Le Mans 2021 entry list and preview

Le Mans News

Read our 2021 Le Mans 24 Hours entry list and preview, including the new Le Mans Hypercar class entries

Drivers leave the pit lane for the warm up lap prior to the start of the 88th edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours race on September 19, 2020 at the La Sarthe circuit in Le Mans, in front of empty stands with Covid-19 keeping away the motorsport classic's normal crowd of 250,000 diehard fans. (Photo by JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER / AFP) (Photo by JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER/AFP via Getty Images)

Can Toyota make it four Le Mans wins in a row?

JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER/AFP via Getty Images

184 drivers in 62 cars fighting it out over an entire day of gruelling, relentless racing – the 89th running of 24 Hours of Le Mans is just around the corner.

50,000 fans will be permitted at Circuit de La Sarthe this year – only 20% of the usual capacity, but a step in the right direction for motor sport fans. UK-based endurance heads desperate to make it to the blue riband event will need to be vaccinated; those who aren’t can only enter France for essential reasons, which don’t include spectating. Full and up to date government guidelines on entering France can be found here.

And it’s a momentous one too, heralding the dawn of the Hypercar era – a new set of regulations designed to cut costs, bring back manufacturers big and small whilst reigniting the passion for endurance racing. This time in 2021 the heavyweight might of Toyota brings its GR010 Hybrid, taken on by the plucky privateer of boutique sports car maker Glickenhaus, with Alpine’s ‘grandfathered’ LMP1 car the joker in the Hypercar pack.

The battle in the next-fastest LPM2 class will be fiercer as ever, with 25 cars scrapping for the win. Last year’s Le Mans-winning and champion WEC team of United Autosport, fielding Filipe Albuquerque and Phillip Hanson with Fabio Scherer replacing Paul Di Resta as the third driver, will be gunning for LMP2 honours, but face strong opposition in the shape of Jota’s Da Costa/Davidson axis and the G-Drive Racing Team which features Jean-Éric Vergne.

A field of eight LMGTE Pro sees Corvette return to the fray, whilst four Aston Martins take on eight Porsches and 12 Ferraris in LMGTE Am.

Le Mans Hypercar entries

MONZA, ITALY - July 17: The #709 Glickenhaus Racing, Glickenhaus 007 LMH of Franck Mailleux, Romain Dumas, and Richard Westbrook in action at Autodromo di Monza on July 17, 2021 in Monza, Italy. (Photo by James Moy Photography/Getty Images)

Glickenhaus: optimistic outsiders for the win?

James Moy Photography/Getty Images

Top-level endurance racing now enters a new era, and its name is Hypercar. Ominously for competitors, Toyota has stayed completely invested in WEC during the LMP1 to Le Mans Hypercar, hitting the ground running with its LMH.

The new challenger – bar a few technical hiccups – has swept all before it, the Sébastien Buemi/Brendon Hartley/Kazuki Nakajima no7 car winning the first two WEC rounds this year at Spa-Francorchamps and Portimão before the Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and José María López line-up won out at Monza.

From the archive

The latter crew have never won at Le Mans, being frequently cursed by bad luck – including Kobyashi damaging his clutch after interpreting a thumbs up from a competitor as a sign to leave the pitlane whilst leading in 2017.

Who will challenge Akio Toyoda’s boys at La Sarthe? Bullish boutique sports car maker Jim Glickenhaus believes he can with his eponymous 007 challenger, telling Motor Sport in this month’s magazine: “We’re gonna try to win this year, and I think it’s possible. We’ve built a low-downforce car on purpose with Le Mans in mind. We are absolutely as fast as Toyota on maximum speed; the only time they were quicker than us at Portimão was when they were slipstreaming each other. Why can’t we beat them?”

Fighting talk from the sometime film producer, but there’s a more low-key approach from Alpine, who’s grandfathered LMP1 car could also sneak a win, it’s team of two-time LMP2 Le Mans winner Nicolas LapierreAndré NegrãoMatthieu Vaxivière certainly having enough endurance pedigree between them to make a credible challenge.

