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Endurance: Double points awarded for 24 Hours of Le Mans

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Khatir Soltani
From WEC

Aside from it being the biggest and most famous sportscar race in the world, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is for the third consecutive season the third round of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

As the longest race of the year, it carries a double allocation of points compared to the seven other rounds on the calendar, and success here can have a significant effect on a team or driver’s world championship title hopes.

In LMP1, Toyota and its No. 7 driver line up of Davidson-Buemi-Lapierre are currently at the head of the World Endurance Championship classifications, with Rebellion Racing being uncontested in the bid for another FIA Endurance Trophy for LMP1 Privateer Teams.

G-Drive Racing, having won at both the 6 Hours of Silverstone and WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, lead the LMP2 standings with Rusinov-Pla-Canal all hoping that the 24 Hours will deliver as positive a result for them.

While the above-mentioned teams and drivers have a clear lead in their respective categories, the classifications for the LMGTE classes are a lot tighter.

Just one point separates Ferrari and challenger Porsche in the LMGTE Manufacturers’ World Cup, and AF Corse’s Bruni-Vilander pairing have a 3 point lead over Bergmeister-Pilet of Porsche Team Manthey in the GT Drivers’ Championship. Drivers from Aston Martin, Porsche and Ferrari follow in close succession, and there’s all to play for at Le Mans.

In LMGTE Am, Aston Martin Racing’s Heinemeier Hansson-Poulsen duo hold a 9 point lead over AF Corse’s Luis Perez-Companc-Cioci-Venturi but the challenges from Danes’ Aston Martin Racing team mates is fierce.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is notoriously challenging for both men and machines, but the rewards are high… not least in points towards a world championship title!


Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
Automotive expert
  • Over 6 years experience as a car reviewer
  • Over 50 test drives in the last year
  • Involved in discussions with virtually every auto manufacturer in Canada