Le Mans 2016 runners and riders

This could be one of the most open Le Mans 24 Hours in years. Porsche, Audi and Toyota all appear to have a realistic chance of victory in the 84th running of the French enduro.

The race is about much more than the battle for outright honours at the front of the field, however. Ford is back on the 50th anniversary of the first of its Le Mans victories in the 1960s bidding for victory in an ever-more competitive GTE Pro field.

No fewer than 23 cars line up in the ultra-competitive LMP2 class on the expanded 60-car grid.

LMP1

PORSCHE TEAM
Porsche 919 Hybrid
#1 Mark Webber/Timo Bernhard/Brendon Hartley
#2 Neel Jani/Romain Dumas/Marc Lieb

Porsche returns with an updated version of the second-generation 919 Hybrid that won Le Mans and the World Endurance Championship titles last year.

The monocoque is unchanged, but little else from the 2015 car has been retained in unmodified form, V4 single-turbo engine and hybrid system included, though the team has had to revert to last season's battery for reliability reasons.

There is no third car this time alongside the pair of regular WEC entries, the result of a cost-cutting drive undertaken together with fellow Volkswagen brand Audi in the wake of last year's 'dieselgate' emissions scandal. Nico Hulkenberg is busy anyway over in Azerbaijan, but it explains why 2015 Le Mans winners Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber are behind the wheel of 911 GTE cars this time around.

The driver line-up of the two full WEC entries remains unchanged since Porsche's return to top-flight sportscar racing in 2014.

Autosport says: Porsche has the more proven package, one that has already showed its speed. Must be a narrow favourite

TOYOTA GAZOO RACING
Toyota TS050 HYBRID
#5 Sebastien Buemi/Anthony Davidson/Kazuki Nakajima
#6 Kamui Kobayashi/Mike Conway/Stephane Sarrazin

A disastrous start to its ultimately winless 2015 WEC campaign forced Toyota back to the drawing board. While it was making up the numbers at Le Mans 12 months ago, a decision was being made to develop a turbo engine to power its all-new TS050 HYBRID for 2016.

The naturally-aspirated V8 in use since 2012 has been replaced by a 2.4-litre twin-turbo V6, coinciding with a swap from super-capacitor to battery energy-storage and a step-up in hybrid class from six megajoules to 8MJ.

The driver line-up has been tweaked with the retirement of ex-Formula 1 star and two-time Le Mans winner Alex Wurz. Another F1 graduate in Kobayashi moves up from the test and reserve role to take the place of the Austrian, who has retained an advisory role with the team.

Autosport says: Spa and test day form suggests that Toyota is back in the game and can challenge

AUDI SPORT TEAM JOEST
Audi R18 e-tron quattro
#7 Andre Lotterer/Benoit Treluyer/Marcel Fassler
#8 Loic Duval/Lucas di Grassi/Oliver Jarvis

The latest in a line of Audis to bear the R18 e-tron quattro name is an all-new design, as its radical aerodynamics attest. The 13-time Le Mans winner has, like Toyota, switched to battery energy-storage after abandoning the flywheel used since the first e-tron quattro appeared in 2012. At the same time, it has stepped up a hybrid sub-class to run in the 6MJ division, which it believes is the optimum for a turbodiesel P1 racer.

Significantly it has been able to make that move with a single means of energy retrieval, a front-axle kinetic system. Audi runs just two cars at Le Mans for the first time since 2006, as part of that agreement with Porsche, for a driver line-up that is unchanged for the '16 WEC season.

Autosport says: Le Mans should suit the strengths of a car that has already run at the front in the WEC

BYKOLLES RACING TEAM
CLM-AER P1/01
#4 Pierre Kaffer/Oliver Webb/Simon Trummer

The German-based team that races under the Austrian flag has had a continuous presence, formerly as Lotus LMP, on the WEC entry list since 2012, and continues with its own CLM chassis that first raced in '14.

A car that was edging closer to fellow LMP1 privateer Rebellion at the end of last year has undergone a major aerodynamic update for the new season. Webb, an LMP2 champion in the 2014 European Le Mans Series, steps up to P1 alongside team regulars Kaffer (back in the line-up after missing the first two WEC rounds) and Trummer.

