Entry List Complete For 2023 Le Mans 24 Hours

The final gaps in the 2023 Le Mans 24 Hours entry list have been filled, following the release of the latest provisional entry list for the centenary race this afternoon.

There have been a handful of changes in the three main classes, though only in the driver columns. There have been no changes to the list of teams, however, the reserve list has been reduced to eight following a withdrawal from Risi Competizione.

In Hypercar, the latest edition of the entry confirms the drivers for Glickenhaus Racing’s second SCG 007 LMH. The #709 will be driven by Franck Mailleux, who stood in for Ryan Briscoe at Spa in the #708, Nathanael Berthon who will make his eighth Le Mans start and former Sauber and Haas F1 driver Esteban Gutierrez.

LMP2 meanwhile sees a few new names confirmed.

In Prema Racing’s #9 WEC-entered ORECA, Juan Manuel Correa returns after missing Sebring and Spa due to his F2 commitments. It means future Lamborghini LMDh driver Andrea Caldarelli is without a drive in the race.

DKR Engineering brings a newly-confirmed all-Belgian trio to the entry, with just one of the team’s ELMS full-season drivers, Tom Van Rompuy, set to drive. He will be joined by BMW factory driver Maxime Martin and Ugo de Wilde in the #43 Pro-Am entered ORECA.

The remaining tweaks and additions comes in the GTE Am field, for what will be the category’s final appearance at Le Mans ahead of the incoming LM GT3 replacement class in 2024.

At the top of the list, Jan Heylen is named alongside Ryan Hardwick and Zacharie Robichon in the #16 Proton Porsche. Heylen becomes their third co-driver of the season, after Harry Tincknell in the WEC races pre-Le Mans and Alessio Picariello in the ELMS season opener.

It may come as a surprise to some to see this line-up feature in the ELMS #16 rather than the FIA WEC #88. Proton Competition’s efforts will reshuffle after Le Mans, with the arrival of its Porsche 963 for the Hypercar category.

With Hardwick and Robichon in the #16, the #88 car that has contested the opening WEC races of the season will be driven by Harry Tincknell, Brendan Iribe and Olly Millroy. Originally Gianmaria Bruni was listed as the car’s nominated first driver, but a drive for the 2022 GTE Pro Le Mans class winner has not come to fruition for what would have been his 15th start.

Nothing should be read into Proton’s confidence levels in the Italian ace, however. He will form part of its Porsche 963 effort in both IMSA and WEC post-Le Mans and is likely to be joined by Harry Tincknell in both efforts.

In the third and final car entered by Proton Competition, Martin Rump has been named, as expected, alongside his full-season ELMS teammates Michael Fassbender and Richard Lietz in the #911.

Of the Ferrari teams on the list, three have added new names to the grid.

AF Corse’s #21 sees Diego Alessi’s seat taken up by Frenchman Julien Piguet. This is a further change in the Bronze driver aboard the #21 after Stefano Costantini drove at Sebring.

ELMS outfit JMW Motorsport has named a brand new set of drivers for its venerable #66 488. The British team will race with Thomas Neubauer, Louis Prette and Giacomo Petrobelli with the team’s Ferrari set to start its seventh (and final) consecutive Le Mans.

And Asian Le Mans Series GT3 title winner Walkenhorst Motorsport has signed Chandler Hull, Jeff Segal and Andrew Haryanto for its debut in the race.

There are no surprises from the Aston Martin teams in the entry, though this update confirms the addition of Heart of Racing trio Ian James, Daniel Mancinelli and Alex Riberas in the #98 Northwest AMR Vantage, who replaces Paul Dalla Lana, Axcil Jefferies and Nicki Thiim.

The absence of PDL and Thiim breaks two significant streaks. This year would have been Dalla Lana’s 11th start and Thiim’s 10th.

With all 186 drivers now named, we have a clear picture of the level of quality in this field.

The complete list includes no fewer than 16 drivers with F1 experience, two of whom are World Champions: Jenson Button and Jacques Villeneuve. It also features 10 previous overall Le Mans winners, 11 WEC World Drivers’ Championship winners, five GTE Pro champions and 16 other class champions.

There are also title winners from various other global championships, including NASCAR, IndyCar, Champ Car, IMSA and WTCC.

FULL ENTRY LIST >>>