The 2017 edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours is set to feature yet another full grid of cars, with 60 entered for the race and two reserves.
Here’s a rundown of each class after today’s ACO entry list announcement:
LMP1: Low on numbers but better than expected
With Audi and Rebellion’s LMP1 programmes no more, the LMP1 class was always set to be thin this year, with the new LMP1 teams set to arrive in 2018.
For the 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours the field is down to just six cars, the lowest in the class’ 14-year history, but it could have been as low as five.
Toyota has opted to run a third car this year, as the Japanese team announced overnight, with Stephane Sarrazin leading the car’s lineup which still has two free seats. Sarrazin’s full-time seat has been taken by Jose Maria Lopez.
Outside of the trio of TS050s there’s the two updated Porsche 919s which feature refreshed drivers lineups and the sole ByKolles CLM P1/01, the Austrian-flagged team biding its time until new privateer competition arrives.
It should still be a good race though, with last year’s 24 Hours Toyota vs Porsche battle turning into an all-time classic.
Besides, the Audi vs Peugeot years pre-WEC were pretty memorable, weren’t they?
LMP2: 25 cars for the new era
The biggest class in the field is once again LMP2, with 25 cars, very promising for the start of the new era of LMP2 machinery as it’s actually bigger than last year’s 23-car grid.
It’s interesting though where the numbers come from, as the ELMS brings 13 cars to the party, and the WEC just nine. In fact the entire ELMS LMP2 field bar the High Class Racing Dallara is on the list.
In addition to that Eurasia Motorsport from the AsLMS is set to field a single Ligier JS P217 and a further two cars are entered as one-offs.
Outside of the WEC and ELMS entries which are analysed in their respective entry list summaries, the aforementioned one-offs come from interesting places.
The biggest surprise here is ARC Bratislava, which is fielding a single Oreca 07 in the race.
Ben Keating will be back too, with a single Riley entered under his own name as an IMSA guest.
Aside from Keating’a Riley there’s no further presence in the class from the IMSA field, Visit Florida Racing’s ambitious plans not coming to fruition, JDC Miller and PR1 also unable to make the trip.
In terms of the new chassis, Oreca is the dominant force with 13 (15 if you count the re-badged Alpines) but all four chassis manufacturers are represented. Six Ligiers, three Dallaras and a single Riley Multimatic make up the numbers.
It’s an enormous field, with welcome variety, and that’s more than could have been hoped for with escalating costs and a completely new set of cars for year 1 of the 2017 LMP2 generation.
GTE Pro: Further growth
GTE Pro continues to go from strength to strength, with increasing manufacturer interest and a diverse field of 13 cars.
The big addition is of course Porsche which is competing in the full WEC season with its new 911 RSRs.
Ford is also returning with four cars once again in addition to the usual suspects in Aston Martin Racing, Corvette and Risi Competitzione.
There’s no entries out of left field here.
GTE Am: An enormous field
The GTE Am class may well be the most positive story across the three entry lists announced, with 16 cars set for Le Mans. There’s plenty of intrigue in the GTE Am class this year, with cars from the WEC, ELMS, IMSA and AsLMS in the race.
In terms of cars, the class will feature Porsche 911 RSRs, Aston Martin Vantages, a Corvette Ferrari 488s and a single 458. Larbre is on the list, though as a one-off with Ricky Taylor listed as its first driver.
Only one other of the entries is a one off, and that’s the second Clearwater Ferrari 488 GTE, the Singaporean team taking the next step this season racing in the WEC with a single Ferrari 488.
Fellow Asian team and current AsLMS GT champ DH Racing is also a trip to La Sarthe with a Ferrari 488 and Riccardo Ragazzi.
For Aston, its full-season WEC effort is joined by TF Sport and Beechdean from the ELMS, making the British team’s presence five cars this year!
It’s also worth mentioning that JMW Motorsports are on the entry list once again, after missing out last year. It’s good to see the British GTE stalwarts back on the full Le Mans list time.
JMW brings a 458 to the party, and that plus the seven 488s on the Am grid brings the Prancing Horse’s total to double figures across the board in GTE. Among those, Spirit Of Race has entered two 488s, same with IMSA’s Scuderia Corsa.
Reserves
This year’s reserve list is smaller than usual, with just one LMP2 and one GTE ready to step in if anyone drops out.
RLR M Sport’s has filed for a Ligier JSP217 to be the LMP2 stand-in, with a surprise entry from Mentos Racing (run with Proton) for Egidio Perfetti set for first refusal in GTE. Another GT3 Le Mans Cup graduate looking to climb the ladder.
