Le Mans 2019: The team by team guide

The long build-up, the official test day, practice and qualifying are over, the 2019 Le Mans 24 Hours is about to begin - and it will be the grand finale of the first World Endurance Championship superseason.

As ever, Le Mans is four races - perhaps now five - in one. While the LMP1 outcome is realistically a foregone conclusion, the fight between the non-hybrid privateers to keep Toyota on its toes will be intense, and LMP2 and the GTE classes will be extraordinarily hard fought.

Here is our guide to the full field, and our predictions for how they will all fare.

---

LMP1

Rebellion Racing

Rebellion-Gibson R-13
#1 Neel Jani/Andre Lotterer/Bruno Senna
#3 Thomas Laurent/Nathanael Berthon/Gustavo Menezes

Qualifying: 4th (#3), 6th (#1)

Rebellion has reasserted itself as the top LMP1 privateer after a successful sabbatical in LMP2 in 2017. It has finished best of the rest in all bar two of the races with its eponymous ORECA-built contender, not to mention winning at Silverstone after the exclusion of the Toyotas.

There's a new Le Mans aero kit, with reduced downforce, as it bids to stay ahead of SMP Racing. LMP2 regular Berthon's replacement of Mathias Beche is the only driver change from last year.

Autosport says: The smart money is on Rebellion for privateer honours, even if it experienced engine trouble in qualifying.

ByKolles Racing Team

ENSO CLM-Gibson P1/01
#4 Tom Dillmann/Oliver Webb/Paolo Ruberti

Qualifying: 8th

WEC stalwart ByKolles is back at Le Mans for a fifth time with its P1/01 - now with its third different engine!

The Nissan twin-turbo V6 introduced at the start of the superseason has been replaced by the normally aspirated Gibson V8. The move resulted in the team missing the Sebring WEC round while it undertook a significant redesign and then arriving at Spa with no proper testing. Veteran Ruberti is back at Le Mans for the first time since 2015.

Autosport says: Late engine switch means the team is up against it.

Toyota Gazoo Racing

Toyota TS050 HYBRID
#7 Mike Conway/Kamui Kobayashi/Jose Maria Lopez
#8 Sebastien Buemi/Kazuki Nakajima/Fernando Alonso

Qualifying: 1st (#7), 2nd (#8)

Toyota makes its eighth consecutive Le Mans start and fourth with the TS050. The only hybrid LMP1 car left in the championship has been dominant through the superseason and Toyota has already wrapped up the teams' title, known as the World Endurance LMP1 Championship.

Now it's down to the two crews to fight it out for the drivers' crown. A 10kg increase in minimum weight from last year and the privateers' gains are unlikely to affect that battle.

Autosport says: It's Toyota's race to lose in what should be a close fight between its two cars.

DragonSpeed

BRE-Gibson BR1
#10 Ben Hanley/Renger van der Zande/Henrik Hedman

Qualifying: 7th

The US entrant with its sportscar base in France says farewell to the LMP1 ranks at Le Mans after a single, difficult season with the BRE-Gibson combination.

Its first chassis was written off at the opening round at Spa 13 months ago, it was absent from last month's race at the Belgian track with technical issues, and in between times it managed to finish just two of the races. The driver line-up is unchanged from last year.

Autosport says: A big turnaround in fortune is required for DragonSpeed to challenge the LMP1 privateer frontrunners.

SMP Racing (ART)

BRE-AER BR1
#11 Vitaly Petrov/Mikhail Aleshin/Stoffel Vandoorne
#17 Stephane Sarrazin/Sergey Sirotkin/Egor Orudzhev

Qualifying: 3rd (#17), 5th (#11)

The Russian entrant with chassis built in Italy by Dallara and a team run out of France by ART Grand Prix has been making steady progress through the superseason and is now just about on terms with Rebellion. It is running lower downforce than last year as it looks to continue that trend.

One former McLaren F1 driver in Vandoorne has taken the place of another, Jenson Button, in what is otherwise an unchanged driver line-up.

