Le Mans 2020: The team by team guide

With the coronavirus-enforced delays and build-up to practice and qualifying over, the 2020 Le Mans 24 Hours is about to begin.

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 Bruno Senna/Norman Nato/Gustavo Menezes
#3 Romain Dumas/Nathanael Berthon/Louis Deletraz

Qualifying: 4th (#3), 2nd (#1)

The top LMP1 privateer for more than a decade has one final shot of making it onto the overall podium - and perhaps better - with its Gibson-powered R-13 designed, built and run by ORECA. The team expands back to two cars for its Le Mans swansong, two-time winner Dumas coming in to lead the line-up in the additional entry

Autosport says: If the conditions are good, it has the pace to put the pressure on Toyota.

ByKolles Racing Team

ENSO CLM-Gibson P1/01
#4 Tom Dillmann/Bruno Spengler/Oliver Webb

Qualifying: 5th

Stalwart WEC team is back for a last hurrah with the long-serving P1/01 dating back to 2014, before switching to a Hypercar in 2021. The car has been updated since Le Mans last year, with revised aero and latest-spec Gibson V8. Team regulars Dillmann and Webb are joined by race debutant Spengler.

Autosport says: Question marks remain on whether an improvement in pace has been matched in reliability.

Toyota Gazoo Racing

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

Qualifying: 1st (#7), 3rd (#8)

The biggest revision to the TS050 in its five-year history shows that Toyota isn't resting on its laurels as it bids for a Le Mans hat-trick. Former Porsche man Hartley is the replacement for Fernando Alonso in an otherwise unchanged driver line-up alongside Buemi and Nakajima.

Autosport says: Expect another frantic Toyota duel now the cars are unshackled by success handicaps.

LMP2

Eurointernational

Ligier Gibson JSP217
#11 Adrien Tambay/Erik Maris/Christophe d'Ansembourg

Qualifying: 22nd in class

The team formerly known as Euromotorsport makes a return to the 24 Hours for the first time since fielding a Ferrari 333SP in 1995, thanks to an automatic entry for winning LMP3 in the ELMS last year. Former DTM racer Tambay is joined in one of only three Ligiers by two bronze drivers.

Autosport says: A reprise of the team's mid-1990s IMSA successes with the 333SP isn't on the cards.

G-Drive Racing (TDS)

ORECA-Gibson 07
#16 Oliver Jarvis/Nick Tandy/Ryan Cullen
#26 Jean-Eric Vergne/Roman Rusinov/Mikkel Jensen

Qualifying: 2nd in class (#26), 8th in class (#16)

Successful Russian entrant fields two cars as it bids for a first LMP2 victory at Le Mans, or at least one that sticks - it lost the win in the scrutineering bay in 2018. Vergne leads the line in the Aurus-badged car run by TDS, while former LMP1 sparring partners Tandy and Jarvis come together in the Algarve-tended entry.

Autosport says: Two strong driver line-ups put G-Drive right up among the favourites.

IDEC Sport

ORECA-Gibson 07
#17 Jonathan Kennard/Kyle Tilley/Patrick Pilet
#28 Paul-Loup Chatin/Richard Bradley/Paul Lafargue

Qualifying: 23rd in class (#17), 24th in class (#28)

The 2018 class polesitter at Le Mans is back with a pair of ORECAs. Bradley, whose five LMP2 WEC class victories include a Le Mans win in 2015, and Chatin team up in the lead car. Brit Kennard makes a return to the 24 Hours after an absence of 10 years in the second-string IDEC ORECA.

Autosport says: IDEC's number 28 car has the ingredients to be in the mix.

DragonSpeed

ORECA-Gibson 07
#21 Juan Pablo Montoya/Memo Rojas/Timothe Buret
#27 Ben Hanley/Renger van der Zande/Henrik Hedman

Qualifying: 16th in class (#21), 11th in class (#27)

The US squad returns to Le Mans with a driver roster boasting Montoya, Rojas, van der Zande (all multiple Daytona 24 Hours winners) and Hanley (a class winner in the same race). Travel restrictions have resulted in a tie-up with the Spanish Racing Engineering squad.

