Young British racer Phil Hanson is set to join AF Corse’s Hypercar programme. He will drive the #83 Ferrari 499P currently occupied by Yifei Ye, Robert Kubica and Robert Shwartzman.

Le Mans Series

FIA WEC

The Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain will mark the climax of the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship season with the stage set for an exciting showdown for the title between Porsche Penske Motorsport, Toyota Gazoo Racing and Ferrari AF Corse. Porsche currently leads the Manufacturers’ standings and will have high hopes of doubling up after clinching the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, while Toyota and Ferrari are poised to seize any opportunity to overturn the situation and snatch the crown. With the race’s high stakes and extra points up for grabs, this grand finale promises plenty of drama before the dust settles on the 2024 season.

After securing the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship title, Porsche Penske Motorsport has its sights set on bringing the FIA WEC crown to Germany with its 963. Porsche tops the Manufacturers&rsquo; table heading into the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain while K&eacute;vin Estre, Andr&eacute; Lotterer and Laurens Vanthoor lead the Drivers&rsquo; championship.&nbsp;&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve improved considerably in the second year of our global programme and unfailingly made the most of our opportunities,&rdquo;&nbsp;says Thomas Laudenbach, Porsche Motorsport Vice President.&nbsp;&quot;I expect nothing less at the upcoming race weekend in Bahrain. If we approach our mission with the same concentration and consistency as in the previous rounds, then we&rsquo;ll achieve our goal: 2024 World Champions in the manufacturer and driver categories.&quot; 
Porsche Penske Motorsport has prepared the 963s for this season finale at its Mannheim factory as well as conducting a track test at the Weissach development centre.

&ldquo;We have an incredibly exciting weekend ahead of us,&rdquo;, says Vanthoor, who will take the wheel of the #6 Porsche 963. &ldquo;Considering the championship standings, one might think that everything is wrapped up &ndash; but that&rsquo;s definitely not the case!&nbsp; It looks promising, but with 1.5 times as many points awarded in Bahrain, the standings are still wide open. If we manage to approach this competition with the same consistency and concentration as the previous races, maybe our high hopes will be fulfilled. Last year, we weren&rsquo;t particularly strong in Bahrain. However, we&rsquo;ve understood exactly why that was. We want to tap our true potential.&rdquo;

<h2>Toyota Gazoo Racing&#39;s fate in its own hands</h2>

Toyota Gazoo Racing will be going all-out to see off Porsche and Ferrari and retain its Manufacturers&rsquo; championship title at the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain. The Japanese constructor has picked up two wins this season at the 6 Hours of Imola and the Rolex 6 Hours of S&atilde;o Paulo. A third success in Bahrain would see them&nbsp;wrap up the title for the sixth consecutive season. Toyota currently trails Porsche in the Manufacturers&rsquo; championship standings by 10 points. Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries still have a slim chance of taking the Drivers&rsquo; crown but, to do so, they must win the race with their teammate Mike Conway, and hope that the #6 Porsche crew strike a blank. It is worth noting that Toyota has won the last seven 8-hour races in Bahrain.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the end of an exciting and challenging season,&rdquo; acknowledges&nbsp;Kamui Kobayashi, Team Principal and driver of the #7 car. &ldquo;As a team we have enjoyed some great moments as well also some difficult ones, like the last race at Fuji Speedway. The competition has been incredibly tough all season but thanks to the big effort from everyone, we go into the last race with the destiny of the manufacturers&rsquo; World Championship still in our control.&nbsp;We know that a win will give us the title so that is our target, and everyone will give their maximum to achieve it. We need a perfect weekend and we&rsquo;re ready for the challenge.&rdquo;

<h2>Ferrari AF Corse plans to race for eight hours, then do the maths</h2>

Obviously, the Ferrari AF Corse camp harbours similar ambitions to Porsche Penske Motorsport and Toyota Gazoo Racing: win the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship. The prancing horse currently lies in third place in the Manufacturers&rsquo; table, 27 points behind Porsche. As for the Drivers&rsquo; standings, Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen are in second place, 35 points adrift of Lotterer, Estre and Vanthoor. Therefore, like Toyota, Ferrari must win the race to keep alive its hopes of scooping the title.

