The ex-F1 drivers making a name for themselves in Le Mans' underrated class

Kevin Magnussen will make his Le Mans 24 Hours debut this weekend alongside father Jan in LMP2. But the Danes won't be the only ex-F1 drivers to appear in the hotly contested category this year.

Gary Watkins Aug 20, 2021, 8:44 AM

Upd: Aug 20, 2021, 3:20 PM

Formula 1 drivers making the jump into endurance racing is nothing new, nor is it a surprise many of them find success especially at the fabled Le Mans 24 Hours which takes place this weekend.

But while the focus for many will be on the Toyotas in their quest for outright victory, the most intense yet underrated battle is likely to be taking place in the class below - LMP2 - where no fewer than 11 drivers have sat on an F1 starting grid at one time or another.

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Author Gary Watkins

Gary Watkins has, for reasons best known to himself, devoted all his working life to covering sportscar racing. This season is his 33rd as a motorsport journalist, during which time he has reported on major long-distance events on four continents and approaching 80 24-hour races. He reckons a degree in political philosophy makes him well qualified for covering the sometimes Machiavellian world of international sportscars.

Gary, who also writes for Motor Sport, Autocourse, RACER and others, lives in Surbiton close to the former workshops of the Cooper Formula 1 team but spends more time on the road than at home for most of the year.