24H Le Mans

24 Heures du Mans

24 Heures Motos

Club ACO

If you've ever been to the 24 Hours, you've noticed British spectators come out in droves, bringing with them excited enthusiasm and everything from tents to supercars in the colours of past Le Mans icons. Why are Brits such big fans? It’s a story as old as racing.

<h2>Less French, More Brits</h2>

To gain&nbsp;a better understanding, let&#39;s&nbsp;go back in time. The 24 Hours attracted a British fan base right from its maiden running in 1923 thanks to the conspicuous presence of a Bentley on&nbsp;the decidedly French starting grid. Race founders Georges Durand and&nbsp;Charles Faroux&nbsp;preferred not to restrict this test of production cars solely to French marques. The next year proved key in their&nbsp;international approach after&nbsp;Bentley&#39;s shocking win skyrocketed the race&#39;s reputation&nbsp;across the Channel.

Dynamics began shifting&nbsp;during the Roaring 20s. Lorraine-Dietrich dominated the 24 Hours in&nbsp;1925 and&nbsp;1926, but the number of manufacturers&nbsp;from Italy, the UK and even the US continued to grow. The ACO felt&nbsp;the&nbsp;more the merrier!&nbsp;Race director at that time,&nbsp;Charles&nbsp;Faroux: The high number of entrants representing America, England, Italy, France&hellip;places the Endurance Grand Prix at the very top of the world&rsquo;s major automobile events.

After the withdrawal of&nbsp;Lorraine-Dietrich in 1927 and the stock market crash two years later, a plethora of small French constructors, regulars at Le Mans, were forced to&nbsp;close their doors. Bentley took advantage of the&nbsp;absence, kicking off&nbsp;the era of the famous&nbsp;Bentley Boys, a group of well-to-do gentlemen drivers&nbsp;led by three-time 24 Hours winner&nbsp;Woolf Barnato. Bernard Rubin, Glen Kidston, Henry Birkin and other British (or from countries under crown influence) drivers won every running&nbsp;of the race&nbsp;between&nbsp;1927 and&nbsp;1930, all for Bentley.

The Brits were welcomed with open arms in France during those extremely difficult times, but the ACO nevertheless regretted&nbsp;not having&nbsp;serious French competitors to give them a run for their money. This period saw the emergence of Lagonda, Alvis and Aston Martin (who jumped to tag certain&nbsp;models with the moniker&nbsp;&ldquo;Le Mans&rdquo; in lower categories). Spectators from across the country flocked to the race to cheer on their heroes. The 24 Hours of Le Mans was without a doubt&nbsp;the biggest British event of the season...run in France.

<h2>The British Invasion</h2>

In 1935, Luis Font&eacute;s and&nbsp;Johnny Hindmarsh claimed the top step on the podium with their&nbsp;Lagonda M45R Rapide, bringing the&nbsp;win scoreboard&nbsp;to Britain 6-3 France. A nine-hole golf course was&nbsp;constructed in&nbsp;1935 as an additional&nbsp;draw for enthusiasts across the Channel.&nbsp;The British press was unanimously supportive of&nbsp;the role played by the race&nbsp;during this period. As published in MOTOR magazine: No race has pushed our sports cars to the front of the global automotive stage with more prestige than the 24 Hours.

After WWII, which caused&nbsp;the 24 Hours to go on hiatus from&nbsp;1940 to&nbsp;1948, Brits still held a strong foothold at Le Mans, and it was Jaguar&#39;s turn in the spotlight. The innovative&nbsp;Type C was the first racing car equipped with disc brakes (1953), and the iconic lines of the&nbsp;Type D marked a generation.&nbsp;Le Mans has always played a major role in British motorsport culture, and Jaguar&#39;s five victories from&nbsp;1951 to&nbsp;1957 only strengthened those unbreakable ties.