Autosport says: Poor reliability in the opening two WEC rounds doesn't bode well for Le Mans

REBELLION RACING
Rebellion-AER R-One
#12 Nick Heidfeld/Nicolas Prost/Nelson Piquet Jr
#13 Alexandre Imperatori/Dominik Kraihamer/Matteo Tuscher

The Anglo-Swiss squad returns for its ninth consecutive Le Mans and third with its own chassis. Eradicating the reliability niggles of last season were its priority over the winter and included the switch to an older spec of AER V6 engine.

Ex-F1 driver Piquet has joined the team for the first three WEC rounds up to and including Le Mans and single-seater convert Tuscher stays on board for the full season after contesting the final two WEC rounds last year.

Autosport says: Who knows what the reliability that has yielded two thirds in the WEC so far might bring at Le Mans?

LMP2

SO24! BY LOMBARD RACING
Ligier-Judd/BMW JSP2
#22 Vincent Capillaire/Jonathan Coleman/Erik Maris

This is a new team set up by Sarthe Objectif 24!, an organisation established to help local drivers compete at Le Mans, and Jean Lombard. The father of the team's lead driver in the European Le Mans Series, Olivier Lombard, raced twice at Le Mans, as Jean Messaoudi, and fielded an Argo Group C2 car with his MT Sport Racing team in 1988.

Autosport says: Lombard's replacement by Maris for Le Mans will take the edge off a combination that finished third on its debut at Silverstone

PANIS BARTHEZ COMPETITION (TECH 1)
Ligier-Nissan JSP2
#23 Fabien Barthez/Paul-Loup Chatin/Timothe Buret

Grand prix winner Olivier Panis, a driver manager and TV commentator these days, is taking his first step into team ownership alongside ex-Manchester United goalkeeper Barthez. They've linked up with the Toulouse-based Tech 1 Racing squad, a former frontrunner in Formula Renault 3.5, to field a Ligier in the ELMS and at Le Mans.

Autosport says: Has shown form in two ELMS rounds so far but there's always a question mark against a team on Michelins

ALGARVE PRO RACING
Ligier-Nissan JSP2
#25 Chris Hoy/Andrea Pizzitola/Michael Munemann

The Anglo-Portuguese squad made a full-time graduation to the international sportscar racing scene over the second half of last year's ELMS and competes at Le Mans for the first time in 2016. The big story at Algarve is record-breaking Olympian Chris Hoy fulfilling his boyhood dream of competing in the 24 Hours.

Autosport says: Any headlines for Algarve will be about Hoy's participation rather than a strong result

G-DRIVE RACING (JOTA)
ORECA-Nissan 05
#26 Rene Rast/Will Stevens/Roman Rusinov

Russian entrant G-Drive, winner of the WEC P2 title last season with OAK Racing and Ligier, has linked up with the British Jota Sport squad to run a new ORECA coupe in the WEC. Manor regular Stevens has replaced Nathanael Berthon for Le Mans only in a line-up that had the pace but not the luck to win the opening two WEC rounds.

Autosport says: ORECA chassis, strong team and this driver line-up must put G-Drive among the favourites

SMP RACING (AF CORSE)
BRE-Nissan BR01
#27 Nicolas Minassian/Mikhail Aleshin/Maurizio Mediani
#37 Vitaly Petrov/Victor Shaytar/Kirill Ladygin

The Franco-Russian SMP squad is undertaking a full WEC campaign in 2016 with two coupes built by its BR Engineering spin-off, with AF Corse again running the cars. Team stalwart Minassian and ex-F1 driver Petrov, back racing after a year out, lead the two line-ups. IndyCar driver Aleshin returns for Le Mans.

Autosport says: Needs to get on top of the latest Dunlop tyre after switch from the Michelins it ran last year

PEGASUS RACING
Morgan-Nissan LMP2
#28 Leo Roussel/Remy Striebig/Ines Taittinger

This French team based in Alsace - and running under a German licence - is back with the 2014-spec Morgan it has campaigned since its return to Le Mans two years ago. Roussel stays with the squad run by the Schell family for a third season and is joined by amateurs Striebig and, from the champagne family, Taittinger.

