LE MANS, France — The 90th 24 Hours of Le Mans — the third round of the FIA World Endurance Championship will take place June 11-12 at the famed Sarthe Circuit. Sixty-two cars and driver lineups have been invited to attend scrutineering for the big race.
The 2022 race, back in its usual mid-June slot, will make history for a number of reasons. For the very first time at Le Mans, the 62 cars will run on a 100-percent renewable fuel – Excellium Racing 100 – developed by TotalEnergies.
This fuel should allow an immediate reduction of at least 65 percent of the racing cars’ carbon monoxide emissions.
Toyota Gazoo Racing will be looking to repeat the success of last year when it triumphed in the inaugural 24 Hours of the Hypercar era. The Japanese marque will be eager to register a fifth consecutive outright win, but will face competition from U.S. manufacturer Glickenhaus, fielding two cars, and French firm Alpine in the top class.
An intriguing battle for class honors awaits this June. The main challengers to current title-holder WRT will include Richard Mille Racing Team, banking on the talent of eight-time world rally champion Sébastien Ogier, as well as AF Corse and the legendary Team Penske.
Porsche and Ferrari enjoyed a fascinating head-to-head in LMGTE Pro last year, but this time, they can expect fierce competition from Corvette Racing.
With a bumper 23-car field, the LMGTE Am class also promises a particularly exciting race. Aston Martin, Porsche and Ferrari will engage in a merciless fight that has every chance of going to the wire.
“What a line-up! After unveiling a packed program of activities for race fans, we are delighted to announce a high-caliber 62-car field that promises a thrilling race in every class for the 99th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans,” said Pierre Fillon, president, Automobile Club de l’Ouest. “June cannot come quickly enough. We are so looking forward to a great celebration of endurance racing and a week of exciting track action.”