Autosport says: The BR1s could have the edge on pace over the Rebellions, but whether it can outlast them is another matter.

---

LMP2

High Class Racing

ORECA-Gibson 07
#20 Mathias Beche/Andres Fjordbach/Dennis Andersen

Qualifying: 10th in class

The European Le Mans Series regular makes its Le Mans debut in its own right after squeaking onto the entry list with the grid's expansion thanks to the addition of two temporary pits. High Class's previous Le Mans appearance was under the SMP banner with a Dallara in 2017.

Now armed with an ORECA, rather than one of the Italian chassis that it has run in the ELMS for the past two years, the team has brought in ex-Rebellion LMP1 driver Beche alongside regulars Fjordbach and Andersen.

Autosport says: Beche's experience could prove vital if the team is to take a step forward.

United Autosports

Ligier-Gibson JSP217
#22 Filipe Albuquerque/Paul di Resta/Phil Hanson
#32 Alex Brundle/Ryan Cullen/Will Owen

Qualifying: 6th (#22), 9th (#32)

The Anglo-American team, co-owned by McLaren boss Zak Brown, is another to benefit from the expansion of the grid after initially - and contentiously - being given only one entry that it had gained by right by winning last winter's Asian Le Mans Series.

The team makes its third Le Mans start with its two Ligier ELMS line-ups, with di Resta coming in again alongside Albuquerque and Hanson as United seeks to improve on fourth and third position in class over the past two years.

Autosport says: Hasn't had the greatest one-lap pace, but was up there on the averages in 2018.

Panis Barthez Competition

Ligier-Gibson JSP217
#23 Will Stevens/Rene Binder/Julien Canal

Qualifying: 11th

The team that races under the names of 1996 Monaco Grand Prix winner Olivier Panis and goalkeeping legend Fabien Barthez in the ELMS is back at Le Mans for a fourth time with arguably its best line-up yet.

Ex-F1 racer Stevens and top silver-rated driver Canal, a three-time GT class winner in the 24 Hours (twice in GTE Am), are joined for this year by former GP2/F2 and IndyCar racer Binder.

Autosport says: A strong line-up that has yet to deliver should be up there near the front of the Ligier charge.

Algarve Pro Racing

ORECA-Gibson 07
#25 Andrea Pizzitola/David Zollinger/John Falb

Qualifying: 15th

A Portuguese-based team run by Brits, Algarve Pro has swapped from the Ligier to the ORECA and makes Le Mans start number three with one of its two ELMS entries.

Pizzitola, part of last year's ELMS title-winning line-up at G-Drive, has returned to the team with which he raced in 2016-17 to lead the squad. Falb, another past ELMS champion but in the LMP3 ranks, is making his Le Mans debut, while Zollinger comes in to make his second start in the 24 Hours.

Autosport says: Algarve Pro looks well placed to put in its best Le Mans performance yet.

G-Drive Racing (TDS)

ORECA-Gibson 07
#26 Jean-Eric Vergne/Roman Rusinov/Job van Uitert

Qualifying: 5th

The Russian entrant that claimed LMP2 victory on the road at Le Mans last year before being excluded for what were deemed illegal modifications to its refuelling system is already a winner in the ELMS this year with its TDS Racing-run ORECA.

Formula E champion Vergne and G-Drive programme manager Rusinov are joined this time by van Uitert, a 20-year-old Dutchman who took the LMP3 class title in the ELMS last year.

Autosport says: Strong team and driver line-up means G-Drive squad should be right up there again this year.

TDS Racing

ORECA-Gibson 07
#28 Loic Duval/Matthieu Vaxiviere/Francois Perrodo

Qualifying: 1st

TDS, winner of the ELMS back in 2012, fields a second ORECA under its own banner in a full WEC programme with an unchanged line-up of '13 WEC champion Duval, rising sportscar star Vaxiviere and London-based Frenchman Perrodo, who funds the car.

Despite high aspirations on bringing Duval in at the start of the superseason, the team has yet to finish better than fourth in the WEC. Moving up to LMP2 pole after Graff had its times deleted was a good start to its race week.