Autosport says: A third consecutive top 10 in class would be a good result for Pegasus

EXTREME SPEED MOTORSPORTS
Ligier-Nissan JSP2
#30 Pipo Derani/Ryan Dalziel/Chris Cumming
#31 Scott Sharp/Johannes van Overbeek/Ed Brown

ESM has joined forces with Ligier works operation OAK Racing, last year's P2 champion in the WEC, for 2016. The relationship has already yielded outright victories - with Honda power - in the Daytona and Sebring US enduros and podiums in the first two WEC rounds for the lead Derani/Dalziel/Cumming car.

Autosport says: The #31 should lead the Ligier charge, but will it be a match for the ORECA coupe at Le Mans?

EURASIA MOTORSPORT
ORECA-Nissan 05
#33 Tristan Gommendy/Nick de Bruijn/'Kevin' Pu Jun Jin

This stalwart of the Asian motorsport scene run by expat Brit and 1980s Formula 3 driver Mark Goddard makes its Le Mans debut in its second year as a ELMS regular. After a steady first season with an ORECA 03R, it has swapped to a coupe and brought in Gommendy to lead its assault.

Autosport says: Probably not a frontrunner, but watch out for the renowned one-lap pace of Gommendy that put him on top of the times at the test day

RACE PERFORMANCE
ORECA-Judd/BMW 03R
#34 Shinji Nakano/James Winslow/Nicolas Leutwiler

The Swiss team is back at the 24 Hours after a year's absence thanks to its overall victory in last winter's Asian Le Mans Series. The team has retained its open-top ORECA and Judd/BMW V8 combination, while Nakano and Leutwiler have stayed for a 2016 campaign that also includes the ELMS.

Autosport says: Will be a big ask for this line-up to repeat the team's frontrunning 2014 performance

BAXI DC RACING ALPINE
ORECA-Nissan 05
#35 Ho Pin Tung/Nelson Panciatici/David Cheng

Signatech Alpine expands to two cars after linking up with American-Chinese driver and entrant Cheng, whose squad won the LMP3 title in the 2015/16 Asian LMS. Panciatici, a two-time ELMS champion with Signatech, moves over from the lead car to share with Cheng and sometime F1 tester and GP2 driver Tung.

Autosport says: Definitely Signatech's second-string car, but Tung and Panciatici can mix with the best in class.

SIGNATECH ALPINE
ORECA-Nissan 05
#36 Nicolas Lapierre/Stephane Richelmi/Gustavo Menezes

Signatech continues its relationship with Renault-owned sportscar manufacturer Alpine, badging its new ORECA coupes as A460s. Ex-Toyota man Lapierre has been brought in to lead the line-up in the regular Signatech entry alongside Richelmi and top silver Menezes.

Autosport says: Probably the best driver combination in the class, but Signatech wasn't the quickest of the ORECA runners in the opening WEC rounds

G-DRIVE RACING (JOTA)
Gibson-Nissan 015S
#38 Giedo van der Garde/Simon Dolan/Jake Dennis

Jota Sport, which won P2 at Le Mans in 2014, also runs its ELMS entry in G-Drive colours after the tie-up for its WEC graduation. Ex-F1 driver van der Garde is taking his first steps in sportscars and ditto Formula 3 driver Dennis, who replaces Harry Tincknell for the 24 Hours.

Autosport says: Expect Jota to prove once again that there is life in the ageing Gibson

KROHN RACING
Ligier-Nissan JSP2
#40 Joao Barbosa/Nic Jonsson/Tracy Krohn

Le Mans stalwart team Krohn returns for its 10th assault on the race. It fields the Ligier coupe with which it graduated to LMP2 from GTE Am last season, though it is now run in conjunction with the Greaves squad and has a Nissan engine rather than a Judd/BMW. Two-time Daytona winner Barbosa returns for this race.

Autosport says: Emulating its GT2/GTE Am podiums of the past is a long shot for Krohn

GREAVES MOTORSPORT
Ligier-Nissan JSP2
#41 Memo Rojas/Nathanael Berthon/Julien Canal

The P2 class winner at Le Mans in 2011 has bought a Ligier for what is now a one-car assault on the ELMS and Le Mans. Three-time Daytona 24 Hours winner Rojas undertakes his first season of European racing since 2004 alongside reigning WEC P2 champion Canal. Berthon, who was released by G-Drive earlier this month, is a late replacement for Kuba Giermaziak.