 

No Team Car Nat Tyres Driver No1 Rating Driver No2 R Driver No3 R
7 WEC Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 – Hybrid JPN M Mike Conway (GBR) P Kamui Kobayashi (JPN) P Jose Maria Lopez (ARG) P
8 WEC Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 – Hybrid JPN M Sébastien Buemi (CHE) P Kazuki Nakajima (JPN) P Brendon Hartley (NZL) P
36 WEC Alpine Elf Matmut Alpine A480 – Gibson FRA M André Negrão (BRA) G Nicolas Lapierre (FRA) P Matthieu Vaxiviere (FRA) G
708 WEC Glickenhaus Racing Glickenhaus 007 LMH USA M Luis Felipe Derani (BRA) P Franck Mailleux (FRA) G Olivier Pla (FRA) P
709 WEC Glickenhaus Racing Glickenhaus 007 LMH USA M Ryan Briscoe (AUS P Richard Westbrook (GBR) P P Romain Dumas (FRA)v P

 

LMP2 entries

UA

United Autosport has swept all before it in LMP2 recently, and will aim to the same a Le Mans this year

DPPI

With 25 cars in the LMP2 class, it could be argued that this really is where the 24-hour party is at. Some world-class drivers in competitive teams means the battle will rage on all race long.

The Hanson/Scherer/Albuquerque United Autosports Oreca scored an overall podium at the last WEC round in Monza, only the sixth time this has happened in the series. Could they do it again at the big one? A lot can happen in 24 hours, and with only five cars in the top class, it’s not inconceivable that the UA car could actually win the entire thing.

Giving Zak Brown’s boys a run for their money will be the two JOTA cars of reigning Formula E champion Antonio Felix Da Costa, 2013 Le Mans runner-up Anthony Davidson and Roberto Gonzalez along with their team-mates of Stoffel Vandoorne, Tom Blomqvist and Sean Geleal.

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Not to be discounted is the other UA car of Paul Di Resta, 2021 London E-Prix winner Alex Lynn and Wayne Boyd, whilst there’s a famous father-son combination also on the list: Magnussen’s Kevin and Jan are teaming up with Anders Fjordbach to form a none-more-Danish attack in the High Class Racing team.

The younger Mag is getting some practice in before he steps up to the Hypercar class next year with Peugeot, accompanied on this year’s grid by another former F1 star (OK, he gives the Alfa-Romeo a spin every now and then) in the shape of Robert Kubica.

The Pole’s WRT team almost won in Monza with its other car (driven by Virgin Formula E driver Robin Frijns and Ferdinand Habsburg) after taking first in qualifying, so both cars are ones to keep an eye on in France.

A solid entry last year was Richard Mille’s all-female line-up of Sophia Floersch, Tatiana Calderon and 2019 W-Series runner-up Beitske Visser which finished ninth overall. Floersch spoke to Motor Sport last year about the challenges of moving up the racing ladder, and will be determined to improve again on her last impressive Le Mans showing