Autosport says: Last year's fourth place, prior to disqualification, is the kind of result the team should be shooting for.

Racing Team Nederland

Dallara-Gibson P217
#29 Giedo van der Garde/Nyck de Vries/Frits van Eerd

Qualifying: 8th

The Dutch entrant is back for its third start at Le Mans as part of a full WEC superseason campaign with a Dallara run by the Dayvtec organisation.

Sportscar legend Jan Lammers made a symbolic 24th start at the 24 Hours with the team last year and then stepped aside for Formula 2 title contender de Vries, who joined ex-F1 driver van der Garde and van Eerd, boss of the Jumbo supermarket chain that sponsors Max Verstappen in F1.

Autosport says: WEC form suggests the Dutch Dallara is unlikely to trouble the frontrunners.

Duqueine Engineering

ORECA-Gibson 07
#30 Romain Dumas/Nicolas Jamin/Pierre Ragues

Qualifying: 13th

This ELMS regular, which built Formula 3 cars and the monocoques for AGS Formula 3000 racers back in the '80s, makes its Le Mans debut after being promoted from the reserve list.

Two-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Dumas leads a line-up completed by Indy Lights race winner Jamin and the experienced Ragues, who is making his 12th Le Mans start.

Autosport says: Third in the ELMS opener at Paul Ricard back in April shows what this team is capable of.

DragonSpeed

ORECA-Gibson 07
#31 Pastor Maldonado/Anthony Davidson/Roberto Gonzalez

Qualifying: 2nd

DragonSpeed, winner of the 2017 ELMS title under the G-Drive banner, fields a Michelin-shod ORECA in the full WEC alongside its LMP1 entry.

Davidson joined the team after fulfilling his duties as Toyota reserve at Le Mans last year. He races alongside F1 winner Maldonado and ex-IndyCar racer Gonzalez in what has been a steadily improving contender that had a dramatic start to race week with its qualifying clash with the polesitting Toyota.

Autosport says: Class win last time out at Spa and qualifying pace suggests this car can challenge for honours.

Inter Europol Competition

Ligier-Gibson JSP217
#34 Jakub Smiechowski/Nigel Moore/James Winslow

Qualifying: 18th

Polish baker Europol backs the country's first Le Mans entry since 1933, gained for its LMP3 class victory in last winter's Asian Le Mans Series.

The team's Ligier is run out of Germany by Keese Motorsport and is also contesting the ELMS this season with sometime Williams F1 tester Dani Clos and past ELMS champion Leo Roussel.

Autosport says: Don't expect Europol's all-silver line-up to mix it with the frontrunners.

Signatech Alpine Matmut

ORECA-Gibson 07
#36 Nicolas Lapierre/Andre Negrao/Pierre Thiriet

Qualifying: 3rd

The team that races under the flag of French sportscar manufacturer Alpine - and badges its ORECA to suit - defends the Le Mans crown it won last year with an unchanged line-up as it pursues the WEC class title.

New for the 24 Hours this year are the Michelin tyres to which it swapped for 2019.

Autosport says: Ultra-consistent - and sometimes conservative - team should be right in the mix at the head of the field.

Jackie Chan DC Racing (Jota)

ORECA-Gibson 07
#37 Jordan King/Ricky Taylor/David Heinemeier Hansson
#38 Ho-Pin Tung/Stephane Richelmi/Gabriel Aubry

Qualifying: 7th (#38), 12th (#37)

The Jota Sport-run squad that bears the name of Hollywood star Chan, which won the class and very nearly the race overall in 2017, fields two cars in the full WEC.

The #38 car is in the thick of the title battle, while IMSA Penske star Taylor, F2 racer King and top amateur Heinemeier Hansson have replaced last year's all-Malaysian line-up in #37.

Autosport says: Don't bet against the team resuming its run of class podiums.

Graff

ORECA-Gibson 07
#39 Tristan Gommendy/Jonathan Hirschi/Vincent Capillaire

Qualifying: 14th

A team with a rich Le Mans heritage, Graff has reassembled the line-up that was second in class last year after the exclusion of the two TDS-run ORECAs. Ironically it was the team hurt by an official ruling this time, as it lost LMP2 pole having failed to stop for the weighbridge.