Autosport says: Strong team and driver line-up have yet to produce the expected results on switch to the Ligier

STRAKKA RACING
Gibson-Zytek 015S
#42 Danny Watts/Jonny Kane/Nick Leventis

This British team with two top-six results at Le Mans to its name returns for a eighth assault, this time with the Gibson (nee Zytek) to which it swapped after abandoning the Dome S103 raced in the 24 Hours last year. Fifth in the Silverstone WEC opener in April was its best result with the car so far.

Autosport says: A 'real' pro-am line-up means Strakka will always struggle to mount a real challenge

RGR SPORT BY MORAND
Ligier-Nissan JSP2
#43 Bruno Senna/Filipe Albuquerque/Ricardo Gonzalez

Gonzalez has become an entrant for the first time, the 2013 WEC P2 champion fielding a Ligier run by the Morand team under the umbrella of OAK Racing/Onroak in the full WEC. Ex-F1 racer Senna and on-loan Audi driver Albuquerque complete a strong line-up of Portuguese speakers that triumphed on the programme's debut at Silverstone.

Autosport says: Silverstone proved that Morand has taken another step forward. Should be among the best of the Ligiers

MANOR
ORECA-Nissan 05
#44 Roberto Merhi/Matt Rao/Tor Graves

The Manor junior single-seater squad has effectively been revived with a two-car assault on the WEC after team bosses John Booth and Graeme Lowdon parted company with the F1 team they started for 2010. Rao and Merhi swap over from the Manor car that doesn't have a Le Mans entry to drive with Graves.

Autosport says: Strong pace of both cars at Spa suggests the team can challenge on its Le Mans debut

THIRIET BY TDS RACING
ORECA-Nissan 05
#46 Mathias Beche/Pierre Thiriet/Ryo Hirakawa

ELMS stalwart TDS - a race winner in the series every year since its debut in 2011 - is back for what looks like its strongest Le Mans assault so far. Beche is on loan from LMP1 privateer Rebellion for the full season, Hirakawa is a placement by Toyota and Thiriet is among the top silver drivers.

Autosport says: Imola ELMS win suggests TDS is ready to improve on its second places of 2012 and '14

KCMG
ORECA-Nissan 05
#47 Richard Bradley/Tsugio Matsuda/Matt Howson

This Chinese entrant is back for a one-off P2 return, at least for the time being, with the ORECA coupe that blitzed the class last year with Bradley, Howson and Lapierre. The winning team from 2015 has been put back together, more or less, but there have been no warm-up races.

Autosport says: That KCMG hit the ground running at the test day suggests it can be a contender

MURPHY PROTOTYPES
ORECA-Nissan 03R
#48 Jeroen Bleekemolen/Marc Goossens/Ben Keating

The Anglo-Irish Murphy squad continues with the unfashionable open-top ORECA and has forged a deal for the 24 Hours with Keating after the Riley Chrysler Viper he raced last season only made the reserve list. He brings Bleekemolen and Goossens, both veterans of the Viper programme, to create one of the stronger driver line-ups.

Autosport says: Murphy has to be considered a dark horse with this group of drivers.

MICHAEL SHANK RACING
Ligier-Honda JSP2
#49 Oswaldo Negri Jr/Laurens Vanthoor/John Pew

Shank, the 2012 Daytona 24 Hours winner, makes its Le Mans debut after being awarded a guaranteed entry by US organiser IMSA. It has linked up with Ligier-builder Onroak for logistical support - and the loan of the car that won Daytona and Sebring with ESM - and brought in star GT driver Vanthoor alongside regulars Negri and Pew.

Autosport says: Works support should provide Shank with the shortcuts it needs to be a frontrunner

GTE PRO

AF CORSE
Ferrari 488 GTE
#51 Gianmaria Bruni/James Calado/Alessandro Pier Guidi
#71 Sam Bird/Davide Rigon/Andrea Bertolini

Ferrari has a new car in the twin-turbo 488 built to the latest GTE rulebook introduced for this season to replace the normally-aspirated 458.

The Italian AF Corse team again fields a pair of factory cars in the full WEC for a new driver line-up. Bruni is joined by Brit Calado, who steps up to drive alongside the two-time world champion after a couple of years in the second car.