&ldquo;As always, we head out onto the track to do our best.,&rdquo; insists Antonio Fuoco, driver of the #50 Ferrari 499P and winner of this year&rsquo;s 24 Hours of Le Mans.&nbsp;&ldquo;We know that the 8 Hours of Bahrain will be an extremely challenging race, not least because our direct rivals have been highly competitive throughout the season and will be very determined heading into this last event. Our philosophy, however, is to pursue every avenue, and in this spirit, we approach a race that will be long and full of variables. As we saw in past seasons, we know that in Bahrain, the race result is always unpredictable.&quot; 
Teammate Nicklas Nielsen adds: &ldquo;Last year in Bahrain, we finished on the podium at the close of a demanding season. This year, we return to the Sakhir circuit knowing more about the track and our car. The race won&rsquo;t be easy, but we must give it our all, and only after the 8 hours can we do the maths. After winning at Le Mans with Antonio and Miguel, my dream is to bring a world title to Maranello.&rdquo;

As the curtain comes down on a&nbsp;gripping season, the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain promises a ferocious battle through to the final turn. Porsche Penske Motorsport, Toyota Gazoo Racing and Ferrari AF Corse are ready to give their all in their quest for the world title. Every second, every pit stop and every ounce of strategy could shake up the final standings.

The race will go green at 14:00 local time (UTC +3) on Saturday.

FIA WEC – Porsche, Toyota and Ferrari set for ultimate battle in Bahrain

He may only be 25 years of age, but Phil Hanson has already built up an impressive track record in endurance. In addition to LMP3 and LMP2 titles in the Asian Le Mans Series, European Le Mans Series and the FIA WEC, he topped the LMP2 podium at the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans at the wheel of the #22 Oreca 07-Gibson alongside United Autosports teammates Filipe Albuquerque and Paul Di Resta. These impressive results opened the doors to Hypercar &ndash; the top class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and in the FIA WEC &ndash; as he was recruited by Hertz Team JOTA to share the wheel of the #38 Porsche 963 with Jenson Button and Oliver Rasmussen.

The Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain on Saturday 2 November will therefore be Hanson&rsquo;s final race in Hertz Team JOTA colours before switching to the AF Corse garage the following day.&nbsp;The WEC Rookie Test will be the stage of Hanson&rsquo;s first outing in the #83 yellow Ferrari, marking the start of his preparation for the 2025 season.

Will Hanson&rsquo;s transfer to AF Corse signal the start of the traditional close-season game of musical chairs among drivers? As the countdown to the 2025 season begins, this significant switch could indeed trigger a series of strategic transfers among the discipline&rsquo;s big hitters. Which other major changes in the pipeline are set to reshuffle the FIA WEC&nbsp;pack? Watch this space&hellip;

FIA WEC – AF Corse signs up Phil Hanson for the Ferrari 499P

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is attracting more and more spectators and tickets sell out fast. In response to the growing popularity, race organiser the ACO has reviewed spectator amenities for 2025.

<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/new-spectator-area" target="_blank">&gt;&gt;&gt; Discover the new spectator areas &lt;&lt;&lt;</a>

Acting on precious feedback from loyal fans, the ACO has added new track viewing areas, grandstands and a relaxation area. Thanks to the new vantage points, spectators will be able to see the race from a different angle!

<h2>1/ Karting Area</h2>

<a href="https://www.lequipe.fr/tv/replay/focus-sur-les-virages-porsche/20192558">All drivers and many fans agree</a>&nbsp;that the Porsche Curves are the most spectacular section of the 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit. No surprise then, that the ACO plans a new grass bank offering several thousand people great views of the cars as they exit the Curves at over 200 kph. The area is on the Circuit Alain Prost within the race grounds and will not require extra tickets. New facilities include a Fan Zone, big screen, places to eat and toilets. The nearest entrances to experience this exceptional vantage point are the Karting, CIK and Maison Blanche gates.

The new Karting spectator area offers a spectacular view of the Porsche Curves

<h2>2/ Maison Blanche Grandstands</h2>

Maison Blanche also has commanding views of the Porsche Curves. The ACO has built new grandstands and installed a big screen here. Admission requires a separate ticket.&nbsp;

<h2>3/ Tertre Rouge</h2>

Don&rsquo;t miss this corner of the circuit. The leafy &ldquo;Chill Zone&rdquo; is sure to be a popular place to relax and watch the race. With space for over 10,000 spectators, this area will be the ideal place to grab some refreshments and watch the race on the big screen. The spectator area is best reached via the Tertre Rouge gate. Admission does not require a separate ticket. This area replaces the Tertre Rouge camping area. Loyal Tertre Rouge campers have been informed of the change and offered alternative pitches.&nbsp; 
 
These new spots are in addition to the usual amenities (<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/new-spectator-area">see map for details</a>). Spectator capacity will remain equivalent to the 2024 race.&nbsp; 
 
General sale tickets for next year&rsquo;s 24 Hours of Le Mans (11-15 June) can be purchased from Wednesday 13 November. ACO Members have an earlier presale period from Wednesday 6 November 2023.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/tickets-2025">See our website for full details</a>.

24 Hours of Le Mans: new spectator vantage points

Le Mans, Ignite your Senses | The 24 Hours of the Le Mans illustrates a spirit of innovation combined with human perseverance, grounded in universal values that transcend time. Since the event was founded in 1923, it has pushed back the limits in terms of technology, performance and personal achievement. A race with a real sense of purpose.