Capillaire returns alongside Macau GP winner Gommendy and sportscar stalwart Hirschi.

Autosport says: ELMS form suggests a repeat podium is probably a long shot, despite qualifying pace.

RLR MSport

ORECA-Gibson 07
#43 Norman Nato/Arjun Maini/John Farano

Qualifying: 16th

Last year's ELMS LMP3 class winner makes its Le Mans debut in its own right with an ex-Manor ORECA, seven years on from masterminding the Murphy Prototypes assault.

Senna drives for the team in the ELMS but is replaced by Nato, an LMP2 winner with G-Drive already this year, alongside F2 refugee Maini and LMP3 graduate Farano.

Autosport says: It may be too early to expect RLR to challenge the frontrunners in class.

Cetilar Villorba Corse

Dallara-Gibson P217
#47 Andrea Belicchi/Giorgio Sernagiotto/Roberto Lacorte

Qualifying: 17th

A stalwart of the sportscar world, the Villorba Corse team makes its second Le Mans start with its Dallara after a warm-up race in the ELMS at Monza last month.

The experienced Belicchi, a long-time LMP1 regular with Rebellion, leads a line-up completed by silver-rated drivers Lacorte and Sernagiotto.

Autosport says: It would be a big ask for this set-up to get near the frontrunners.

IDEC Sport

ORECA-Gibson 07
#48 Paul-Loup Chatin/Memo Rojas/Paul Lafargue

Qualifying: 4th

A spin-off of a successful ocean-going yacht racing team, ELMS squad IDEC returns to Le Mans with an unchanged line-up of three-time Daytona 24 Hours winner Rojas, sportscar star Chatin and Lafargue, son of team owner Patrice.

The staff, including ex-Peugeot ace Nicolas Minassian as sporting director, is an indication of aspirations.

Autosport says: Two second places in the ELMS suggest the 2018 Le Mans LMP2 pole-winner will be a force.

ARC Bratislava

Ligier-Gibson JSP217
#49 Henning Enqvist/Konstantin Tereschenko/Miro Konopka

Qualifying: 19th

A Slovakian entrant that has raced all over the world in sportscars over three decades is back at Le Mans after a year away courtesy of victory in the LMP2 amateur class of the Asian LMS in 2018-19.

Two Le Mans debutants in Enqvist and Tereschenko, who are both racing for other teams in the ELMS, join ARC boss Konopka.

Autosport says: The odds are stacked against ARC making much of an impact.

Larbre Competition

Ligier-Gibson JSP217
#50 Nick Boulle/Erwin Creed/Romano Ricci

Qualifying: 20th

Larbre is a five-time class winner in the GT divisions at Le Mans.

Ricci, son of 12-time Le Mans starter Jean-Louis, and Creed have been joined in the Ligier for Spa and this race by Boulle, a regular in the big sportscar races around the world.

Autosport says: Larbre isn't going to add to its collection of silverware with amateur line-up.

---

GTE Pro

AF Corse

Ferrari 488 GTE Evo
#51 Alessandro Pier Guidi/James Calado/Daniel Serra
#71 Davide Rigon/Sam Bird/Miguel Molina

Qualifying: 8th (#71), 12th (#51) in class

Ferrari's factory representative in the WEC is back with unchanged driver line-ups in its two regular series entries, though no additional third car this time around. That means Serra comes back alongside Calado and Pier Guidi, while Molina shares with Bird and Rigon.

It has been a difficult season in which it was defending the drivers' and manufacturers' class crowns with the evolution version of the 488 that came on stream at the start of last year.

Calado and Pier Guidi lie third in the points, but that owes more to consistent top-five finishing than their solo win of the superseason at Silverstone last August. The Le Mans Balance of Performance has put them up there in terms of straightline speed, the department in which they have been lacking through the season.

Autosport says: Ferrari appears right there as it bids for an overdue second class win of the season.