He has been replaced alongside Rigon by Bird, who has landed his chance with the factory after taking the LMP2 title in last year's WEC for the OAK-run G-Drive squad. Pier Guidi, making his first Le Mans start, and marque stalwart Bertolini are the 'extras' for 24 Hours.

Autosport says: Back-to-back wins in the first two WEC rounds must make Ferrari the pre-race favourite

CORVETTE RACING
Chevrolet Corvette C7.R
#63 Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Ricky Taylor
#64 Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Jordan Taylor

The Pratt & Miller-run factory Chevrolet squad is back at Le Mans for its 17th consecutive campaign with a line of Corvette GT cars in search of a ninth class victory. This year's C7.R is a version of the 2015 GTE Pro winner, updated to the new rules, which has already triumphed in the GT Le Mans class at the blue-riband Daytona and Sebring endurance rounds of the IMSA SportsCar Championship.

The driver combinations have been tweaked for 2016, with Ricky Taylor joining younger brother Jordan (the sons of 13-time Le Mans participant Wayne) on the roster. Ricky lines up alongside Magnussen and Garcia in place of Ryan Briscoe, who has switched to Ford, while Jordan again teams up with veteran Gavin and Milner for his fifth season with the team.

Autosport says: Test day suggested Corvettes will be right in the mix, despite a small power reduction under the Balance of Performance rules

FORD CHIP GANASSI
Ford GT
#66 Oliver Pla/Stefan Mucke/Billy Johnson
#67 Andy Priaulx/Marino Franchitti/Harry Tincknell
#68 Joey Hand/Dirk Muller/Sebastien Bourdais
#69 Richard Westbrook/Ryan Briscoe/Scott Dixon

Ford is making a four-car assault on the 24 Hours in the spirit of its 1960s campaigns based on multiple entries from multiple teams armed with the GT40 and its derivatives. The Ganassi-branded, UK-based operation competing in the full WEC is joined at the 24 Hours by the US Ganassi team, a multiple winner of the Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 24 Hours.

The two teams - which will operate as one for the 24 Hours - have recruited from far and wide for their respective campaigns. Westbrook and Briscoe came from Chevrolet, Mucke from Aston Martin, Priaulx and Muller from BMW and Pla from Nissan. Hand was already on the books after leaving BMW to join Ganassi's Daytona Prototype ranks ahead of the 2015 season, while Franchitti was recruited for the WEC line-up two years on from his Sebring 12 Hours victory with the US squad.

The additional drivers for Le Mans include Ganassi stalwart and four-time IndyCar champion Dixon, a Le Mans debutant this year, and one of his rivals in former Peugeot LMP1 driver Bourdais, who is back at his hometown race for the first time since 2012.

Autosport says: Ford's WEC form so far shouldn't be regarded as an indicator for Le Mans - and now it's got a 20kg weight break

DEMPSEY-PROTON RACING
Porsche 911 RSR
#77 Richard Lietz/Michael Christensen/Philipp Eng

The German team represents Porsche in the full WEC with a works-assisted 911 RSR entered under the Dempsey-Proton banner as the result of a continued tie-up with US actor Patrick Demspey, who has put his driving career on hold for this season.

It's a set-up not dissimilar from the days when the German squad, as Felbermayr-Proton, represented Porsche at the 24 Hours and in the Le Mans Series in Europe. That partnership yielded a GT2 triumph at Le Mans in 2010 and back-to-back LMS titles in 2009-10.

Factory drivers Lietz and Christensen, who are on board for the full season, are joined for Le Mans by reigning Porsche Supercup champion Eng, who has been loaned out by new employer BMW for what will be his first campaign at the 24 Hours.

Autosport says: It might be a big ask for Proton to take the fight to the factories

PORSCHE MOTORSPORT
Porsche 911 RSR
#91 Nick Tandy/Patrick Pilet/Kevin Estre
#92 Earl Bamber/Frederic Makowiecki/Jorg Bergmeister

Porsche opted not to defend the GT titles it won last season with a full-season factory WEC campaign, instead diverting resources to developing a new 911 to the latest GTE rulebook for 2017. It is back for a one-off in the WEC at Le Mans, however, with two updated 2015 cars run by the same successful set-up from last season, even though the Manthey name has disappeared with the retirement of team founder Olaf Manthey.

