The entry list for the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2024 has been unveiled, featuring 16 former Formula 1 drivers. Among them are Robert Kubica, who will be joining last year’s winners Ferrari, Mick Schumacher making his race debut, and Jenson Button returning to join the top drivers in sportscar racing.
The top class of the race will see participation from Alpine, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Isotta Fraschini, Lamborghini, Peugeot, Porsche, and Toyota.
Some of the notable Formula 1 drivers on the Le Mans entry list include Jack Aitken, Sebastien Bourdais, Sebastien Buemi, Jenson Button, Nyck de Vries, Antonio Giovinazzi, Romain Grosjean, Brendon Hartley, Kamui Kobayashi, Robert Kubica, Daniil Kvyat, Andre Lotterer, Mick Schumacher, Will Stevens, Stoffel Vandoorne, Jean-Eric Vergne, Felipe Nasr, Paul di Resta, and Gianmaria Bruni.
Kubica’s move to Ferrari has been highly anticipated, considering that it was something he was expected to do if his Formula 1 career hadn’t been cut short by a rally crash in 2011. Another highlight of this year’s race is Jenson Button’s return as part of privateer Team Jota’s Porsche 963 lineup. The Le Mans 24 Hours will take place on June 15-16.
Porsche, which runs its factory cars in IMSA with Team Penske, has the most Hypercar entries with six. The lineup includes well-known names like Andre Lotterer, Will Stevens, and Callum Ilott, who was a former Ferrari junior and IndyCar driver.
Mick Schumacher, the 2020 Formula 2 champion, will be racing for Alpine. Sebastien Bourdais, a former Toro Rosso driver, Scott Dixon, a six-time IndyCar champion, and Alex Palou, Dixon’s Chip Ganassi Racing teammate, will headline Cadillac’s entry.
Romain Grosjean, a former IndyCar driver, will be driving for Lamborghini, alongside Daniil Kvyat and Edo Mortara. Peugeot will have two 9X8s, with Jean-Eric Vergne and Stoffel Vandoorne as confirmed drivers, bringing a total of three Formula E championships to the team.
Last year’s winning car, the #51 Ferrari, will remain unchanged, with James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi, and Alessandro Pier Guidi behind the wheel. Additionally, Robert Shwartzman, the current Ferrari F1 reserve driver, will also be part of Ferrari’s efforts.
Toyota’s entry includes Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, Nyck de Vries, Kamui Kobayashi, and Mike Conway, all of whom have previously won the race. Buemi, in particular, is one to watch, as he has the most wins among active drivers, with four. Winning a fifth would put him in third place on the all-time win list.
The number of former F1 drivers is expected to increase, as Felipe Nasr and Paul di Resta are likely to be added to the Porsche and Peugeot lineups, respectively.
In the GT category, Valentino Rossi, the seven-time MotoGP champion, will make his debut. Rossi has already achieved victories in sportscar racing and will be driving a BMW M4 alongside Maxime Martin and Ahmad Al Harthy.
Corvette Racing, the reigning champions in the GT class, will not be defending their victory from 2023, marking the end of their long stint in the category.
The LMP2 class, which features Gibson-powered ORECA 07s, will see a new trio claim the honors, as last year’s winning Inter Europol lineup is not together to defend their title.
For more information about the Hypercar, LMP2, and LMGT3 entry lists, please refer to the respective links.
According to the Source the-race.com