Corvette Racing

Chevrolet Corvette C7.R
#63 Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller
#64 Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fassler

Qualifying: 3rd (#63), 11th (#64)

Chevrolet's factory squad run by Pratt & Miller is celebrating 20 consecutive years in the GT ranks at Le Mans in what the world knows will be the last for the Corvette in front-engined guise. The new mid-engined Corvette, the automotive world's worst-kept secret, is due to be finally unveiled early next month in both road and race form.

The reigning IMSA GTLM class title winner signs off the C7.R dating back to 2014 with an unchanged line-up for the third year in a row: Audi drivers Rockenfeller and Fassler take the third seats alongside Magnussen and Garcia, and Gavin and Milner respectively.

Their task is to end the longest drought - a full four years - without a class win at the 24 Hours since the programme began.

Autosport says: Corvette Racing topped the times at the test day, so don't doubt that it will be in the mix this time around.

Ford Chip Ganassi Team UK

Ford GT
#66 Stefan Mucke/Olivier Pla/Billy Johnson
#67 Andy Priaulx/Harry Tincknell/Jonathan Bomarito

Qualifying: 2nd (#67), 9th (#66)

Ford bows out of Le Mans with a car that celebrates the rich heritage of the GT40 and its derivatives and has added a bit more history to the US manufacturer's annals from the 24 Hours. And in celebration of that there are retro liveries on all four Ford GTs entered by the Multimatic WEC team based near Silverstone and the real Ganassi squad that competes in IMSA.

Johnson maintains his place as the third driver in the #66 WEC entry, while Bomarito, who drives a Multimatic-developed Mazda DPi in IMSA, has been brought in to race #67 and makes his second Le Mans start.

It hasn't been a great season in the WEC for Ford, at least not since a win for Mucke, Pla and Johnson at the Spa opener last May.

Autosport says: Could the WEC side of the Ford operation finally chalk up a Le Mans win?

Ford Chip Ganassi Team USA

Ford GT
#68 Joey Hand/Dirk Muller/Sebastien Bourdais
#69 Ryan Briscoe/Richard Westbrook/Scott Dixon

Qualifying: 6th (#68), 10th (#69)

The IMSA squad run by Chip Ganassi Racing that gave Ford its fairytale class victory in 2016, 50 years after the marque's first outright win with the MkII driven by Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon, returns with a driver line-up unchanged from last year.

In fact, the winner of 12 titles across the CART and IndyCar series has actually fielded the same drivers in each of the four years of the Ford GT programme, except when Bourdais missed the race in 2017 as a result of injuries sustained in a crash in qualifying for that year's Indy 500.

He is again teamed with Muller and Hand, who is back in the harness after standing down for a couple of IMSA rounds as a result of a virus. Five-time IndyCar title winner Dixon rejoins Westbrook and Briscoe in the sister car.

Autosport says: Don't count the Fords out - even after a 12kg BoP hit ahead of the test day.

BMW Team MTEK

BMW M8 GTE
#81 Martin Tomczyk/Philipp Eng/Nicky Catsburg
#82 Augusto Farfus/Antonio Felix Da Costa/Jesse Krohn

Qualifying: 5th (#82), 16th (#81)

BMW's WEC programme with the M8 GTE that came on stream at the beginning of last year has turned out to be a one-season affair and ends with Le Mans.

It's not quite that the plug has been pulled early, though: it was initially pencilled in as a two-year commitment and has ended up at one and a half as a result of the one-off superseason. The cars will continue to grace the IMSA grid in BMW's all-important North American market next season.

DTM race winner Eng is back alongside WEC regulars Tomczyk and Catsburg, while IMSA driver Krohn comes in to make his Le Mans debut alongside Farfus and da Costa.

Two second places, at Fuji and Sebring, are the best results so far for the factory MTEK team, which was part of BMW's DTM roster in 2012-16.

Autosport says: WEC results don't suggest that BMW is likely to sign off from the series in style.