Tandy and Bamber, overall winners in one of Porsche's 919 Hybrids at Le Mans last year, each race one of the two GTE Pro entries with their regular team-mates from Porsche's campaign in the IMSA series. Tandy and Pilet are joined by Estre, who's making his first appearance in a factory Porsche at Le Mans, while Bamber and Makoweicki are partnered by marque veteran Bergmeister.

Autosport says: Difficult to make predictions for a team joining the WEC for Le Mans

ASTON MARTIN RACING
Aston Martin Vantage GTE
#95 Darren Turner/Nicki Thiim/Marco Sorensen
#97 Richie Stanaway/Fernando Rees/Jonny Adam

Aston continues in GTE Pro with the long-serving Vantage now uprated to the new rules. The emotive Gulf livery disappears after eight seasons as a result of a tie-up with French oil supplier Total, while the cars run on Dunlop rather than Michelin tyres. The move, which has created a mini tyre war in class, is designed to put the cars on rubber specifically developed for the front-engined Vantage.

There are two cars rather than three in the WEC this season, which has resulted in a reshuffle of the driver line-up. Aston stalwart Turner moves over to join Thiim and Sorensen in the car backed by Danish entrant Young Driver. Reigning British GT champion Adam, meanwhile, moves up to the WEC team to take the seat alongside Stanaway and Rees.

Autosport says: Expect Aston to be more competitive at Le Mans than in the WEC rounds so far

RISI COMPETIZIONE
Ferrari 488 GTE
#82 Giancarlo Fisichella/Toni Vilander/Matteo Malucelli

Team owner Giuseppe Risi, a stalwart of the US sportscar scene, is renewing a love affair with Le Mans that dates back to the early 1980s and his GRID Group C team. The Houston-based squad is back at the 24 Hours six years on from its previous assault - and seven after the last of its trio of class wins for Ferrari - with a solo 488.

Ferrari factory men Fisichella and Vilander, who respectively switched to Risi from AF's WEC line-up in 2014 and '16, are the squad's full-season drivers in IMSA and so far have a best result of third from Long Beach to their names this season. They are joined by Malucelli, who is returning to Risi after being dropped by the team in 2014.

Autosport says: IMSA form suggests Risi won't be a contender, Le Mans record does

GTE AM

LARBRE COMPETITION
Chevrolet Corvette C7.R
#50 Jean-Philippe Belloc/Pierre Ragues/Yutaka Yamagishi

Larbre is back at Le Mans with its Corvette C7.R in an attempt to repeat GTE Am victories of 2011 and '12 with a C6.R - not to mention a further three class wins in the 24 Hours over the years. Paulo Ruberti, who led the line-up in the first two WEC rounds, has dropped out through injury, to be replaced by Belloc alongside top silver Ragues and Yamagishi.

Autosport says: Belloc for Ruberti is not a like-for-like replacement, which means Larbre might struggle to match its early-season WEC form

AF CORSE
Ferrari 458 Italia
#55 Matt Griffin/Aaron Scott/Duncan Cameron
#83 Emmanuel Collard/Rui Aguas/Francois Perrodo

The eight-strong fleet run by AF Corse this year includes two GTE AM cars entered under its own banner. WEC regulars Collard, Aguas and Perrodo, already class winners at Silverstone in April, are joined by the ELMS crew of Griffin, Scott and Cameron, who've also been on the podium already this season.

Autosport says: Two strong cars must mean AF is a good bet for a class podium at the very least

TEAM AAI
Chevrolet Corvette C7.R
#57 Johnny O'Connell/Oliver Bryant/Mark Patterson

The Taiwanese entrant is back at Le Mans for a second season, this time with a solo Corvette run by regular technical partner ProSpeed from Belgium. The Chevy, owned by a Dutch collector, is the car that won GTE Pro last year and has a driver line-up led by former factory Corvette star O'Connell.

Autosport says: This driver combination and ProSpeed's experience must make AAI a dark horse in class

FORMULA RACING (AF CORSE)
Ferrari 458 Italia
#60 Mikkel Mac/Johnny Laursen/Christina Nielsen

The Danish Ferrari and Maserati importer makes its Le Mans debut courtesy of winning the GTE title in last year's ELMS. AF runs the car, as it did with Formula Racing's previous GTC and GTE campaigns, and two of its ELMS champions in Mac and Laursen drive alongside IMSA GT Daytona class runner-up Nielsen.