<h2>A testing ground for technology</h2>

The 24 Hours of Le Mans provides an arena where the world&rsquo;s biggest car makers can put their latest innovations to the test. The Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans is the ultimate laboratory for automotive technology. It was here that fog lamps, front-wheel drive, radial tyres and disc brakes were first trialled before they became standard features on our everyday vehicles. Each car that lines up at the race is&nbsp;a blueprint for the next wave of vehicle technology. The boundaries of mechanics and engineering are constantly challenged and redefined. The future of the car industry unfolds at Le Mans, where groundbreaking technologies &ndash; turbo and hybrid engines, LED and laser headlights and, in the near future, hydrogen &ndash; are put through their paces. The race is therefore much more than a sporting challenge:&nbsp;every lap is a chance to explore innovations that will shape the automotive landscape.

<h2>A test of human endurance and personal achievement</h2>

The race is the supreme test, not only for technology, but also for the people involved. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the drivers are&nbsp;pushed to the limits of their physical endurance and mental resilience. Although they share the wheel with their teammates, driving flat out for hours on end demands extraordinary levels of concentration and stamina. With the lack of sleep, relentless pressure and requirement to sustain peak performance around the clock, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is a remarkable test of human capability, unlike any other event in motorsport.

<h2>Team spirit and a SHARED passion</h2>

Beyond the individual challenges, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is all about&nbsp;working together. Drivers, engineers, mechanics and strategists join forces in pursuit of victory at one of the world&rsquo;s most gruelling races. It is a shared quest, where team spirit is key to getting the car to the finish line.&nbsp;Each victory is powered by a combination of human effort and technological innovation.&nbsp;Collaboration and mutual support pave the way to success. And these values go well beyond the race itself. They are embraced by everyone involved, from the teams to the fans.

<h2>A global event with local roots</h2>

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is not just a sports event; it is also&nbsp;a significant force for the economy and cultural scene in the Pays-de-la-Loire region&nbsp;Every year, the race draws hundreds of thousands of visitors from the world over. These fans not only raise the city&#39;s global standing but also boost the local economy. A multitude of businesses, from hotels and restaurants to retailers and transport companies benefit from the crowds who flock to the Le Mans for the illustrious race. The impact on the economy and tourism makes the race a cornerstone of life in Le Mans, and the local community takes great pride in hosting an event that enjoys&nbsp;international appeal bridging borders and cultures.&nbsp;Another worthy achievement &ndash; the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans was recently voted France&rsquo;s Favourite Monument!

<h2>A century of prestige</h2>

The 24 Hours of Le Mans celebrated its centenary in fitting style in 2023, having navigated the years without losing any of its prestige. It continues to fascinate, innovate and inspire. More than a race, it is an annual gathering embodying passion, progress and pure grit. The founding values of the 24 Hours of Le Mans &ndash; innovation, human endeavour, team spirit and tolerance &ndash; are more relevant than ever, indicating that the race&rsquo;s future will be as magnificent as its storied past.

24 Hours of Le Mans Centenary - Best Of

La vidéo Best Of du Centenaire des 24 Heures du Mans

<h2>Committed to a responsible future</h2>

Since 1906, the Automobile Club de l&#39;Ouest (ACO), organiser of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, has demonstrated&nbsp;an unwavering commitment to innovation and community spirit. True to these values, in 2021 the ACO marked out three priorities with an eye to sustainable development and to guide its future.

First, the ACO has taken a proactive approach to address climate change, adapting the way it works to reduce its carbon footprint. Second, it strives to operate in a sustainable and responsible manner, setting the standard for others in the world of motor racing.

Third, the ACO aims to foster a fairer, more inclusive, responsible and caring society, applying these principles to everything it does. With the ambitious goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, the ACO is clearly focused on shaping the future of motorsport while upholding its founding values.

In every sense, the 24 Hours is more than just a motor race. It captures the spirit of human endeavour, where technology is matched by physical and mental performance. It is a reminder that every innovation, every achievement is fuelled by the desire to&nbsp;overcome the impossible.&nbsp;The race is an immersive experience, engaging all five senses, but more than anything, the 24 Hours of Le Mansis is driven by a sense of purpose.

<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/the-24-hours-of-le-mans-ticket-office-opens-on-wednesday-13-november-59028" target="_blank">Ticket sales for the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans</a>&nbsp;will go on sale to the public on Wednesday 13 November. ACO Members benefit from an earlier presale period from Wednesday 6 November.

.

24H LE MANS

FIA WEC – AF Corse signs up Phil Hanson for the Ferrari 499P

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FIA WEC – AF Corse signs up Phil Hanson for the Ferrari 499P

24 Hours of Le Mans: new spectator vantage points

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