New manufacturers, new teams: the 2024 entry list in figures

37 cars

As in 2023, there are 37 cars registered on the 2024 World Championship entry list.Endurance, but this time divided into only two categories: the Hypercar and the LMGT3. A stable figure, will of the ACO despite the numerous applications, particularly in the GT3 class.

The idea of ​​having 40 cars next season was ultimately not retained, but this only seems to be postponed. “It was too complicated, justified the ACO. We need time to discuss with the teams to find a solution. However, the goal is to achieve this by 2025. If you go back five years, who would have imagined we would have this problem? »

19 Hypercars

A historic number: never before in the history of WEC the field of the premier category was not as full. Despite the departure of Glickenhaus and the ousting of Vanwall, there will indeed be 19 Hypercars at the start in 2024. In addition to the 11 frames already present in 2023, there will be two Alpine, two BMWs, a Lamborghini, a Ferrari, a Porsche-Jota and an Isotta Fraschini. And for the first time, all of the cars entered in the premier category will be hybrid!

18 LMGT3

The new WEC category, which takes over the GT3 regulations, was such a hit that the ACO limited registrations for the World Endurance Championship to two cars per brand. LMGT3 will therefore be made up of 18 cars and therefore nine manufacturers. Some, like Audi and Mercedes, have not managed to interfere in this list of 2024 entrants. Among the nine firms, we can note the return of emblematic brands like Ford and BMW or the arrival of Lamborghini, McLaren and Lexus in WEC.

14 manufacturers

Even more impressive than the number of cars entered in both categories is the record number of manufacturers who will be competing in the WEC next year: a record total of 14 manufacturers will be represented in 2024. (Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Isotta Fraschini, Lamborghini, Lexus, McLaren, Peugeot , Porsche and Toyota). More than ever, the WEC is the world championship with the most manufacturers entered.

8 nations

Across the 37 cars entered, eight nations are represented among the teams. Italy is the country which will have the most cars at the start of the WEC rounds, with nine cars adorned with the Italian flag ahead of France and its six cars entered (two Alpine, two Peugeots, two Akkodis ASP – Lexus). Great Britain (6), Germany (6), Belgium (4), Japan (3), United States (2) and Lithuania (1) are the other nations represented.

7 Porsche

It is the manufacturer most represented on this entry list: there will be seven Porsches in the WEC next year. Five in Hypercar with the 963 – with two Porsche-Penske, two Jota and a Proton Competition – and two Porsche 911 GT3 R in LMGT3, operated by Manthey EMA and Manthey PureRxcing. The Stuttgart firm could even see this figure increase during the 24 Hours of Le Mans : in 2023, Porsche entered an additional Hypercar in Sarthe.

3 French stables

In 2023, only four cars represented France in the WEC, namely the two Peugeots in Hypercar and the two Alpine in LM P2. Next year, this number increases to six! In addition to Peugeots and Alpine who move to Hypercar, Akkodis ASP will be the third French team in the field. Jérôme Policand's team has won its place in the World Endurance Championship and will operate two Lexus RC F GT3s.

Bonus: a story about numbers…

If the ACO revealed the 37 entries for the WEC in 2024, it also revealed the numbers of certain cars, sometimes with surprising meanings. If we could expect it to wear the No. 28 as in LM P2, the second Porsche-Jota will finally wear the No. 12, the same number as a certain Tom Brady, American football legend and sponsor from the stable.

Alpine will keep the same numbers that it used in 2023 in LM P2, i.e. No. 35 and the traditional No. 36, Signatech's favorite number for several years. The third Ferrari entered in Hypercar, operated by AF Corse, will wear the number 83, the same number as that used in GTE Am this season, with the Richard Mille car driven by Lilou Wadoux in particular. Unsurprisingly, Lamborghini will use the number 63 in reference to the year the Sant'Agata Bolognese firm was founded.

In LMGT3, Team WRT will use its traditional number 31 and number 46 for the BMW of Valentino Rossi, in reference to the historic issue of “The Doctor” in MotoGP. At McLaren – United Autosports, the numbers 59 and 95 both pay homage to victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans: the first in reference to the McLaren F1 GTR winner with the number 59, and the second in reference to the year of the coronation, in 1995. Finally, the two Porsches from the Manthey team will be adorned with the numbers 91 and 92... as at the time of the GTE Pro.

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