Huge ex-F1 contingent among Le Mans 24 Hours entry list in 62-car field for 2024

Henry Valantine 19 Feb 2024 2:30 PM

All cars are placed on the grid. Le Mans 2023.

Another 62-car grid has been announced for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

A massive 62-car field has been announced in the provisional entry list for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, with 16 former F1 drivers in the current Hypercar field alone.

The top class of endurance racing has expanded hugely since the switch to Hypercars from the previous LMP1 regulations, with a range of manufacturers entering their creations

As a result, a total of 23 cars are due to compete for top honours in Hypercars at Le Mans, among them a Formula 1 World Champion in Jenson Button.

Massive Le Mans field announced with significant ex-F1 representation

Having taken part last season in the Garage 56 entry through a hugely popular collaboration with NASCAR, Button is back in the top class for the first time since 2018 with Hertz Team Jota, having signed up for a full season in WEC this year.

But defending his win in the world-famous race is former Sauber and Alfa Romeo driver Antonio Giovinazzi, who partnered James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi to a thrilling victory for Ferrari upon the Prancing Horse’s return to Le Mans last year.

In total, 23 Hypercars and 23 cars in the all-new LMGT3 class are to be joined by 16 LMP2 cars on a one-off occasion, with the ‘middle’ endurance class having been removed from the World Endurance Championship on a full-time basis this season.

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For other familiar faces to look out for, Kamui Kobayashi will team up with Nyck de Vries in the #7 Toyota, with popular former Sauber driver Kobayashi now team principal of Toyota as well as a driver, with Mike Conway also in the car.

Former Toro Rosso drivers Sébastien Buemi and Brendon Hartley team up in the #8 Toyota alongside McLaren reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa.

Elsewhere in Hypercars, Mick Schumacher will make his Le Mans debut for Alpine, while the likes of Robert Kubica, Sébastien Bourdais, Romain Grosjean, Daniil Kvyat, Stoffel Vandoorne and Jean-Eric Vergne also appear, as well as André Lotterer, Will Stevens and Jack Aitken.

Former F1 driver Gianmaria Bruni also appears on the provisional entry list for Hypercars, but as a reserve entry in case any of the field drop out.

A host of other top drivers appear in the field, not least MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi in the LMGT3 field, as well as two-time Le Mans winner and three-time World Touring Car champion Jose Maria Lopez in the same class, after his lengthy stint with Toyota in the top tier.

Two Mercedes juniors are in the field as F1 Academy entrant, Doriane Pin appears for the successful Iron Dames team in LMGT3, while Mercedes reserve driver and future F1 hopeful Frederik Vesti is currently listed as an entrant in the LMP2 class.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said: “The 24 Hours of Le Mans is one of the most iconic events in the history of motorsport and the traditional focal point of the FIA World Endurance Championship season.

“Last year, I had the pleasure of witnessing this fantastic race on the occasion of its centenary and I’m very much looking forward to this year’s edition, as we celebrate 120 years of the FIA.

“The entry list looks incredibly strong, with 23 Hypercars from 9 different manufacturers headlining the 62-car field and 23 LMGT3s promising an ultra-competitive battle in the GT ranks.

“Endurance racing is in a healthy state today and this entry list proves that the right regulatory approach will result in strong interest and competition.”

The full 62-car provisional entry list for the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans is available on the FIA website here, and will be updated as and when new drivers are added to the field.