The entry list for the 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 87th edition of the world famous event, features a record-breaking 62 cars and 186 drivers who will compete in this year’s twice around the clock race on 15-16 June.
With 34 cars the FIA World Endurance Championship makes up over 50% of the grid, with the 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans being the eighth and final round of the 2018/19 Super Season.
Amongst the 186 competitors competing are last year’s winners Fernando Alonso, Kazuki Nakajima, and Sébastien Buemi, who will be vying for the FIA World Endurance LMP Drivers’ Championship, as well as defending their 2018 Le Mans title.
Alonso is also seeking to become only the second driver to win two FIA world championships in different disciplines, the first being Petr Solberg who won the 2003 World Rally Drivers’ Championship and then the 2014 and 2015 World Rallycross titles.
The entry list also includes eight World Endurance Drivers’ Champions, André Lotterer, Anthony Davidson, Loïc Duval, Neel Jani, Romain Dumas, Earl Bamber, Marcel Fässler and Sebastien Buemi and 2017 GT world champions James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi.
FIA Champions from other disciplines will also feature on the 2019 grid with Fernando Alonso (two time Formula 1 World Champion), Andy Priaulx (three time World Touring Car Champion), Jose Maria Lopez (three time World Touring Car Champion) and Jean-Eric Vergne (Reigning Formula E Champion).
In addition, there are various 24 Hours of Le Mans class winners entered such as Nicolas Lapierre, Thomas Laurent, David Heinemeier Hansson, Gianmaria Bruni, Harry Tincknell, Darren Turner and Nicki Thiim.
With Toyota securing the LMP FIA World Endurance Championship and Porsche the GT FIA World Endurance Manufacturers’ Championship all eyes will be who will be crowned the 2018/19 FIA World Endurance Drivers’ Champions in both categories.
In LMP Alonso, Nakajima and Buemi currently hold a 31 point lead over their Toyota teammates Jose Maria Lopez, Kamui Kobayashi and Mike Conway, with 39 points still to be won.
In LMGTE it is a similar story with the title being decided by the two Porsche crews. Michael Christensen and Kevin Estre have 140 points, 36 ahead of Gianmaria Bruni and Richard Lietz. Reigning champions Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado are lying in third place on 98.5 points, too far away from Christensen and Estre to retain their title.
Both the LMP2 team and driver FIA Endurance Trophy titles are still to be decided, with Andre Negrao, Nicolas Lapierre and Pierre Thiriet leading by just 4 points in the no36 Signatech Alpine Matmut A470-Gibson, with Gabriel Aubry, Ho-Pin Tung and Stephane Richelmi in second spot in the no38 Jackie Chan DC Racing Oreca-Gibson.
The no56 Team Project 1 Porsche is the current leader in the LMGTE Am FIA Endurance Trophy, with drivers Jorg Bermeister, Egidio Perfetti and Patrick Lindsay on 113 points after seven races, 23 points ahead of Giancarlo Fisichella, Thomas Flohr and Francesco Castellacci in the no54 Spirit of Race Ferrari.
All will be decided at the end of the 24 Hours of Le Mans when the chequered flag is waved at 3pm on Sunday 16 June.