With the 2024-2025 Asian Le Mans Series now concluded, the selection committee for the Le Mans 24 Hours convened last week to determine the final entry list for the 93rd edition of the legendary endurance race (June 14-15). This was no easy task, given that there are only 62 available slots and the organiser ACO received around 75 applications.
With 38 full-season WEC entries and 11 guaranteed invitations, the committee had just 13 additional spots to allocate, while also ensuring at least 15 entries for LMP2, despite the class being absent from the WEC since 2023.
In the Hypercar category, the 18 WEC full-season entrants will be joined by two Cadillac V-Series.R cars fielded by Action Express Racing and Wayne Taylor Racing, along with a third official Porsche 963.
In LMP2, a surprise omission was the exclusion of two long-standing teams: DKR Engineering and Duqueine Team. Meanwhile, reigning Formula 2 champion Theo Pourchaire is set to make his Le Mans debut with Algarve Pro Racing, competing alongside his European Le Mans Series campaign.
The LMGT3 category has been bolstered by the addition of two extra Ferrari 296s from Kessel Racing and Richard Mille - AF Corse, while JMW Motorsport and GR Racing missed out. Aston Martin, Ford, McLaren, BMW, and Lexus will each field two cars, with Mercedes, Corvette, and Porsche entering three, and Ferrari leading the pack with five entries.
Porsche's decision
As previously reported, Porsche Penske Motorsport has chosen to accept the invitation it earned after securing the IMSA SportsCar Championship title last year, increasing its Le Mans entry to three official Porsche 963s.
Operationally, like last year, Porsche Penske Motorsport will prepare and run the additional car with support from its IMSA team. "That’s the beauty of Porsche Penske Motorsport: we can use our global programme to tap into resources for staff and equipment for the biggest races of the year,” explained Jonathan Diuguid, the team's managing director, last year.
The additional car, carrying the #4, will feature Nick Tandy and Felipe Nasr, winners of this year’s Daytona 24 Hours. Tandy will be aiming for his second Le Mans victory, while Nasr hopes to become the first Brazilian to triumph at the Circuit de la Sarthe.
However, Porsche Penske Motorsport has remained tight-lipped about the third driver, only promising to announce the driver "soon". Speculation suggests that Pascal Wehrlein is the frontrunner, though Wehrlein's fellow Porsche Formula E drivers Antonio Felix da Costa and Nico Mueller - and even four-time Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel - have been linked to the seat.
Does a third car make a difference?
Fielding a third car alongside two full-season WEC entries is nothing new for Porsche. In both 2023 and 2024, the manufacturer entered a third 963, with the #75 in 2023 and the #4 in 2024.
"The history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans has shown time and again how important an extra iron in the fire can be" said Urs Kuratle, Porsche LMDh boss, last year.
Going further back, Porsche followed the same strategy in 2015 with the "white" 919 Hybrid, driven to victory by Earl Bamber, Nick Tandy and Nico Hulkenberg. Toyota did the same in 2017 with an additional TS050 Hybrid.
Similarly, Audi frequently entered a third R18 e-tron quattro. In 2011, Audi’s decision paid off when the lone surviving R18 TDI - driven by Marcel Fassler, Andre Lotterer and Benoit Treulyer - secured victory.
Since the rebirth of the WEC in 2012, the third car has only won once - that #19 Hulkenberg/Bamber/Tandy entry. But it was a Porsche 1-2 anyway - so was the third car a decisive factor? Tough to say...
In endurance racing history, particularly before the WEC era, it was rare for a single driver line-up to remain the same throughout a season. This makes it difficult to definitively say that an additional car directly influences victory chances.
That said, statistically, having three cars increases the likelihood of success. Audi’s 2011 triumph, when only one of its three R18s survived, is a prime example. Similar cases occurred in 2007 and 2008, where only one of three Audi entries made it to the podium, taking the top step.
Another key advantage of a third car is the wealth of data collected during testing and the potential for team collaboration during the race. However, this synergy must be genuine and transparent.
In recent years, differing regulations between the WEC and IMSA have made it challenging for American teams to adapt at Le Mans. Differences in pitlane rules, safety car procedures, Full Course Yellow protocols and Slow Zones have often put IMSA-based teams at a disadvantage.
Last year, the #4 car fielded by Porsche Penske Motorsport’s IMSA team struggled to match the pace of its WEC counterparts. The same pattern was evident when Porsche entered four 911 RSRs in the GTE Pro class a few years ago, with the Core Autosport-run IMSA entries falling short of the Manthey Racing-prepared WEC cars.
What about Cadillac?
While Porsche Penske Motorsport will have three cars at Le Mans, a total of four Porsche 963s will be on the grid, with Proton Competition’s #99 entry driven by Neel Jani, Nico Pino and Nico Varrone. A potential withdrawal could even bring a fifth, as Proton’s second 963 is first on the reserve list.
Cadillac, too, will have four cars, a situation reminiscent of 2000. The two WEC-entered V-Series.Rs from Team Jota will be joined by the #311 from Action Express Racing and the #101 from Wayne Taylor Racing. The latter marks WTR’s debut at Le Mans, 23 years after Wayne Taylor’s last appearance as a driver at the event, also in a Cadillac.
While four cars across three teams may suggest a different dynamic than Porsche’s approach, Cadillac’s teams insist they will collaborate closely under a "three teams, one goal" mantra.
As driver Jenson Button said: "Communication is everything. Communication between Cadillac Racing and Team Jota is important, but also between the teams and us drivers.
"We also have a discussion group where we all exchange information [Cadillac IMSA and WEC drivers]. I have never seen this from teams on either side of the Atlantic.
"We have to work hand in hand, we need to, especially since two of the three teams [WTR and Jota] are new to the V-Series. Any help will be welcome."
But for Cadillac and Porsche, the question remains the same: will the numerical advantage be enough to overcome Toyota and Ferrari?