No Team Nat Tyres Car Driver No1 Rating Driver No2 R Driver No3 R
1 WEC Richard Mille Racing Team FRA G Oreca 07 – Gibson Tatiana Calderon (COL) S Sophia Floersch (DEU) S Beitske Visser (NLD) S
17 IDEC Sport FRA G Oreca 07 – Gibson Dwight Merriman (USA) B Kyle Tilley (GBR) S Ryan Dalziel (GBR G
20 WEC High Class Racing DNK G Oreca 07 – Gibson Dennis Andersen (DNK) B Ricky Taylor (USA) P Marco Sørensen (DNK) P
21 WEC Dragonspeed USA USA G Oreca 07 – Gibson Henrik Hedman (SWE) B Ben Hanley (GBR) G Juan Pablo Montoya (COL) P
22 WEC United Autosports USA GBR G Oreca 07 – Gibson Philip Hanson (GBR) G Fabio Scherer (CHE) S Filipe Albuquerque (PRT) P
23 United Autosports GBR G Oreca 07 – Gibson Paul Di Resta (GBR) P Alex Lynn (GBR) P Wayne Boyd (GBR) S
24 PR1 Motorsport Mathiasen USA G Oreca 07 – Gibson Patrick Kelly (USA) B Gabriel Aubry (FRA) G Simon Trummer (CHE) G
25 G-Drive Racing RAF G Aurus 01 – Gibson John Falb (USA) B Roberto Merhi (ESP) P Rui Andrade (PRT) S
26 G-Drive Racing RAF G Aurus 01 – Gibson Roman Rusinov (RAF) G Franco Colapinto (ARG) S Nyck De Vries (NLD) P
28 WEC JOTA GBR G Oreca 07 – Gibson Sean Gelael (IDN) S Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL) P Tom Blomqvist (GBR) P
29 WEC Racing Team Nederland NLD G Oreca 07 – Gibson Frits Van Eerd (NLD) B Giedo Van Der Garde (NLD) P Job Van Uitert (NLD) G
30 Duquene Team FRA G Oreca 07 – Gibson René Binder (AUT) S Guillermo Rojas (MEX)* G Tristan Gommendy (FRA) P
31 WEC Team WRT BEL G Oreca 07 – Gibson Robin Frijns (NLD) P Ferdinand Habsburg (AUT) G Charles Milesi (FRA) S
32 United Autosports GBR G Oreca 07 – Gibson Nicolas Jamin (FRA) G Jonathan Aberdein (ZAF)* G Manuel Maldonado (VEN)* S
34 WEC Inter Europol Competition POL G Oreca 07 – Gibson Jakub Smiechowski (POL) S Renger Van dez Zande (NLD G Alex Brundle (GBR) G
38 WEC JOTA GBR G Oreca 07 – Gibson Roberto Gonzalez (MEX) S Antonio Felix Da Costa (PRT) P Anthony Davidson (GBR) P
39 SO24-DIROB By Graff FRA G Oreca 07 – Gibson Vincent Capillaire (FRA) S Arnold Robin (FRA) B Maxime Robin (FRA) S
41 Team WRT BEL G Oreca 07 – Gibson Robert Kubica (POL) P Louis Delétraz (CHE) G G Yifei Ye (CHN)* S
44 ARC Bratislava SVK G Oreca 07 – Gibson Miroslav Konopka (SVK) B Oliver Webb (GBR) G Matej Konopka (SVK) S
48 WEC IDEC Sport FRA G Oreca 07 – Gibson Paul Lafargue (FRA) S Paul-Loup Chatin (FRA) G Patrick Pilet (FRA) P
49 High Class Racing DNK G Oreca 07 – Gibson Anders Fjordbach (DNK) S Jan Magnussen (DNK) P Kevin Magnussen (DNK) P
65 Panis Racing FRA G Oreca 07 – Gibson Julien Canal (FRA) S Will Stevens (GBR) P James Allen (AUS) G
70 Realteam Racing CHE G Oreca 07 – Gibson Esteban Garcia (CHE) B Loic Duval (FRA) P Norman Nato (FRA) G
74 WEC Racing Team India Eurasia IND G Ligier JSP217 – Gibson P James Winslow (GBR) S John Corbett (AUS)* B Tom Cloet (BEL) B
82 Risi Competizione USA G Oreca 07 – Gibson Ryan Cullen (GBR) S Oliver Jarvis (GBR) P Felipe Nasr (BRA) P

LMGTE Pro entries

Corvette

Corvette returns to Le Mans after a year out

DPPI

Corvette re-enter the LMGTE Pro fight after year’s Covid-enforced absence. Entering its line-up will be 2015 winner Nick Tandy as well as fellow Brit Alexander Sims, moonlighting from his full-time Mahindra Formula E role.

With the exit of BMW, Ford and the Aston Martin works teams from a once-highly competitive class, the Corvette C8.R will only be coming up against Ferraris (in the form 488 GTE EVOs) and Porsches (911 RSR) in its duel on the Mulsanne.

