The French classic scheduled for 10 and 11 June this year celebrates the 100th anniversary of the first edition held in 1923. Many big names in the car sector are at the start, from the reigning champion Toyota to Ferrari which has been missing for 50 years and Peugeot at 30 years since the last win. The 24 Hours of Le Mans 2023 is the fourth round of the WEC World Championship. Like every year, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is the central stage of the Endurance championship, with a total of 62 cars at the start and 186 drivers involved. It takes place on the 13.6 km long La Sarthe circuit, where the Hypercars, the top cars, reach 330 km/h and will complete 70% of the lap under full acceleration.
Over 300,000 spectators for the centenary race
The oldest endurance race in the world will attract over 300,000 spectators over the weekend, it is no coincidence that tickets were sold out in a few days. The start of the race will take place on Saturday 10 June not at 15.00 as in other years, but at 16.00. Consequently, the arrival the day after 11 June will take place at 16.00. Kicking off this year’s edition will be an exceptional starter, Lebron James, the NBA basketball star, the most famous player of the Los Angeles Lakers.
With new regulations, many returning brands
The new regulations introduced this year ensured the return of many official brands to the WEC. Among all the new entries, the participation of Ferrari stands out, with the Prancing Horse returning to its origins and aiming for absolute success at Le Mans. The last time was 50 years ago, while for the last victory of a redhead we have to go back to 1965, the period of the fiery duel with Ford’s rivals. In Maranello they are sure they can fight to the end.
Sixteen hypercars at the start of the premier class, a record!
The battle between the Hypercars, which is the premier class, will be very intense: there will be 16 hypercars at the start: this is the highest number recorded since 2011. In addition, the ACO, which is the body that organizes the World Endurance Championship with the FIA and the 24 Hours of Le Mans has also decided this year to listen to the voice of the car manufacturers, the protagonists of this sport. In addition to Ferrari, Toyota, Peugeot, Cadillac and Porsche will be at the start. Among these builders will come out the final winner.
Toyota is leading the 2023 championship
In the first 3 races of the championship, Toyota, the reigning world champion, confirmed itself as the team to beat having won at Sebring, Portimao and Spa. A technical advantage accumulated in recent seasons, in which the Japanese brand has literally dominated the Endurance world championship. The Toyota GR010 has few weaknesses as it has in previous GPs, but Ferrari as well as Porsche and Cadillac proved to be up to it and competitive for the podium.