24h Le Mans
The grid for the 2024 ELMS will feature a total of 43 cars, the largest ever field of LMP2s for the leading continental endurance championship. Over half of the grid, 22 in total, will be entries in the two LMP2 classes, the largest gathering of LMP2 cars outside of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The Le Mans Prototype entry has been further enhanced by 10 LMP3 cars and 11 cars are entered for the brand new LMGT3 class, with Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche represented.
With ELMS becoming the home of LMP2 from 2024 onwards, the number of entries for the category has been increased from 7 to 14 cars, with reigning champions Algarve Pro Racing back to defend their hard-won title. 2023 champion Alex Lynn will be joined by Olli Caldwell and Matthias Kaiser in the no25 Oreca-Gibson.
2020 ELMS Champions United Autosports will run two cars in the LMP2 category with former ELMS Drivers’ champion Filipe Albuquerque in the no23 Oreca, and 2022 Asian Le Mans Series champion Ben Hanley will be in the no22 machine.
2023 LMP3 Champion Alejandro Garcia will move up to LMP2 next season with COOL Racing, the Swiss team running a two-car entry in the top class. Garcia will be in the no47 Oreca and 2022 ELMS LMP3 Champion Malthe Jakobsen in the no37 entry.
A Le Mans winner returns to the ELMS grid, with Will Stevens joining Nielsen Racing next season alongside Nicolas Pino in the no27 Oreca.
Inter Europol Competition will also run two cars in LMP2 in 2024, with 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans LMP2 winner Jakub Smiechowski returning to the ELMS in the no34 entry alongside Jonathan Aberdein and former Formula 2 driver Clément Novalak. 2022 Michelin Le Mans Cup LMP3 Champion Tom Dillmann joins the team in the no43 Oreca alongside Vladislav Lomko and Sebastian Alvarez.
2019 ELMS Champions IDEC Sport return with a single car entry with Paul Lafargue to head the driver line-up.
Panis Racing and Duqueine Team will also return with a single car entry each in LMP2 with Manuel Maldonado returning for Panis Racing and reigning LMP2 Drivers’ Champion James Allen racing for Duqueine Team in 2024.
Iron Lynx-Proton will enter a single car for Jonas Ried. 2021 Driver’s Champion Robert Kubica will head the line up in the no14 AO by TF Oreca-Gibson, while British team Vector Sport will make their ELMS debut in 2023 with Gabriel Aubry and Ryan Cullen.
AF Corse will return to defend their 2023 title with Driver Champions François Perrodo and Matthieu Vaxiviere also returning. Race winner Alessio Rovera will also join his teammates for the 2024 ELMS season.
Algarve Pro Racing will run a car in the Pro/Am category for Greek driver Kriton Lendoudis, who will be joined by 24 Hours of Le Mans LMP2 winner Richard Bradley.
United Autosports will also run a car in the Pro/Am category alongside their two LMP2 entries, with Oliver Jarvis joining Andrew Meyrick and Daniel Schneider.
Another team running a Pro/Am car alongside their LMP2 entry is Nielsen Racing, with former ELMS LMP2 Pro/Am and LMP3 champion John Falb being joined by 2021 Michelin Le Mans Cup LMP3 Champion Colin Noble.
DKR Engineering, Proton Competition and Team Virage will each run one car, while the Richard Mille name returns to the ELMS with a single entry for the Richard Mille by TDS.
COOL Racing will defend their back-to-back LMP3 titles, with the no17 Ligier-Nissan being crewed in 2024 by Portuguese drivers Manuel Espirito Santo and Miguel Cristóvão and Swiss driver Cédric Oltramare.
2023 Vice Champions Eurointernational also return, the Italian team returning with an unchanged driver line up of Matthew Richard Bell and Adam Ali, who ended the 2023 season with a win in Portimão.
4 Hours of Le Castellet LMP3 winners Jacques Wolff, Antoine Doquin and Jean-Ludovic Foubert return for another attempt at the title with Swiss team Racing Spirit of Léman.
