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Lilou Wadoux
Lilou Wadoux
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Ecurie Ferrari
SĂ©bastien Buemi
SĂ©bastien Buemi
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Ecurie Toyota
Matthieu Vaxiviere
Matthieu Vaxiviere
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Ecurie Alpine
Nicolas lapierre
Nicolas lapierre
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Ecurie Alpine
Mick Schumacher
Mick Schumacher
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Ecurie Alpine
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Everything you need to know about Endurance:

Endurance is a motorsport discipline characterized by long-distance races. Several categories compete in the race at the same time: the queen discipline is that of the Hypercar which brings together the LMDh concepts (silhouette chassis supplied by approved manufacturers and several standard elements in common) and the LMH (greater freedom of design and design). Followed by LM P2, or even LM P3 in certain championships. Grand Touring (GT) cars complete the grid with fully professional crews and others in Pro-Am. Each category has its own classification in addition to the general, the latter designating the winner of the race. The most famous races of the season are the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring, the 24 Hours of NĂĽrburgring, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Endurance entered a new era in 2021 with the arrival of the Hypercar category in WEC, synonymous with new regulations and especially new prototypes in the premier category of the discipline. 2023 marked the Centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a spectacular edition concluded by the victory of Ferrari for its return to the premier category of Sport-prototypes. In 2024, Alpine, BMW, and Lamborghini will join Toyota, Ferrari, Porsche, Peugeot, Cadillac in Hypercar. The main championships are the WEC, IMSA in the United States, the European Le Mans Series in Europe, and the Asian Le Mans Series in the Middle East and Asia.

Endurance drivers to follow in 2024

Many renowned drivers are racing in Endurance, WEC, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans during this 2024 season. We are thinking in particular of Sébastien Buemi at Toyota, Jenson Button on a Hertz Team JOTA customer Porsche, Robert Kubica at the wheel of a third Ferrari 499P AF Corsica. Aboard the #50 Ferrari, Antonio Giovinazzi, James Calado, and Alessandro Pier Guidi will attempt to defend the crown acquired last year. Porsche, which holds the record for victories at Le Mans (19), will aim for a 20th success in Sarthe with an armada of six 963s, including three official ones lined up under the Penske Motorsport colors. We will find renowned crews with, among others, Felipe Nasr, Nick Tandy Mathieu Jaminet, Matt Campbell, Dane Cameron, Michael Christensen, Frédérick Makowiecki, Kévin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor, and André Lotterer. At Peugeot, we will follow the performances of Loïc Duval, Paul di Resta, Nico Mueller, Jean-Eric Vergne, Mikkel Jensen, and Stoffel Vandoorne. Cadillac is not left out with Sébastien Bourdais, Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Renger van der Zande, Pipo Derani, Jack Aitken, Scott Dixon, Alex Palou. In LM P2, the headliners are Louis Delétraz, winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring, or Filipe Albuquerque and Ritomo Miyata, 2023 Super Formula and Super GT champion. In the new LMGT3 class, we will notably follow the Frenchwoman Doriane Pin and her fellow Iron Dames.

What is the minimum duration of an Endurance race?

The minimum duration of an Endurance race is four hours for all events in the Asian Le Mans Series and the European Le Mans Series. For races at a higher level, that is to say in WEC (world endurance championship) and IMSA, they range from six to 24 hours for the most demanding, such as Daytona (United States), the NĂĽrburgring (Germany), and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the jewel of the WEC.

What is the difference between Hypercar and LM P2?

The two prototypes are distinguished by different regulations. Moreover, between the two, only the Hypercar category is considered a world endurance championship in its own right, with the LM P2 champion winning the Endurance Trophy in WEC. Each team entered in Hypercar must develop and build its own Hypercar, whether LMH or LMDh, while the LMP2 teams obtain their supplies from a service provider: Oreca, Ligier, Duqueine or Ginetta depending on the championships (WEC, ELMS, IMSA, etc.). The Hypercar is the more powerful and robust of the two.

What are the characteristics of the Endurance race?

Endurance is characterized by races lasting several hours. In this context, the drivers take turns at the wheel. Everyone has a minimum amount of time behind the wheel depending on their status. Due to its specificity, endurance races are not counted in laps but by the clock. Once it has finished, the driver behind the wheel of the car currently leading the general classification must complete a final loop to validate and conclude the race. Unlike F1, there is no fixed starting grid, but a launched start behind the Safety Car. The maximum racing time is 24 hours, like the 24 hours of Le Mans, the flagship event of the WEC (world endurance championship).

What is a Silver driver?

A Silver driver, or Silver, is an amateur endurance driver meeting certain FIA criteria. He must be under 30 years old and not meet the criteria for Platinum and Gold categorizations. This status rewards drivers who have had a good result in the championship during regional or national events or during series for non-professional drivers. A pace deemed high enough for a bronze driver can also be rewarded with promotion to Silver.

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