The mythical endurance car race is returning to its full audience this year, after the closed door in 2020 and the health gauge last year, restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Endurance lovers and Manceaux (...) will once again be able to celebrate +their+ 24 Hours in Le Mans, welcomes Pierre Fillon, president of the Automobile club de l'ouest (ACO), organizer of the The return of the weigh-in in the city center, the drivers' parade and all the activities designed for the public is an event in itself".

Return of the spectators therefore, but not of the big names in motorsport: Ferrari, Porsche, Audi, BMW, Cadillac... All will take the start of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2023 and will meet on the circuit of the Sarthe one hundred years after the first race.

The French manufacturer Peugeot, who wanted to make sure to have a reliable car in hypercar, premier category, will not launch into the championship until after the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Favorite Toyota

In their absence, Toyota reigned supreme over the race, finally ridding itself of its legendary bad luck, winning the last four editions at Le Mans.

This year again, the Japanese team is favorite to succeed itself with its N.7 hypercar driven by the Briton Mike Conway, the Japanese Kamui Kobayashi and the Argentinian José Maria Lopez, finally victorious last year after several misfortunes.

The Toyota team, with its TS050 Hybrid Hypercar of Kamui Kobayashi (g) and its TS050 Hybrid of Kazuki Nakajima, crowned at the 89th edition, on August 22, 2021 remains the favorite of its successor at the 24 Hours of Le Mans JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER AFP/ Archives

The main competitor of the Toyota N.7 should even be the... Toyota N.8, driven by the Swiss Sébastien Buemi, the New Zealander Brendon Hartley and the Japanese Rio Hirakawa.

After two races, however, the manufacturer is not leading the WEC championship, led by the French Alpine team, thanks in particular to the victory of its hypercar driven by the Brazilian André Nagrao and the French Nicolas Lapierre and Matthieu Vaxivière in the 1000 Miles. of Sebring (USA).

"After two races, the fight for the title in the Hypercar category remains very open and the Le Mans event could well determine the direction that the championship will take", notes Richard Mille, president of the Endurance Commission of the International Federation of automotive (FIA).

In addition to Toyota and Alpine, the American team Glickenhaus, which takes its name from its founder, New York director and producer James Glickenhaus, will once again enter two hypercars, which will try to defy the odds during this historically unpredictable race.

Premiere by Sébastien Ogier

In all, 62 cars will start on the Sarthe circuit, like last year.

In addition to the five hypercars, there will be 27 LMP2 (more standardized and slower), seven LMGTE Pro (derived from production sports cars) and 23 LMGTE Am (can be driven by amateurs for private teams).

Sébastien Ogier competing here in the WRC during the Monte-Carlo rally on January 23, 2022, will discover the 24 Hours of Le Mans Valery HACHE AFP / Archives

Among the curiosities of this edition, the presence of the eight times world rally champion Sébastien Ogier will be particularly scrutinized.

For his first participation in endurance, the Frenchman explained to AFP in January to approach the "relax" race, with the desire to "see how (he can) progress and how close (he can) get to the best".

He will form with his compatriots Charles Milesi and Lilou Wadoux, aged 21, one of the three mixed teams of the competition, at the wheel of the LMP2 of the Richard Mille team.

A female crew will also compete, in the LGMTE Am: Iron Dames category, with Switzerland's Rahel Frey, Denmark's Michelle Gatting and Belgium's Sarah Bovy at the wheel.

Among the amateur pilots present this year, the German-Irish actor Michael Fassbender will attract all eyes, in the Proton Competition N.93 (LGMTE Am).

© 2022 AFP