Autosport says: #21 should be among the frontrunners, ditto #27 when Hanley and van der Zande are driving.

United Autosports

ORECA-Gibson 07
#22 Filipe Albuquerque/Paul di Resta/Phil Hanson
#32 Alex Brundle/Will Owen/Job van Uitert

Qualifying: 1st in class (#22), 5th in class (#32)

British team is back at Le Mans for a fourth time looking for a first win after an amazing sequence in the WEC and ELMS - it's unbeaten in the past six races. Two line-ups boasting di Resta, Albuquerque and Brundle are bolstered by 'super silvers' van Uitert, Hanson and Owen.

Autosport says: United has momentum on its side and must start as favourite in LMP2.

Nielsen Racing

ORECA-Gibson 07
#24 Garett Grist/Alex Kapadia/Anthony Wells

Qualifying: 19th in class

The British Nielsen team from Corby with the Scandinavian-sounding name makes its Le Mans debut with an ORECA leased from Algarve after winning LMP3 in last winter's Asian Le Mans Series. The driver roster of two silvers and a bronze is actually better than it might look.

Autosport says: Nielsen isn't going to challenge the class frontrunners and should be shooting for a finish.

Algarve Pro Racing

ORECA-Gibson 07
#25 Simon Trummer/Matt McMurray/John Falb

Qualifying: 15th in class

The Portugal-based team run by Brits, which claimed last winter's Asian Le Mans Series title together with G-Drive, makes an entry under its own name for what will be its fifth participation in the 24 Hours. McMurry, the youngest driver ever to take part, returns to the big race for the third time alongside ELMS regulars Trummer and Falb.

Autosport says: Bettering 10th in class last year should be the team's aim.

Racing Team Nederland (TDS)

ORECA-Gibson 07
#29 Giedo van der Garde/Nyck de Vries/Frits van Eerd

Qualifying: 3rd in class

The Dutch entrant fields an ORECA after its switch from Dallara for its second full-season WEC campaign, this time in partnership with the French TDS operation. A class winner this season, RTN is normally at the sharp end of the pack on outright pace with van der Garde and de Vries, if not at the end of the race.

Autosport says: RTN's chances hinge on how amateur driver van Eerd performs.

Duqueine Team

ORECA-Gibson 07
#30 Tristan Gommendy/Jonathan Hirschi/Konstantin Tereschenko

Qualifying: 14th in class

The French Duqueine team, which also builds LMP3 machinery and turned out the odd F3 car back in the 1980s, makes its second Le Mans start with its regular ELMS driving crew. Experienced hands Gommendy and Hirschi, who have 17 starts in the 24 Hours between them, are joined by sometime GP3 driver Tereschenko.

Autosport says: Expect Gommendy to star as part of a decent rather than stellar driving squad.

Panis Racing (Tech 1)

ORECA-Gibson 07
#31 Nico Jamin/Matthieu Vaxiviere/Julien Canal

Qualifying: 9th in class

The operation run by 1996 Monaco Grand Prix winner Olivier Panis and Tech 1 Racing has switched from the Ligier to the ORECA chassis for this season. Vaxiviere comes in to replace Will Stevens in a line-up that has been on the podium in the ELMS this year.

Autosport says: A dark horse with everything it needs to challenge the class frontrunners.

High Class Racing

ORECA-Gibson 07
#33 Kenta Yamashita/Anders Fjordbach/Mark Patterson

Qualifying: 4th in class

The Danish team that first raced under its own flag at Le Mans last year - after sneaking in when the field was expanded - is contesting a full programme in the 2019-20 WEC. Yamashita is part of the Toyota set-up, while Patterson is on course for his seventh participation in the 24 Hours, three months short of his 69th birthday.

Autosport says: Yamashita has shown form, but this is not a frontrunning line-up.