Autosport says: Lack of Le Mans experience could count against what looks like a decent crew

CLEARWATER RACING
Ferrari 458 Italia
#61 Rob Bell/Keita Sawa/Mok Weng Sun

Victory in the GT class of the 2015/16 Asian LMS with a McLaren 650S GT3 garnered the Singapore entrant a Le Mans entry. It is fielding a Ferrari 458, one of last year's factory cars, with support from AF Corse for a line-up that includes McLaren factory driver Bell and two-time Macau GT Cup winner Sawa.

Autosport says: If race rookie Sawa gets to grips with Le Mans, Clearwater could be a contender

SCUDERIA CORSA
Ferrari 458 Italia
#62 Townsend Bell/Jeffrey Segal/Bill Sweedler

The Californian IMSA squad, winner of last year's IMSA GTD title, makes its second appearance at Le Mans with an unchanged driver line-up, despite Bell and Sweedler swapping teams for their title defence in the US. A partial IMSA campaign in GT Le Mans with the Ferrari this season can only help its chances.

Autosport says: A podium on its debut last year proved the team's credentials

KCMG (PROTON)
Porsche 911 RSR
#78 Wolf Henzler/Joel Camathias/Christian Ried

The LMP2 Le Mans-winning team of 2015 has maintained a full-time WEC presence with a Porsche run by Proton, which like last year is providing logistical support for KCMG's P2 campaign. The regular driver line-up of factory-contracted Henzler, ex-Champ Car racer Camathias and team boss Ried stays on board for Le Mans.

Autosport says: This handy trio was in the fight at Silverstone until technical problems in the final hour

GULF RACING UK
Porsche 911 RSR
#86 Adam Carroll/Ben Barker/Michael Wainwright

The British Gulf squad, which was set up in its current form ahead of the 2014 season, makes its Le Mans debut having graduated to the WEC following two years in the ELMS. Carroll stays on board as lead driver alongside team owner Wainwright, while Barker has returned to the squad after a year's absence.

Autosport says: A team new to Le Mans has a lot to learn, but it did do the test day last year

ABU DHABI PROTON RACING/PROTON COMPETITION
Porsche 911 RSR
#88 Patrick Long/David Heinemeier Hansson/Khaled Al Qubaisi
#89 Leh Keen/Cooper MacNeil/Marc Miller

Proton runs a further two cars in its own name. Heinemeier Hansson has moved across from the LMP2 ranks for 2016 to join Long and Al Qubaisi in the full-time WEC entry. MacNeil and Keen, team-mates in IMSA at Alex Job Racing, have put together a deal to race the additional entry.

Autosport says: #88 should be a frontrunner, but don't write off the chances of the sister car

ASTON MARTIN RACING
Aston Martin Vantage GTE
#98 Pedro Lamy/Mathias Lauda/Paul Dalla Lana
#99 Gary Hirsch/Liam Griffin/Andrew Howard

AMR's regular GTE Am entry in the WEC, already a race winner this season with Lamy, Lauda and Dalla Lana, is joined by its solo car from the ELMS owned by two-time British GT champ Howard. Overall ELMS champion Hirsch has stepped down from the prototype ranks to lead the line-up.

Autosport says: #98 must start among the favourites, but two amateurs in #99 will count against it

INNOVATIVE CAR

SRT41 BY OAK RACING
Morgan-Nissan LMP2
#84 Frederic Sausset/Christophe Tinseau/Jean-Bernard Bouvet

Quadruple amputee Sausset has gained a place on the Le Mans grid in the spot reserved for cars utilising innovative technology, the former 'Garage 56' entry occupied by Nissan's DeltaWing and the ZEOD RC in 2012 and '14 respectively.

OAK Racing runs the specially-adapted 2014-spec Morgan, which Sausset shares with Le Mans veterans Tinseau and Bouvet.

Autosport says: Ambitious plans that sounded implausible when first announced are on the verge of reality

We want to hear from you!

Let us know what you would like to see from us in the future.

Take our survey

- The Autosport.com Team

Read and post comments