Aston Martin won the race in 1959, and even Ferrari&#39;s domination failed to&nbsp;dampen British passion for the 24 Hours. The same can be said for&nbsp;Porsche&#39;s reign of seven consecutive wins between&nbsp;1981 and&nbsp;1987. And when the&nbsp;Jaguar XJR-9LM won the race in&nbsp;1988,&nbsp;a massive crowd flooded the track with Union Jacks as far as the eye could see. Team principal&nbsp;Tom Walkinshaw and his guys managed to defeat the titan that was&nbsp;Porsche at that time. It was a celebration for the ages.

<h2>The Greats&nbsp;Live On Forever</h2>

No matter the state of car&nbsp;manufacturing&nbsp;at any given time, the Brits&nbsp;have always answered the call of Le Mans. The Volkswagen Group, owner of the likes of&nbsp;Audi, Porsche and Lamborghini, chose in the early 2000s to evoke the Bentley Boys&#39; glory days. The famed&nbsp;Bentley EXP Speed ​​8s competed against the&nbsp;legendary Audi R8s&nbsp;equipped with the same engine. In 2003, Tom Kristensen/Rinaldo Capello/Guy Smith won Le Mans&nbsp;at the wheel of an&nbsp;iconic British racing&nbsp;green prototype a stunning 73 years after the marque&#39;s last triumph&nbsp;at the race. Fans went wild.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans sees Brits arrive&nbsp;in staggering numbers every year&nbsp;to relive cherished memories and create new, unforgettable ones. Events like the <a href="https://www.classicbw.org/en/homepage/" target="_blank">Classic British Welcome</a>, created in&nbsp;2001 and held at&nbsp;Saint-Saturnin, allow everyone to enjoy and embrace this extraordinary atmosphere.

The&nbsp;unwavering loyalty of British fans will soon be rewarded. This year, <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/aston-martin-to-compete-in-hypercar-with-the-heart-of-racing-57907" target="_blank">Aston Martin is set to&nbsp;make its big return to the top category with the&nbsp;Valkyrie&nbsp;Hypercar</a>&nbsp;fielded&nbsp;by the&nbsp;Heart of Racing team!

Aston Martin Valkyrie to fight for Le Mans Victory in 2025

L'Aston Martin Valkyrie se battra pour la victoire lors des 24 Heures du Mans 2025

Why are Brits such diehard 24 Hours of Le Mans fans?

“Rexy” the Dinosaur was last year’s big hit with younger race fans. AO Racing is back at Le Mans this June with “Spike”. The #14 Oreca 07-Gibson LMP2 will be decked out in the dragon’s colours.

AO Racing has joined forces with TF Sport to enter Spike the Dragon&nbsp;in the LMP2 class at the 92nd 24 Hours of Le Mans. PJ Hyett, Louis Del&eacute;traz and Alex Quinn will share the wheel of the orange and purple-coloured prototype.&nbsp;&ldquo;Rexy racing at Le Mans for the 100th anniversary was an incredible experience, but we have some unfinished business at the Circuit de la Sarthe,&rdquo; said Hyett, AO Racing Team owner and driver.&nbsp;&ldquo;We&rsquo;re coming back this year with Spike, our LMP2 dragon, to delight fans on the way to the top spot! Allons-y [Let&rsquo;s go]!&rdquo;

AO Racing put in a solid performance in the Centenary race. The #56 Porsche was in the running for LMGTE Am victory until a mechanical setback relegated Rexy to seventh place. This year, the Chicago-based outfit will be determined to improve on that showing with Spike.&nbsp;&ldquo;We are hugely excited to bring our partnership with AO Racing to Le Mans,&rdquo; said Tom Ferrier, owner of TF Sport.&nbsp;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s such a fantastic event and we have a brilliant line-up. PJ is one of the best bronze drivers in the world and with Alex and Louis we have the drivers to back him up. A 24-hour race is always hard but we plan to be there at the end and fighting for the win.&rdquo;

AO Racing and TF Sport have already forged a partnership for the European Le Mans Series, picking up a third place at the Circuit Paul Ricard recently with&nbsp;Del&eacute;traz.&nbsp;&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very excited to take part in my fifth Le Mans with AO by TF,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s great to share the car with PJ and Alex. I feel like we have a strong crew between the teams and the drivers&rsquo; experiences. Le Mans is a very special event. The prep has started months ago and, of course, we want to do well&nbsp;so the motivation is high!&rdquo;

Spike the Dragon to run at the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans!

