2024 LE MANS 24 HOURS KICKS OFF WITH PRE-EVENT TEST

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is set to start its 2024 run this weekend, as the French city embraces its legendary race for its 92nd edition. Lamborghini Iron Lynx will be entering two Lamborghini SC63 LMDh racecars for the first time in the coveted twice-around-the-clock event.

The new-for-2024 sportscars, joining the ever-growing Le Mans Hypercar class, will be running their longest race so far, driven by their full FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA SportsCar Championship crews, and recently underwent a positive shakedown test at Magny-Cours.

The long, double Le Mans weekend will begin with testing on Sunday, June 9. Edition number 92 of the classic race officially kicked off with the popular Pesage on Friday, as the cars went through scrutineering in downtown Le Mans, in Place des Jacobins.

Competing for the first time in Europe, the #19 car will join the #63, a nod to the foundation date of Lamborghini, 1963, and Matteo Cairoli, Andrea Caldarelli, and Romain Grosjean will return from their seventh place at Sebring to enter another historic event.

A 28-year-old veteran of seven Le Mans starts, Cairoli will drive a prototype for the first time at Circuit de la Sarthe, while for Caldarelli, despite his vast racing experience, it will be the first time at Le Mans and he will look to speed up his learning curve. The Italian combo will be present for testing, while F1 veteran Grosjean, who is set to return to Le Mans after his 2010 debut, will join them as he comes back from IndyCar at Road America.

Mirko Bortolotti, Daniil Kvyat, and Edoardo Mortara will be sharing the #63 car. Bortolotti and Kvyat have raced at Le Mans in LMP2 in the past and are set for their first go in the top class, while Mortara will be running at Le Mans for the first time. Bortolotti will provide a particularly bold double effort, driving in both the Le Mans test and in the DTM event at Zandvoort.

To support the driver line-up, Jordan Pepper will take on testing duties. The experienced South African, who like his team-mates is a Lamborghini Squadra Corse Factory Driver, will also serve as a reserve driver throughout the full event.

Action will kick off on Sunday at 10:00 with the first three-hour test session, followed by three more hours of running between 15:30 and 18:30.

We look forward to competing for the first time at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This race is the pinnacle of endurance racing for its importance, popular support, and sporting challenges. It requires teams to maximise everything they have. It is incredibly demanding for its sheer length, of course, but also for the variety of situations it features, and for the pressure it applies to competitors, from drivers to the team’s staff. Preparations were thorough and promising, so we cannot wait to hit the track on Sunday.

Emmanuel Esnault, Racing Director