Le Mans’ defending champions
The 86th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 16/17th June is the first of two appearances for the French classic on the 2018/19 FIA World Endurance Championship Super Season calendar.
Unusually, it will be one of those rare occasions where the overall winner of the previous year’s race does not return to defend its crown. However, Porsche, which bowed out from the WEC’s LMP1 division after scoring a third successive Le Mans triumph with its 919 Hybrid last year, will still be present at the Circuit des 24 Heures in 2018, with an expanded LMGTE Pro presence, upping its entry in the class from two to four cars.
The mid-engined 911 RSR has yet to win its first WEC race but was quickest during the Prologue test last month and provided the sternest opposition to Ford in the opening round of the season at Spa. Plus, its four cars are stacked with talent, including no fewer than four previous outright Le Mans winners: Romain Dumas, Timo Bernhard, Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber.
Jackie Chan DC Racing, which got both of its cars into overall podium places at La Sarthe last year, is back to defend its title in LMP2 with its pair of WEC season-entered ORECAs. Of last year’s winning driver line-up, only Ho-Pin Tung remains but his new teammates Gabriel Aubry and Stéphane Richelmi have already proven they are up to the task.
Like Porsche, the Chinese-flagged team has also bolstered its presence for the 2018 race, with its Asian Le Mans Series success having earned it another two grid slots. Team boss David Cheng, who has stood down from full-time driving duties this year, will make a one-off return in one of two Ligier entries.
A thrilling GTE Pro showdown last year was won by Aston Martin Racing, which is back this year with two brand new Vantages. Although the British manufacturer didn’t get the start to the WEC season it was hoping for at Spa, it would be no surprise at all to see it firmly in the mix to defend its hard-earned crown.
Finally, although ELMS team JMW Motorsport took the top spot in LMGTE Am, it was Clearwater Racing from Singapore which took maximum WEC points. The team will be back with its Ferrari 488 GTE and one of only two line ups in this class with a completely unchanged driver line up – Aston Martin Racing’s Am entry being the other.
Who will be crowned Le Mans champions in 2018…only 23 days to wait to find out!