Following a first track experience that will take place tomorrow Saturday, May 11 at the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, 3rd round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, The MissionH24 H24 and the Alpine Alpenglow Hy4 will meet on Saturday 15 June on the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit, in the presence of other hydrogen sports vehicles, a few hours before the start of the Endurance classic.

A world premiere will take place on Saturday, June 15, 2024, between 12 and 13 hours, on the occasion of the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2024: the H24, prototype of hydrogen electric race of MissionH24, will evolve on track a few hours before the start of the 92 th edition, as it has already achieved in recent years, but in 2024, a significant change is to be noted: it will not be alone since several other hydrogen prototypes will accompany it for this pioneering demonstration. Evidence that MissionH24, the collaborative program between CAO and H24Project, is actually pursuing its goals. 
 
Alpine will line up on the legendary Mancelle track the Alpenglow Hy4 which will have completed its first laps in public during the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps this May 11, part of the 3rd round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. In the Belgian Ardennes, the deployment of hydrogen in competition has been encouraged for several years, through collaborations between the circuit and the Automobile Club de l&#39;Ouest. 
 
Presented last year during the centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the static model of the Alpine vehicle was exhibited in the Hydrogen village, organized within the circuit and dedicated to this new energy vector. 
 
This year again, the Hydrogen ACO H2 village will host many activities dedicated to this technology. A novelty is to be noted for 2024: a paddock H2 will present to the public the zero emission competition with different precursor prototypes as well as the mobile station H2 designed by TotalEnergies. A visit to this future competition world is a must.

MissionH24 H24 and Alpine Alpenglow Hy4 on track Saturday 15 June

The entry list of 186 drivers destined for the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans (12-16 June) has been announced, including several Formula 1 alumni.

In just a few weeks, multiple F1 stars such as&nbsp;Mick Schumacher, Romain Grosjean, Antonio Giovinazzi, Nyck de Vries, Jenson Button, Robert Kubica and&nbsp;Daniil Kvyat will hit the track at the 92nd 24 Hours of Le Mans.&nbsp;The presence of Toyota, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Cadillac, BMW, Peugeot and&nbsp;Isotta Fraschini in the&nbsp;Hypercar category has proved a&nbsp;massive&nbsp;draw for single-seater drivers.

<h2>A Wealth of Top F1 Names&nbsp;</h2>

<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/mick-schumacher-alpine-i-admit-having-a-closed-cockpit-was-somewhat-claustrophobic-58302" target="_blank">Mick Schumacher</a> (age 25) is getting ready&nbsp;to take the start in his rookie&nbsp;24 Hours at the wheel of Alpine Endurance Team&#39;s #36 Alpine A424 shared with&nbsp;Nicolas Lapierre and&nbsp;Matthieu Vaxivi&egrave;re. Schumacher&#39;s legendary father, Michael, raced at Le Mans in&nbsp;1991 with&nbsp;a&nbsp;Sauber C11 Mercedes.

<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/romain-grosjean-lamborghini-we-ll-be-trying-to-pull-off-a-good-result-58049" target="_blank">Romain Grosjean</a> (age 38) returns to the 24 Hours&nbsp;14 years after his sole&nbsp;participation to date. He boasts&nbsp;179 F1 Grand Prix starts and has been recruited by&nbsp;Lamborghini Iron Lynx to join Andrea Caldarelli and&nbsp;Matteo Cairoli&nbsp;in the #19&nbsp;SC63.

<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/nyck-de-vries-joins-toyota-gazoo-racing-58052" target="_blank">Nyck de Vries</a> (age 29) will represent&nbsp;TOYOTA GAZOO&nbsp;Racing, a team he knows well after serving as its reserve driver from&nbsp;2020 to&nbsp;2022. The Dutchman&nbsp;has four participations in the 24 Hours under his belt, with&nbsp;Racing Team Nederland (2019 and&nbsp;2020), G-Drive Racing (2021) and&nbsp;TDS Racing X Vaillante (2022).

