24h Le Mans
With the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship on the horizon, TF Sport has unveiled the liveries of the two LMGT3-class Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs that perpetuate the legacy of an iconic lineage at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. To herald this announcement, we look in the rear-view mirror at some of the head-turning Chevrolet Corvettes to have appeared at the French endurance classic since 2000.
For the 2025 season, Sean Bull Design has come up with a bright yellow livery for the two Corvettes, with notable differences in the centre of the body. The #33 Z06 GT3.R, to be shared by Jonny Edgar, Ben Keating and Dani Juncadella, will have a full yellow roof and a grey stars-and-stripes on the hood. The roof of the #81 sister car, driven by Tom Van Rompuy, Rui Andrade and Charlie Eastwood, will however be black and yellow, mirroring the US flag on the hood. The two cars will also be differentiated by the colour of the door mirrors and windscreen banner: yellow on car #33 and black on car #81.
After two days of testing at the Dubai Autodrome, the two cars will head to Qatar for the WEC official prologue due to be held at the Lusail International Circuit on 21-22 February.
To herald the announcement of the new liveries of the TF Sport Corvettes, let’s look back at some of the most eye-catching models to have left their mark on the French endurance classic since the turn of the century.
For its first official appearance in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Corvette Racing fielded two C5.Rs in the LMGTS class. The team compensated for its inexperience by hiring seasoned drivers such as Justin Bell and Franck Fréon. Result: P3 in class for car #64 and P4 for car #63. A promising first step.
Corvette Racing had become part of the 24 Hours scenery as the American outfit entered the race for the fourth consecutive year. To celebrate the Corvette’s 50th anniversary, Corvette Racing opted for a memorable blue livery for its C5.Rs. The #53 that won the 12 Hours of Sebring finished third in the LMGTS class, one place behind car #50. A successful tribute to the make’s history.
Alongside the two C6.Rs entered by Corvette Racing, the team of former skiing champion Luc Alphand (three-time World Cup downhill winner) bought the car that won the GT1 class in 2004. Alphand shared the wheel of the striking blue and yellow C5-R with fellow Frenchmen Patrice Goueslard and Jérôme Policand. While the US team’s #64 car finished 4th overall, winning the LMGT1 class, the #72 put in a solid performance to clinch P7 and take the third spot on the class podium.
With their yellow livery trimmed in black with dynamic grey motifs, the LM GT2-class Corvette C6 ZR1s certainly turned a few heads. The two cars’ entry coincided with the 50th anniversary of Corvette’s début in La Sarthe. Unfortunately, the race proved to be a disappointment as the engine failed on both machines.
Pending the introduction of the new C7.R, Corvette Racing returned to Le Mans with two C6 ZR1s. The cars sported a livery that hailed the 60th anniversary of Corvette. Car #73 finished the race in P4 in the LMGTE Pro class and car #74 P7.
In 2017, the #50 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R entered by Larbre Compétition in the LMGTE Am class became the latest in the line of Art Cars to grace the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The creator, Ramzi Adek, brought a different vision of these works of art in motion that had long been designed by leading figures in contemporary art. “I wanted to design a popular Art Car – one that reached out to people who don’t necessarily visit art galleries. My inspiration comes as much from Matisse as from comic book culture,” he explained when presenting the project.
The Corvette featured a fluorescent paint scheme that came into its own at nightfall, transmitting renewed energy to the car’s drivers Fernando Rees, Romain Brandela and Christian Philippon. After 24 hours of racing, the car crossed the finish line in 48th place overall and 15th in the LMGTE Am class.
To celebrate 20 years of racing at Le Mans, Corvette Racing draped its C7.Rs with the emblematic American flag. While car #63 finished P8 in the LMGTE Pro class, the #64 sister car was forced to retire after a collision. A race that confirmed the public’s passion for Corvette.
The Chevrolet Corvette C8.R that superseded the glorious C7.R represented a true change of era and design as the C8.R was powered by a rear mid-engine unlike the previous models that had a front engine. The #64 C8.R sported a new silver livery inspired by famous Corvettes of bygone days such as the 1973 Chevrolet Aerovette and the 1959 Corvette Stingray Racer. Meanwhile, the yellow hues of the #63 sister car were more in keeping with Corvette tradition, the hints of silver a nod to the glittering success of the GTLMs over the past two decades. Car #63 ranked 2 in the LMGTE Pro class and car #64 P6.
As LMGTE gave way to LMGT3 regulations, Corvette joined forces with British outfit TF Sport to enter two new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the FIA World Endurance Championship. The new Corvette Z06 GT3.R represents Chevrolet Corvette’s endurance future. A car built on the foundations of the 125 wins earned by Corvette Racing in the discipline over the last quarter of a century. The two cars were decorated in distinct liveries with variations of black, grey and yellow. Car #81 boasted a yellow front end with black sides, while the same colours were reversed on car #82. Both chassis featured the American flag on the hood. Car #82 finished in 11th place in the LMGT3 rankings with car #81 in 15th.
In 2025, TF Sport will continue the tradition by running two Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs against a high-quality LMGT3 field. The British team will take on Aston Martin, BMW, Ferrari, Ford, Lexus, Mercedes-AMG, McLaren and Porsche.
