last lap to the chequered flag, all the marshals and fans were really kind to me and that was very emotional. I want to say thank you for that. Let’s come back stronger and grab that trophy.”

TS050 HYBRID #6 (Stéphane Sarrazin, Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi)
Race: 2nd (+3 laps), 381 laps, 28 pit stops. Fastest lap: 3min 21.445secs
Grid: 3rd

Stéphane Sarrazin: “It was amazing; to lose the lead right at the end is just incredible. Even in your worst nightmares you don’t think about that. The team did a great job. Car #6 was fast and fighting for the lead for 20 hours. We showed we have a strong car with good pace and a strong team. But it was incredible to finish like that.”
 
Mike Conway: “I have mixed feelings. Second is okay but we are all gutted for car #5. They drove a great race and were controlling it. You could see how upset everyone was; I really feel for them. We were fighting up there all race at the front so it was a good race in terms of the performance of the car. It’s okay to get one car on the podium but we wanted more.”
 
Kamui Kobayashi: “Unfortunately our second position was not what we wanted. We are here to win so I am not really happy. We showed the car has strong performance and our car set the fastest lap of the race. I feel really sorry for car #5, all the crew, drivers and engineers. They did a great race. They fought back through difficult moments and deserved to win.”