No fewer than 62 cars and crews will fight for one of the most coveted trophies in the sport in just under four months’ time, following the publication of the official entry list for the 94th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans (10–14 June).
HYPERCAR HEAVYWEIGHTS
In the headlining Hypercar category, another clash of the titans is very much in prospect. Ferrari’s 499P prototype remains unbeaten at La Sarthe since joining the fray in 2023, and the Prancing Horse is targeting a fourth straight success, the factory #50 and #51 cars and independently run #83 AF Corse entry having prevailed once apiece.
The Italian marque, however, is sure to face an even tougher challenge in 2026. Last year, Cadillac made history at Le Mans by securing its first pole position for the race, and the first for an American manufacturer in almost six decades. The two full-season Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.Rs will be bolstered by a single-car effort from Cadillac WTR, increasing the number of Hypercars to 18.
Elsewhere in the top tier, both Peugeot and Alpine will be chasing a big result on home soil after a difficult race in 2025. The former’s last win at La Sarthe was in 2009 with the 908 HDi, while the latter’s drought stretches all the way back to 1978.
Multiple world champion Toyota triumphed at Le Mans five times in succession from 2018 to 2022 and has upped the ante this year, significantly updating its rebaptised TR010 Hybrid Hypercar over the winter in a bid to regain the upper hand.
BMW is similarly aiming high in its third campaign with the M Hybrid V8, while Aston Martin’s Valkyrie showed strong progression last season, and Hyundai premium brand Genesis joins the grid for the first time following a comprehensive development programme. Boasting an all-star driver line-up – spearheaded by two-time world champion and triple Le Mans winner André Lotterer – the ambitious Korean marque clearly means business!
If the likes of Lotterer bring experience, then there are conversely a whole host of young guns in the Hypercar class eager to shine and stake their claim as future front-runners. Ex-FIA Formula 2 champion Théo Pourchaire will take to the track for Peugeot, while fellow Frenchman Victor Martins – another race-winner in the F1 feeder series – makes his endurance racing debut with Alpine in 2026. Both are sure to receive plenty of enthusiastic home support.
BIG NAMES IN LMGT3
A bumper 25-strong field will lock horns in LMGT3 – a division renowned for its close-quarters racing and epic duels. Last year, five of the nine brands in the category won a round of FIA WEC, with the remaining four reaching the rostrum and the leading quartet at La Sarthe all taking the chequered flag on the lead lap. There is, moreover, an intriguing newcomer in the shape of former Williams F1 racer Logan Sargeant – a rookie in Proton Competition’s Ford Mustang.
The 18 championship regulars will be complemented by seven additions, including third entries for TF Sport (Corvette) and Iron Lynx (Mercedes-AMG). There is also a Canadian-run Corvette from 13 Autosport, as well as Racing Spirit of Léman’s Aston Martin Vantage, two Kessel Racing Ferrari 296s – one of which will be piloted by Lorenzo Patrese, son of former F1 World Championship runner-up Riccardo Patrese – and a similar car campaigned by Richard Mille AF Corse, whose line-up includes official Ferrari driver Lilou Wadoux.
FAMILIAR FACES MAKING PROTOTYPE CAMEOS
In LMP2, traditionally joining the Hypercar and LMGT3 classes at Le Mans on a one-off basis, 19 prototypes are assembled, featuring a number of faces already familiar to FIA WEC fans. Grégoire Saucy and 2027 McLaren Hypercar driver Mikkel Jensen will be joined in the category by recently appointed Peugeot test and development driver Alex Quinn, reigning F1 Academy champion and Mercedes-AMG F1 development driver Doriane Pin, two-time outright Le Mans winner Romain Dumas, returning to the race for the first time in three years, and two competitors with famous surnames in the form of Pietro Fittipaldi and Enzo Trulli.