Tandy’s ’15 co-winner Earl Bamber lines up for privateer Porsche squad Weathertech Racing, whilst the Stuttgart factory team featured former Minardi F1 driver Gianmaria Bruni, who has won the LMGTE Pro class three times.

 

No Team Nat Tyres Car Driver No1 Rating Driver No2 R Driver No3 R
51 WEC AF Corse ITA M Ferrari 488 GTE EVO Alessandro Pier Guidi (ITA) P James Calado (GBR) P Côme Ledogar (FRA) P
52 WEC AF Corse ITA M Ferrari 488 GTE EVO Daniel Serra (BRA) P Miguel Molina (ESP) P Davide Rigon (ITA) P
63 Corvette Racing USA M Chevrolet Corvette C8.R Antonio Garcia (ESP) P Jordan Taylor (USA) P Nicky Catsburg (NLD) P
64 Corvette Racing USA M Chevrolet Corvette C8.R Tommy Milner (USA) P Nicholas Tandy (GBR) P Alexander Sims (GBR) P
72 Hub Auto Racing TPE M Porsche 911 RSR – 19 Dries Vanthoor (BEL) G Alvaro Parente (PRT) P Maxime Martin (BEL) P
79 Weathertech Rcaing USA M Porsche 911 RSR – 19 Cooper MacNeil (USA) S Earl Bamber (NZL) P Laurens Vanthoor (BEL) P
91 WEC Porsche GT Team DEU M Porsche 911 RSR – 19 Gianmaria Bruni (ITA) P Richard Lietz (AUT) P F P Frederic Makowiecki (FRA) P
92 WEC Porsche GT Team DEU M Porsche 911 RSR – 19 Kevin Estre (FRA) P Neel Jani (CHE) P Michael Christensen (DNK) P

 

LMGTE Am entries

Fisichella

Twice-class winner at Le Mans will be competing in LMGTE Am for AF Corse

DPPI

Four-time grand prix-winner Giancarlo Fisichella is the headline act of LMGTE AM, driving a Ferrari 488 for the AF Corse works squad.

From Ferrari past to Scuderia present, its junior driver Callum Illot lines up for the Iron Lynx squad, also in a 488, presumably auditioning for the Maranello LMH effort in 2023, as an F1 opening isn’t looking likely.

Reining LMGTE Pro champion Nicki Thiim will be driving for the Aston works squad in a Vantage, whilst Dominique Bastien, who became the oldest-ever Le Mans entrant last year at the age of 74, will be extending his record by taking part once more with the Dempsey-Proton Porsche squad in a 911.