Inter Europol Competition

Ligier-Gibson JSP217
#34 Matevos Isaakyan/Jakub Smiechowski/Rene Binder

Qualifying: 21st in class

A Polish entry run from the Netherlands by the Keese Motorsport operation makes Le Mans start number two with a Ligier, with which it is also contesting the ELMS. Isaakyan, who was part of the SMP Racing LMP1 squad in the WEC superseason, has joined Smiechowski and Binder for a programme that includes a full ELMS assault.

Autosport says: ELMS form with the unfashionable Ligier suggests it will struggle.

Eurasia Motorsport

Ligier-Gibson JSP217
#35 Roberto Merhi/Nick Foster/Nobuya Yamanaka

Qualifying: 18th in class

The Philippines-based team run by Brit Mark Goddard returns to Le Mans after a year away with a Ligier in New Zealand national sporting colours. Plans for Shane van Gisbergen and then Nick Cassidy to drive the car fell foul of the COVID-19 crisis. Merhi, who raced for the team in last year's Asian series, has come in as a replacement.

Autosport says: Driver line-up lacks the strength in depth necessary for a good result.

Signatech Alpine Elf

ORECA-Gibson 07
#36 Andre Negrao/Thomas Laurent/Pierre Ragues

Qualifying: 10th in class

Reigning WEC P2 champion Signatech - the winner of the class at Le Mans for the past two years - returns without star driver Nicolas Lapierre after his move to Cool Racing. Laurent has stepped into the Alpine-badged ORECA as his replacement, while Ragues is the new silver. A disappointing WEC campaign has yielded a single podium so far.

Autosport says: Last time out at Spa, the team returned to form only for Laurent to crash.

Jackie Chan DC Racing (Jota)

ORECA-Gibson 07
#37 Will Stevens/Ho-Ping Tung/Gabriel Aubry

Qualifying: 6th in class

The Jota-run squad has slimmed down to a solo car for this season's WEC, with Stevens coming in alongside Tung and Aubry. Has has been on the podium four times without winning as the team seeks to improve on its runner-up spot in the championship in 2017 and 2018-19.

Autosport says: Expect the Chan DC car to be right in the mix as usual.

Jota Sport

ORECA-Gibson 07
#38 Anthony Davidson/Antonio Felix da Costa/Roberto Gonzalez

Qualifying: 7th in class

Jota fields a car under its own name alongside the Chan DC car in the WEC. Davidson and Gonzalez have moved over from DragonSpeed for the current season, with da Costa joining as the second pro. Victory at Shanghai combined with two more podiums has given them a shout of the title.

Autosport says:

A lot will depend on the form of Gonzalez, who struggled at Le Mans last year.

SO24-HAS by Graff

ORECA-Gibson 07
#39 James Allen/Vincent Capillaire/Charles Milesi

Qualifying: 13th in class

Graff, a team that under former ownership first competed at Le Mans in the 1980s, continues its relationship with the SO24 organisation set up to help local drivers compete in the 24 Hours. Allen, who is racing for the team in the ELMS, is joined by Le Mans regular Capillaire and Milesi, a race winner in Formula Renault Eurocup.

Autosport says: Will be hard for this crew to improve on the team's second position in 2018.

Cool Racing

ORECA-Gibson 07
#42 Nicolas Lapierre/Antonin Borga/Alexandre Coigny

Qualifying: 12th in class

The Swiss squad makes its Le Mans debut as part of a full WEC campaign. Lapierre, who raced for Cool in the 2019 ELMS, has been lured away from long-time employer Signatech for the WEC and now has a stake in the team. He and Borga won the Silverstone opener after amateur Coigny was ruled out through injury.

Autosport says: Lapierre isn't going to notch up a fifth P2 victory this year.

Cetilar Racing (AF Corse)

Dallara-Gibson P217
#47 AndreaBelicchi/Giorgio Sernagiotto/Roberto Lacorte

Qualifying: 17th in class

The Italian entrant fields the only Dallara on the grid in conjunction with AF Corse, making a rare foray into the prototype ranks, after switching teams from Villorba Corse. Belicchi, a long-time member of the Rebellion P1 squad with 10 Le Mans starts to his name, is again teamed with silver-rated Sernagiotto and bronze Lacorte.

Autosport says: Will provide variety with its Dallara but not competition for the frontrunners.

