Five Ferrari 296 LMGT3s are set to compete in the fourth act of the FIA WEC 2024, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, at the Sarthe circuit, traditionally the most eagerly awaited event in the world championship season. For the first time in history, the latest series-derived model from the Maranello manufacturer, which debuted this year in the LMGT3 class, is set to appear on the 13.626-kilometre French track. At the steering wheel of the Prancing Horse cars will be three official Ferrari drivers: Davide Rigon and Alessio Rovera, at the start with the 296 LMGT3 of Vista AF Corse, numbers 54 and 55 respectively, and Daniel Serra, in the number 86 of GR Racing entered only in the French event. After the days dedicated to testing, free practice and qualifying, the race will commence on Saturday, 15 June at 4 p.m. (local time).
The teams. In line with their participation in the entire FIA World Endurance Championship season, the Vista AF Corse team will field two Ferraris in the marathon French race. Rigon shares the number 54 car with Thomas Flohr and Francesco Castellacci, while Rovera will alternate at the wheel of the 296 LMGT3 sister car number 55 with François Heriau and Simon Mann. For Rigon, who hails from Veneto, this year’s 24 Hours will mark the eleventh of his career, while Rovera, from Lombardy, brings experience including a victory at the Circuit de la Sarthe in 2021, driving the Ferrari 488 GTE, in a season that culminated in the world title in the LMGTE Am class.
As previously mentioned, the Maranello manufacturer will strengthen its presence at Le Mans with three additional cars. GR Racing will line up the number 86 296 LMGT3 courtesy of Riccardo Pera and Michael Wainwright and the Ferrari official driver Daniel Serra: the Brazilian, already a winner of the 24 Hours in 2017 and 2019, took the top step of the podium this year at the 24 Hours at Daytona, the first act of the IMSA championship, alongside Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Rigon himself.
The 296 LMGT3s of the JMW Motorsport teams, with Giacomo Petrobelli-Larry ten Voorde-Salih Yoluc, and Spirit of Race, with Johnny and Conrad Laursen (father and son who race in the 2024 ELMS, where they won the first race of the season) and Jordan Taylor, will take part in the race with numbers 66 and 155 respectively.
The situation. After the opening races of the season in Qatar, Italy (Imola) and Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps), the number 54 crew occupies seventh spot in the Drivers’ standings with 23 points (49 points behind the leaders), 2 more than their teammates in the number 55 296 LMGT3 who hold eighth place. Victory at Le Mans puts 50 points up for grabs.
History. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is now in its 92nd year. During the history of the world’s most renowned endurance race, the Prancing Horse has claimed a tally of ten overall victories – the most recent in 2023 for the number 51 499P driven by Pier Guidi, Calado, and Giovinazzi – along with 29 class wins.
Since the inception of the FIA WEC in 2012, Ferrari has secured eight triumphs. Two of these victories were produced by the Ferrari 488 GTE, for Pier Guidi and Calado in the LMGTE Pro class: in 2019 together with Côme Ledogar, two years later sharing the car with Daniel Serra. In 2021 Ferrari also took first place in LMGTE Am with the 488 GTE in the hands of Nicklas Nielsen, Alessio Rovera and François Perrodo. In 2023 the best 488 GTE was the number 55 of the AF Corse team, fifth in LMGTE Am, with Flohr-Castellacci-Rigon.
The programme. Test Day will be held on Sunday 9 June with two 3-hour free practice sessions, from 10 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. The cars will be back on the track on Wednesday 12 for two free practice sessions, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and from 10 p.m. to midnight, interspersed with Qualifying (7 p.m. - 8 p.m.). Thursday 13 will see Free Practice 3, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m; the Hyperpole (8 p.m. to 8.30 p.m, reserved for the eight fastest cars in qualifying), and a final free practice session from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. The 24 Hours will get underway on Saturday, 15 June from 4 p.m. (times are local).