Risi Competizione

Ferrari 488 GTE Evo
#89 Oliver Jarvis/Pipo Derani/Jules Gounon

Qualifying: 17th

Ferrari stalwart Risi, the only privateer in GTE Pro, returns after a year away - in which it fielded the Keating Motorsports GTE Am entry - looking for another class win to add to its 1998 LMP1 and 2008-09 GT2 victories.

The driver line-up it has assembled for the big race certainly signals the intent of a team that has enjoyed so much success in North American sportscar circles over the past 20 years. Former Audi LMP1 driver Jarvis, who has no fewer than four outright podiums to his name at Le Mans, and three-time Sebring 12 Hours winner Derani lead the line-up.

They are joined by Le Mans debutant and factory Bentley GT3 driver Gounon, whose father Jean-Marc started the race 12 times.

Autosport says: Risi's 2016 near-miss suggests a privateer can compete in GTE Pro, but inactivity this season will count against it.

Porsche GT Team (Manthey)

Porsche 911 RSR
#91 Richard Lietz/Gianmaria Bruni/Frederic Makowiecki
#92 Michael Christensen/Kevin Estre/Laurens Vanthoor

Qualifying: 7th (#92), 13th (#91)

Porsche may not be racing in LMP1 anymore, but it remains committed to the WEC and Le Mans with the mid-engined 911 RSR. That has already been rewarded with the GTE manufacturers' title for its Manthey-run team and Porsche will also take home the drivers' crown, with Estre and Christensen leading team-mates Bruni and Lietz by 36 points.

Estre and Christensen owe their lead to an ultra-consistent season in which they have only once finished off the podium. They are again joined by IMSA regular Vanthoor, who helped them to the Le Mans win last year. Makowiecki completes an unchanged line-up alongside Bruni and Lietz.

There are no retro liveries this year, rather a colour scheme that celebrates the manufacturers' crown.

Autosport says: Porsche's advantage in drivers' points means it can go all out for the class win.

Porsche GT Team (CORE)

Porsche 911 RSR
#93 Patrick Pilet/Earl Bamber/Nick Tandy
#94 Sven Muller/Mathieu Jaminet/Dennis Olsen

Qualifying: 4th (#93), 13th (#94)

Porsche returns to Le Mans with a four-car GTE Pro assault for a second year in a row. The CORE-run IMSA squad bolsters the field with a pair of 911 RSRs that race in the livery seen earlier in the season in North America that pays homage to the successes of the Brumos team, a four-time winner at the Daytona 24 Hours.

Tandy and Bamber, two thirds of the overall winning Porsche line-up from 2015, are again teamed with Pilet, while Muller is joined by Le Mans debutants Jaminet and Olsen, two of Porsche's so-called 'young professionals'.

It's been a good season for CORE so far: Tandy and Pilet took GTLM honours at Sebring, and Bamber and Vanthoor head the points after wins at Long Beach and Mid-Ohio.

Autosport says: If CORE can translate IMSA form to the WEC, it should be right up there.

Aston Martin Racing

Aston Martin Vantage
#95 Nicki Thiim/Marco Sorensen/Darren Turner
#97 Maxime Martin/Alex Lynn/Jonny Adam

Qualifying: 1st (#95), 14th (#97)

Aston is back for a second crack at the big one with the second-generation GTE and its usual roster of drivers. Thiim and Sorensen, WEC champions with the old Aston in 2016, are rejoined by marque stalwart Turner, while Adam is back with Lynn and Martin.

The latest Aston GT racer endured a slow start to its career at the beginning of the superseason and now has two class wins under its belt, one for each pairing, although both have come in adverse weather conditions.

The car still has an unhealthy appetite for its Michelin tyres in the dry, though the tyre rules and the nature of the circuit will make that less of a factor at Le Mans. A new low-drag aero package is designed to put the car in the ballpark on straightline speed.

Autosport says: Aston Martin can't be called a favourite, but test day and class pole suggested it can challenge.