Jenson Button (age 44), the 2009&nbsp;F1 world champion, is competing full time in the&nbsp;FIA WEC this season on behalf of&nbsp;Hertz Team JOTA, teaming up with&nbsp;Oliver Rasmussen and&nbsp;Philip Hanson in the #38&nbsp;Porsche 963. Last year, the British F1 veteran drove the&nbsp;Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entered by&nbsp;Hendrick Motorsports. His first 24 Hours dates back to&nbsp;2018 and SMP Racing&#39;s&nbsp;BR Engineering BR1-AER.

Robert Kubica (age 39) has competed in endurance racing since&nbsp;2021. He won the European Le Mans Series that year with&nbsp;Team WRT and in 2022&nbsp;finished second in LMP2 at Le&nbsp;Mans with&nbsp;Prema Orlen Team. Kubica&nbsp;is set to share AF Corse&#39;s #83 Ferrari 499P with&nbsp;Robert Schwartzman and&nbsp;Yifei Ye this year.

Joining&nbsp;Romain Grosjean in Lamborghini Iron Lynx&#39;s arsenal&nbsp;is&nbsp;Daniil Kvyat (age 30). The former&nbsp;Red Bull F1 driver made his debut in the 24 Hours in 2023 at&nbsp;the wheel of Prema Racing&#39;s #63 ORECA&nbsp;07-Gibson&nbsp;(retirement after leaving the track).

Last but not least is&nbsp;Antonio Giovinazzi, the former&nbsp;Sauber F1 Team and Alfa Romeo Racing driver who won the 24 Hours Centenary last year with&nbsp;Ferrari AF Corse. He will join&nbsp;Alessandro Pier Guidi and&nbsp;James Calado once again to defend their title.

<h2>Major Assets</h2>

Why are teams entered in the Hypercar category turning to former&nbsp;F1 drivers to fill their ranks? The advantage&nbsp;of&nbsp;recruiting&nbsp;drivers from the world of single-seaters is not limited to skills on the track. Their fame and ability to attract media attention offer undeniable exposure, and they also provide&nbsp;invaluable expertise. Their experience at&nbsp;challenging&nbsp;circuits, ability to perform under&nbsp;pressure and capacity to make informed decisions in extreme conditions are huge assets for endurance racing teams. F1&nbsp;drivers&nbsp;also bring a disciplined work ethic, analytical approach, the ability to communicate effectively with engineers and the desire to maximise&nbsp;their car&#39;s&nbsp;performance:&nbsp;all prerequisites to winning&nbsp;Le&nbsp;Mans.

The presence of Formula 1 drivers at the 24 Hours is a long-standing&nbsp;tradition. Around 20 F1 champions have taken on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/formula-one-drivers-take-on-the-24-hours-of-le-mans-56810" target="_blank">iconic classic</a>&nbsp;at various stages of their careers.

As the 92nd 24 Hours approaches, one thing is for sure: the action on the track promises to be as outstanding&nbsp;as the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/who-are-the-186-drivers-set-to-compete-in-the-2024-24-hours-of-le-mans-58574" target="_blank">186 drivers</a>&nbsp;battling to add a win at Le Mans to their career highlight reel.

Former Formula 1 drivers gearing up to take on the 92nd 24 Hours of Le Mans

&quot;May your 2019 be full of drive, innovation, ambition and cooperation.&nbsp;Join us in paving the way towards a sustainable future.&quot;&nbsp;Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l&#39;Ouest

24H LE MANS

Wishing you all the best for 2019 from the Automobile Club de l'Ouest

Related News

Why are Brits such diehard 24 Hours of Le Mans fans?

Spike the Dragon to run at the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans!

MissionH24 H24 and Alpine Alpenglow Hy4 on track Saturday 15 June

Former Formula 1 drivers gearing up to take on the 92nd 24 Hours of Le Mans

Major Partner

PREMIUM partners

OFFICIAL partners