Richard Mille Racing (Signatech)

ORECA-Gibson 07
#50 Tatiana Calderon/Sophia Florsch/Beitske Visser

Qualifying: 20th in class

The first all-female crew to race a prototype at Le Mans since 1991 has been put together by watchmaker and FIA Endurance Committee president Richard Mille. Alfa Romeo F1 tester Calderon and Formula 3 driver Florsch are joined by W Series runner-up Visser.

Autosport says: Lack of sportscar and Le Mans experience will count against this trio.

GTE Pro

AF Corse

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

Qualifying: 2nd (#51) in class, 4th (#71) in class

Ferrari and the factory AF squad are back to defend their class crown with the Evo version of the 488 GTE. Bird returns to the squad after losing his full-season WEC drive because there were too many clashes with Formula E on the original calendars. The team has endured a mixed WEC campaign to date with only one victory.

Autosport says: With the same BoP as 2019, it looks well placed to get its season back on track.

WeatherTech (Scuderia Corsa)

Ferrari 488 GTE Evo
#63 Toni Vilander/Jeff Segal/Cooper MacNeil

Qualifying: 7th in class

A team that won the GTE Am class in 2016 made a late decision to step up to the Pro ranks with its Ferrari this year. Factory driver Vilander and MacNeil, of the WeatherTech-owning family, race together in GT Daytona in the IMSA ranks and are joined by Segal, who was part of the Scuderia Corsa Am winning crew four years ago.

Autosport says: Long shot is the best way to describe its chance of getting among factory cars.

Risi Competizione

Ferrari 488 GTE Evo
#82 Olivier Pla/Sebastien Bourdais/Jules Gounonl

Qualifying: 8th in class

The US team, a class winner at Le Mans in 1998, 2008 and 2009, is back for a second consecutive attempt on the big one after a season in which it has only competed at the Daytona 24 Hours. It has assembled a pretty impressive - and all-French - roster of drivers in Ford refugees Bourdais and Pla, and rising GT star Gounon.

Autosport says: Risi's credentials are not in doubt: remember it pushing Ford close in 2016?

Porsche GT Team (Manthey)

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

Qualifying:

1st in class (#91), 6th in class (#92)

It's not quite business as usual at Porsche even though the driver line-up is unchanged from last year. The team regulars are, in fact, racing a new car that came on stream at the start of the 2019-20 WEC campaign. The mid-engined 911 GTE racer has been redesigned for what's known as the RSR-19.

Autosport says: The effects of more weight and less power under the BoP are unknown at the moment.

Aston Martin Racing (Prodrive)

Aston Martin Vantage GTE
#95 Nicki Thiim/Marco Sorensen/Richard Westbrook
#97 Maxime Martin/Alex Lynn/Harry Tincknell

Qualifying: 3rd in class (#95), 4th in class (#97)

Brits Westbrook and Tincknell have been brought in as third drivers alongside the WEC regulars. The biggest change since last year, however, is new Michelin tyres, resulting from a proper development programme. Three wins for Thiim and Sorensen so far this season have followed.

Autosport says: Aston has a competitive car in all conditions now - and momentum.

GTE Am

AF Corse

Ferrari 488 GTE Evo
#52 Christoph Ulrich/Steffen Gorig/Alexander West
#54 Giancarlo Fisichella/Francesco Castellacci/Thomas Flohr
#83 Emmanuel Collard/Nicklas Nielsen/Francois Perrodo

Qualifying: 22nd in class (#52), 10th in class (#54), 7th in class (#83)

The flotilla fielded by AF alongside its two factory entries includes three Ferraris in GTE Am run under its own name. There are two full-season WEC entries with a factory driver apiece, and one all-bronze line-up from the ELMS.

Ferrari veteran Fisichella and new signing Nielsen lead the WEC crews, while former Porsche, Toyota and Cadillac driver Collard returns in the WEC points-leading GTE Am car to make his 24th start in the big race.

Autosport says: Two WEC wins and good consistency suggest Nielsen, Collard and Perrodo will be in the fight.

Spirit of Race (AF)