---

GTE Am

Spirit of Race (AF)

Ferrari 488 GTE
#54 Giancarlo Fisichella/Francesco Castellacci/Thomas Flohr

Qualifying: 7th in class

The full-time entry in the World Endurance Championship by AF Corse's Spirit of Race offshoot lies second in the GTE Am points with ex-F1 veteran and Ferrari factory driver Fisichella, together with Castellacci and Flohr.

They've yet to win a round, but they have a consistent finishing record that includes the class runner-up spot at Le Mans last year.

Autosport says: A title tilt against the class-leading Project 1 team looks like a long shot given that the Ferrari hasn't been a match for the Porsche.

Team Project 1

Porsche 911 RSR
#56 Jorg Bergmeister/Patrick Lindsey/Egidio Perfetti

Qualifying: 6th

This squad with a background in the Porsche Supercup and Carrera Cup, where it formerly raced as Tolimit Motorsport, enjoys a handy championship lead in its first season of endurance racing in the WEC.

Factory driver Bergmeister, IMSA regular Lindsey and Porsche specialist Perfetti lead by 23 points courtesy of a run of four consecutive podiums between Silverstone and Sebring.

Autosport says: Porsche superiority and decent points lead should mean Project 1 is home and dry in the title race.

Car Guy Racing (AF)

Ferrari 488 GTE
#57 Come Ledogar/Kei Cozzolino/Takeshi Kimura

Qualifying: 8th

This Japanese team makes its Le Mans debut together with AF Corse after gaining an entry for its championship victory in last winter's Asian Le Mans Series with a GT3 Ferrari whose drivers included factory man James Calado.

His team-mates in that campaign, Lamborghini Super Trofeo graduate Cozzolino and mandatory bronze Kimura, are joined by former McLaren factory driver Ledogar for Le Mans.

Autosport says: Getting to the end of the race should be the target for an inexperienced driving crew.

Kessel Racing

Ferrari 488 GTE
#60 Andrea Piccini/Claudio Schiavoni/Sergio Pianezzola
#83 Rahel Frey/Michelle Gatting/Manuela Gostner

Qualifying: 10th (#60), 15th (#83)

Kessel, started by the late sometime grand prix driver Loris Kessel, makes a belated Le Mans 24 Hours debut after much success in GT3 racing.

Following an absence of 10 years, Piccini returns to a race in which he was second in GT1 with Aston Martin in 2006, while the second of the team's Ferraris is driven by an all-female line-up.

Autosport says: Second place in the Paul Ricard ELMS opener for Frey, Gatting and Gostner suggests this debutant - or should we say debutante? - team could spring a surprise.

Clearwater Racing

Ferrari 488 GTE
#61 Matt Griffin/Matteo Cressoni/Luis Perez Companc

Qualifying: 16th

A Malaysian team that runs with support from AF Corse, Clearwater is contesting the full WEC but has undergone a change of line-up since Le Mans 2018.

Team boss Mok Weng Sun retired from driving at the end of last year, and he and Keita Sawa have been replaced by Perez Companc and Cressoni.

Autosport says: Clearwater failed to build on its 2017 successes, but third last time out at Spa suggests a return to form with new line-up.

WeatherTech Racing (Corsa)

Ferrari 488 GTE
#62 Toni Vilander/Cooper MacNeil/Rob Smith

Qualifying: 13th

The sponsor of the IMSA SportsCar Championship mounts a Le Mans entry in conjunction with the Scuderia Corsa squad that also runs its North American programme in the GT Daytona class.

IMSA team-mates Vilander and MacNeil are joined by Smith, class winner at Le Mans with JMW in 2017.

Autosport says: Strong line-up with a team that won the class three years ago indicates WeatherTech Ferrari could mount a challenge.

MR Racing (AF)

Ferrari 488 GTE
#70 Olivier Beretta/Edward Cheever/Motoaki Ishikawa

Qualifying: 14th

This AF-run Ferrari races in the WEC under a team name derived from the first initials of Ishikawa and his wife Ren.

The 52-year-old amateur, who fulfilled his ambition of racing at Le Mans last year, is partnered by Cheever, son of the ex-F1 driver of the same name, and factory contractee Beretta, who is making his 23rd Le Mans start.

