24 Hours of Le Mans

24 Hours of Le Mans

Definition and Historical Prestige
Organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and held annually in June in Le Mans, France, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious motorsport events. Alongside the Formula One World Championship and the World Rally Championship, it is renowned as one of the world's top three most celebrated and gruelling motorsport events, widely revered as the pinnacle of circuit racing. The inaugural race in 1923 saw 66 drivers taking to the grid. With the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, the event was put on hiatus and only resumed in 1949.

Race Format and Regulations
The 24 Hours of Le Mans requires each entry to be shared by three drivers in a non-stop relay format, where all pit time for refuelling, tyre changes, and mechanical repairs is counted against the continuous 24-hour clock, with victory awarded to the car that covers the greatest total distance. Front-running cars typically log around 5,000 km. The race takes place on the 13.626 km Circuit de la Sarthe, which consists of both public roads and purpose-built permanent race track sections. Cars reach speeds of 370 km/h along certain stretches, while top speeds on the roughly 6 km straight can hit 390 km/h, demanding the absolute utmost in machine performance, driver capability, and team strategy.

Class Structure
As of 2025, the 24 Hours of Le Mans features three distinct categories: Hypercar, Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), and GT3-specification production sports cars (LMGT3). The premier Hypercar class consists of LMH and LMDh machinery; LMH regulations offer manufacturers greater engineering freedom, allowing bespoke aerodynamic design once core parameters such as base power and minimum weight are met, whereas LMDh utilises a standardised hybrid system with no speed-threshold restrictions on electric motor deployment, with both formats capped at a combined output of around 700 hp. The LMP2 class has mandated a spec Gibson 4.2-litre naturally-aspirated V8 engine since the 2017 season. The LMGT3 category is based on two-door road-going sports cars, requiring a minimum homologation run of 300 units offered on sale within a 24-month window.

2026 Season Overview
The 94th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will take place from 10 to 14 June 2026. The Hypercar grid features nine manufacturers, including Aston Martin, Alpine, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Genesis, Peugeot, and Toyota. Having scored three consecutive overall victories since returning to top-flight Le Mans competition in 2023, Ferrari enters the 2026 race aiming for a fourth straight win. Meanwhile, BMW secured a stunning 1-2 finish at the 6 Hours of Spa to snap a 27-race WEC winless streak, currently leading both the Manufacturers' and Drivers' Championship standings.

Historic Milestone by Chinese Driver
On 15 June 2025, at the 93rd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the No. 83 AF Corse entry claimed overall victory, making Ye Yifei the first Chinese driver to stand on the top step of the Le Mans podium, whilst sealing a historic 2023-to-2025 three-peat for Ferrari. Born in Xi'an, Shaanxi in 2000, Ye won the French F4 Championship title in 2016, becoming the first Chinese driver to claim an overall single-seater championship in Europe. In 2021, he became the first driver to secure both the Asian Le Mans Series and European Le Mans Series titles in a single season, and his 2025 Le Mans triumph ended a 102-year streak of overall victories dominated exclusively by European and American drivers.

Heritage and Culture
Over more than a century of evolution, the 24 Hours of Le Mans has forged a distinctive culture defined by open competition and the spirit of endurance, setting it apart from other world-class motorsport events and captivating a massive global fanbase. Between 2000 and 2014, the race was largely dominated by Audi. The Porsche 919 Hybrid took top honours from 2016 to 2017, followed by an unbroken five-year winning streak by TOYOTA GAZOO RACING from 2018 to 2022, before Ferrari asserted its dominance with three consecutive victories from 2023 to 2025 piloting the 499P.