24h Le Mans
Tomorrow is looking bright. As Le Mans hosts an impressive grid of Hypercars, a new golden age is clearly dawning for endurance racing. At Test Day yesterday, the thousands of spectators in attendance got their first look at the diverse line-up, which includes some of the world’s most prestigious manufacturers. In the LMP2 and LMGTE Am classes, a number of fast, ambitious and highly determined young drivers are patiently waiting for their time to come, hoping that sooner or later that they’ll get a full-time seat in one of these prototypes.
“Yes, I think about Hypercar,” says Lilou Wadoux, driver of the #83 Ferrari 488 GTE Evo fielded in the LMGTE Am class by AF Corse. In fact, we met several drivers aged under 30, none of whom could really hide their ambition. A new era is dawning for Endurance racing, and the spectators and drivers are all well aware of this. With seven manufacturers fielding 16 hypercars this year, there are potentially more openings for the premier class than ever, and this is raising the level among those likely to qualify for promotion.
There will be huge public interest in the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans and the race could be decisive for the future of some of these drivers. “My main focus now is on my performance. We finished second at Portimão, and won at Spa-Francorchamps (in May, in the final race before Le Mans). Since that win, we’ve been keen to get to Le Mans. There are a few more expectations surrounding us now,” explains Wadoux, now a Ferrari works driver.
Doriane Pin, a 19-year-old rookie in the #63 Oreca 07 with Gibson Prema Racing, says pretty much the same thing. Both her teammates have already signed up with Lamborghini for a future in Hypercar. “Of course, the LMP2 project is about preparing us for Hypercar. We’re just one rung below on the ladder. Mirko Bortolotti and Daniil Kvyat (her teammates) have already had their seats confirmed. Clearly, I don’t intend to stop here.” The French driver has demonstrated impressive speed since the start of the season and is one of the motorsport personalities of the moment.
Louis Delétraz enjoyed a podium finish in LMP2 last year and is another driver aiming for a place in the premier league. This time, he has a class victory in sight, in the #41 Oreca 07 - Gibson for Team WRT. “I’m here to win – the race and the championship. I’m not here to take second place, we’re not going to do anyone any favours.” Well, at least that’s clear. It’s worth remembering that the Swiss driver has a few scores to settle with the race after losing the LMP2 class at the 2021 24 Hours with Team WRT, when his car broke down just seconds before the chequered flag. “There’s definitely a desire for revenge. We should have won in 2021. It’s awful, you think about it every day. Losing Le Mans on the last lap – it’s not something you forget about.” Unless you win the next time around?
These rising stars are not afraid to talk about the future. Whether currently racing in LMP2 or GT, they all see the Hypercar class as an amazing opportunity they simply can’t ignore. For Pin, the youngest of the three drivers we spoke to, her age is not an issue. “Honestly, there are no discussions with Lamborghini at the moment. But yes, my idea is to get into Hypercar. I’d like to be there – from next year. It’s up to them whether they pick me or not...” The fact that there won’t be a Lamborghini prototype at the race this year makes it more difficult for her to envision the next step. Which is not the case for Wadoux, who can already admire the stunning silhouette of the 499P on track.
She doesn’t believe that driving a GT puts her at a disadvantage compared to the drivers at the wheel of LMP2 cars. “Ferrari is a family. Us 499P drivers all stick together. We talk about Hypercar, GTE, GT3... there are no barriers, it’s all nice and open.” The AF Corse structure oversees a vast array of programmes, and will have six cars in the three classes at Le Mans.
Delétraz has clocked up more experienced and already drives an LMDh in the USA. His presence at Team WRT, a team with linked to BMW for a Hypercar project in 2024, raises a few questions. Questions he brushes aside. “I think I’ll find a seat on one side of the Atlantic or the other, no problem. This race won’t determine my future. In the United States, my potential has already been acknowledged by Acura and Wayne Taylor Racing. I’ve proven myself in prototypes and am now positioned as a contender worthy of a seat in Hypercar."
Nothing much is certain the moment, but one thing is sure – the future looks very bright. Don’t miss the first free practice session at 2pm on Wednesday 7 June, when these promising young talents will take to the track.