Autosport says: Nothing so far this season suggests that MR will be among the frontrunners.

Dempsey-Proton Racing

Porsche 911 RSR
#77 Matt Campbell/Julien Andlauer/Christian Ried
#88 Matteo Cairoli/Giorgio Roda/Satoshi Hoshino

Qualifying: 1st (#88), 2nd (#77)

The German squad took what can be regarded as a tainted Le Mans victory with team boss Ried, Campbell and Andlauer last year - its two cars were subsequently disqualified at Fuji and lost all points scored up to that point.

Le Mans perennials Tracy Krohn and Nic Jonsson were due to make their 14th start together in an additional car alongside Pat Long, but this entry had to be withdrawn after Krohn had a heavy practice crash.

Autosport says: Lead Dempsey-Proton #77 Porsche must start as the favourite after victories in the past three WEC rounds and qualifying one-two.

Proton Competition

Porsche 911 RSR
#78 Vincent Abril/Louis Prette/Philippe Prette

Qualifying: 5th

Father-and-son Philippe and Louis Prette move into the sportscar ranks proper from the world of the Ferrari Challenge in extra Proton car.

They are joined by former Bentley factory driver Abril, who is making an overdue Le Mans debut.

Autosport says: Lack of endurance racing experience for Prettes will count against them.

JMW Motorsport

Ferrari 488 GTE
#84 Jeff Segal/Rodrigo Baptista/Wei Lu

Qualifying: 4th

The little British Ferrari team that punches above its weight is at Le Mans for a 10th time looking to emulate its 2017 GTE Am victory.

Stalwart Segal and Ferrari Challenge graduate Wu race for the team in the ELMS and are joined by Blancpain GT World Challenge America race winner Baptista.

Autosport says: Baptista bolsters a line-up that was already good enough to get on the podium at the Monza ELMS round.

Keating Motorsports (Riley)

Ford GT
#85 Jeroen Bleekemolen/Felipe Fraga/Ben Keating

Qualifying: 9th

US privateer Keating has got his hands on the first customer Ford GT.

The car, chassis GT04 that finished third at Le Mans in 2016, is looked after by the Riley Technologies squad that ran a Chrysler Viper and one of its own LMP2s for Keating in '15 and '17.
Bleekemolen is on the driving squad as usual, along with Brazilian V8 Stock Car ace Fraga.

Autosport says: Could be a dark horse if Riley and team can get to grips with the car.

Gulf Racing

Porsche 911 RSR
#86 Ben Barker/Thomas Preining/Michael Wainwright

Qualifying: 3rd

WEC regular Gulf Racing makes its fourth Le Mans start. Team co-owner Wainwright and regular partner Barker are now teamed with Preining.

The Austrian, who won last year's German Porsche Carrera Cup, was brought in to replace former Aussie Supercars regular Alex Davison while he was still rated as a silver at the back end of last year.

Autosport says: Bolstered line-up could give team a shot at improving on its 2016 fifth in class.

TF Sport

Aston Martin Vantage
90 Euan Hankey/Charlie Eastwood/Salih Yoluc

Qualifying: 12th

The multiple GT title-winning team run by former touring car driver Tom Ferrier made an immediate impact on its full-time graduation to the WEC with an old-spec Vantage.

A string of runner-up spots has put Eastwood and Yoluc third in the points. Hankey returned to the team at Spa to recreate the line-up that failed to finish at Le Mans last year.

Autosport says: TF is overdue a win, but the competition is even stiffer with influx of entries.

Aston Martin Racing

Aston Martin Vantage
#98 Pedro Lamy/Mathias Lauda/Paul Dalla Lana

Qualifying: 11th

The long-standing partnership of Lamy, Lauda (son of the late Niki) and top amateur Dalla Lana is still seeking a first class win at Le Mans.

The reigning class champions won first time out at Spa last year, but their WEC title defence has floundered since then.

Autosport says: Don't count the AMR car out despite patchy WEC form.

2019 Le Mans 24 Hours starting grid

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