No Team Nat Tyres Car Driver No1 Rating Driver No2 R Driver No3 R
18 Absolute Racing CHN M Porsche 911 RSR – 19 Andrew Haryanto (IDN) B Alessio Picariello (BEL) G Marco Seefried (DEU) S
33 WEC TF Sport GBR M Aston Martin Vantage AMR Ben Keating (USA) B Dylan Pereira (LUX) S Felipe Fraga (BRA) G
46 WEC Team Project 1 DEU M Porsche 911 RSR – 19 Dennis Olsen (NOR) G Anders Buchardt (NOR) B Maxwell Root (USA) S
47 WEC Cetilar Racing ITA M Ferrari 488 GTE EVO Roberto Lacorte (ITA) B Giorgio Sernagiotto (ITA) S Antonio Fuoco (ITA) G
54 WEC AF Corse ITA M Ferrari 488 GTE EVO Thomas Flohr (CHE) B Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA) P Francesco Castellacci (ITA) S
55 Spirit of Race CHE M Ferrari 488 GTE EVO Duncan Cameron (GBR) B David Perel (ZAF)* S Matthew Griffin (IRL) G
56 WEC Team Project 1 DEU M Porsche 911 RSR – 19 Egidio Perfetti (NOR) B Matteo Cairoli (ITA) G Riccardo Pera (ITA) S
57 Kessel Racing CHE M Ferrari 488 GTE EVO Takeshi Kimura (JPN) B Scott Andrews (AUS)* S Mikkel Jensen (DNK) G
60 WEC Iron Lynx ITA M Ferrari 488 GTE EVO Claudio Schiavoni (ITA) B Paolo Ruberti (ITA) G Raffaele Giammaria (ITA) S
66 JMW Motorsport GBR M Ferrari 488 GTE EVO Thomas Neubauer (FRA) S Rodrigo Sales (USA) B Robert Foley (USA) S
69 Herberth Motorsport DEU M Porsche 911 RSR – 19 Robert Renauer (DEU) S Ralf Bohn (DEU) B Rolf Ineichen (CHE) S
71 Inception Racing GBR M Ferrari 488 GTE EVO Brendan Iribe (USA) B Ollie Millroy (GBR) S Ben Barnicoat (GBR) G
77 WEC Dempsey–Proton Racing DEU M Porsche 911 RSR – 19 Christian Ried (DEU) B Jaxon Evans (NZL) S Matt Campbell (AUS) G
80 Iron Lynx ITA M Ferrari 488 GTE EVO Matteo Cressoni (ITA) S Rino Mastronardi (ITA) B Calum Illot (GBR) P
83 WEC AF Corse ITA M Ferrari 488 GTE EVO François Perrodo (FRA) B Nicklas Nielsen (DNK) G Alessio Rovera (ITA) S
85 WEC Iron Lynx ITA M Ferrari 488 GTE EVO Rahel Frey (CHE) S Sarah Bovy (BEL) S Michelle Gatting (DNK) S
86 WEC GR Racing GBR M Porsche 911 RSR – 19 Michael Wainwright (GBR) B Benjamin Barker (GBR) G Tom Gamble (GBR) S
88 WEC Dempsey–Proton Racing DEU M Porsche 911 RSR – 19 Julien Andlauer (FRA) G Dominique Bastien (USA) B Lance Arnold (DEU) S
95 TF Sport GBR M Aston Martin Vantage AMR John Hartshorne (GBR) B Oliver Hancock (GBR) S Ross Gun (GBR)* G
98 WEC  Aston Martin Racing GBR M Aston Martin Vantage AMR Paul Dalla Lana (CAN) B Nicki Thiim (DNK) P Marcos Gomes (BRA) S
99 Proton Competition DEU M Porsche 911 RSR – 19 Patrick Long (USA)* P Gian Luca Giraudi (ITA) B Felipe Laser (DEU) S
388 Rinaldi Racing DEU M Ferrari 488 GTE EVO Pierre Ehret (DEU) B Christian Hook (DEU) B Jeroen Bleekemolen (NLD) G
777 WEC D’station Racing JPN M Aston Martin Vantage AMR Satoshi Hoshino (JPN) B Tomonobu Fujii (JPN) G Andrew Watson (GBR) S

 

Innovative car

In 2016 Frédéric Sausset incredibly became the first-ever quadruple amputee to finish Le Mans. Now he’s back to break more boundaries, managing a line-up of three drivers, all with disabilities, who will be an adapted Oreca 07 in the ‘Innovative car’ category.

No Team Nat Tyres Car Driver No1 Rating Driver No2 R Driver No3 R
84 Association SRT41 FRA G Oreca 07 – Gibson Takuma Aoki (JPN) S Nigel Bailly (BEL) S François Hériau (FRA) B

 

Reserve Cars

No Team Nat Tyres Car Driver No1 Rating Driver No2 R Driver No3 R
62 AM AF Corse ITA M Ferrari 488 GTE EVO Christoph Ulrich (CHE)* B Simon Mann (USA)* S Toni Vilander (FIN)* P
27 P2 Algarve Pro Racing PRT G Oreca 07 – Gibson Mark Patterson (USA)* B Naveen Rao (USA)* B
59 AM Garage 59 GBR M Aston Martin Vantage AMR Alexander West (SWE)* B
61 AM AF Corse ITA M Ferrari 488 GTE EVO Francesco Piovanetti (USA)* B