WTM by Rinaldi Racing also return with an unchanged line up of 4 Hours of Algarve winners Torsten Kratz, Leo Weiss and Oscar Tunjo.
Spanish driver Belén Garcia will compete for 2021 LMP3 Championship winning team DKR Engineering in 2024, while reigning Michelin Le Mans Cup LMP3 Champion Julien Gerbi will move up to the ELMS with Team Virage.
RLR MSport will field two cars in the 2024 ELMS with James Dayson and Horst Felbermayr Jr in the no5 and no15 Ligiers respectively, while French outfit Ultimate also return after claiming two podiums in 2023.
Inter Europol Competition complete the LMP3 entry with a single car entry for Kai Askey, Pedro Perino and Alexander Bukhantsov.
The first grid of LMGT3 cars in the ELMS will feature six Ferrari 296 LMGT3s, two Porsche 911 LMGT3 Rs, two Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3 and a single Lamborghini Huracan LMGT3 Evo2.
Reigning LMGTE Champions Proton Competition will field a single Porsche 911 LMGT3 R for Italian Claudio Schiavoni. The second Porsche will be run by the Iron Dames team with a warm welcome back to the ELMS for 2022 4 Hours of Portimão race winner Michelle Gatting.
Reigning Michelin Le Mans Cup GT3 Team Champions Racing Spirit of Léman step up to the ELMS with a single Aston Martin Vantage AMR for Michelin Le Mans Cup drivers’ champion Valentin Hasse Clot. The Second Aston Martin Vantage will be run by Grid Motorsport by TF, with Martin Berry, the 2023 European Le Mans Series Gentleman of the Year.
There are six different teams running the Ferrari 296 in 2024, with former LMGTE Champions Formula Racing running a single entry for father and son duo Johnny and Conrad Laursen and 2017 champions JMW Motorsport running a single Ferrari for American Jeffrey Segal.
ELMS race winners Matt Griffin, Duncan Cameron and David Perel will race together once again in a Spirit of Race Ferrari 296, race winner Takeshi Kimura is returning with Kessel Racing. Emmanuel Collard and Charles-Henri Samani return with AF Corse and Michael Wainwright will compete in a GR Racing run Ferrari 296.
2021 LMGTE Champions Iron Lynx will run the only Lamborghini Huracan on the ELMS grid for Michelin Le Mans Cup race and Road to Le Mans winner Hiroshi Hamaguchi.
The number of requests for a place on the 2024 ELMS grid exceeded demand, with three cars being placed on the reserve list. There are two LMP3 class cars on the reserve list, the no39 Graff Racing Ligier JS P320-Nissan and the no2 Nielsen Racing Ligier JS P320-Nissan. The LMP2 Pro/Am no81 Dragonspeed USA Oreca 07-Gibson is the third car.
CLICK HERE for the provisional entry list for the 2024 European Le Mans Series.
Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO): "Prepare for an extraordinary European Le Mans Series season, as a fantastic field of 43 cars takes to the grid. Anticipate an exhilarating season of high-caliber racing as the series maintains its allure, consistently drawing in top-tier entries. Save the date for April 14th in Barcelona, where the echoes of engines will mark the beginning of what promises to be a historic season, etching new milestones in endurance racing."
Frédéric Lequien, European Le Mans Series CEO: "As we gear up for the 2024 European Le Mans Series, it's with immense pride that we announce a huge entry of 43 cars. The LMP2 category stands out prominently with a formidable lineup of 22 cars, including 8 Pro/Am entries, famous drivers, and a roster of top-tier racing talent from across the globe. The addition of the LMGT3 class with iconic brands further elevates the prestige of the series. It's truly inspiring to witness the return of familiar teams and drivers, adding a sense of continuity to the upcoming 2024 season. Equally, I extend a warm welcome to those making their ELMS debut in Barcelona. We are looking forward to the first race in Spain in April when we will see who the main contenders will be for this year’s titles of ELMS Champions."
The six round 2024 European Le Mans Series will start at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on the 14th of April, with visits to Le Castellet, Imola, Spa-Francorchamps and Mugello before concluding in Portimão on the 19 October.
