Comparing 2011’s Le Mans 24 Hours Top Class With 2023’s Hypercar Crop

The 16-car Hypercar class in 2023 was the largest top class at the Le Mans 24 Hours since 2011 when 17 LMP1 cars graced the entry (a total which is set to be significantly eclipsed next year!)

So just how have things progressed in the top class since 2011?

Those 17 cars in 2011 represented Aston Martin, Audi, Peugeot, Pescarolo, OAK Pescarolo, Lola, Zytek and Oreca with both Aston Martin and Peugeot represented with two generations of car apiece (Aston Martin AMR-One and the older Lola Aston, Peugeot’s 908X and 908 HDI FAP).

2023’s 16 came from Toyota, Peugeot, Porsche, Ferrari, Cadillac, Glickenhaus and ByKolles (the Vanwall name appears to have been dropped from the car, though remains with the team).

Firstly, seven of the top class cars were powered by diesel in 2011, no longer permitted under the Hypercar regulations. The three factory Audis and four Peugeots (three factory cars and a single car from ORECA) would battle out for dominance in the race.

Ten of the 17 in 2011 were already closed top ‘coupe’ designs, now mandatory in 2023 with the Audis and Peugeots joined by a pair of Rebellion Lolas and a solo privateer Lola Aston Martin entered by the Belgian Kronos Racing squad.

13 of the Hypercar entries entry in 2023 featured hybrid powertrains, just the two Glickenhaus and the car from ByKolles do not. 2011 saw the first baby steps for the technology in the top class with the Oreca-chassised Hope Polevision car previewing the next major technology step forward in what has been a century of innovation at Le Mans.

Four 2011 LMP1 drivers raced in the 2023 Hypercar class: Audi’s Romain Dumas and Andre Lotterer are listed for Glickenhaus and Porsche respectively, Peugeot’s Sebastien Bourdais now races for Cadillac and Oreca Peugeot Pilot Loic Duval features again in a Peugeot, though the current 9X8 is a VERY different beast to the 908 HDi FAP of 2011!

Mike Rockenfeller from Audi’s 2011 squad raced the NASCAR Garage 56 Camaro in 2023 whilst Oreca Peugeot’s Nico Lapierre and Rebellion’s Neel Jani both raced in LMP2 (for Cool Racing and Duqueine Team respectively) and indeedbopth made their respective podiums in LMP2 Pro-Am and LMP2.

Interestingly no fewer than three of the 2011 drivers managed teams in 2023 at Le Mans:

Hope Polevision’s Casper Elgaard ran GTE AM debutants GMB Motorsport last year too.

Ex-Peugeot factory driver Nic Minassian is the ‘guv’nor at IDEC Sport, Olivier Panis is in a leadership role in his eponymous squad and Nico Lapierre heads Cool Racing.

Finally ex-Peugeot pilot from 2011 Anthony Davidson described the action as the lead colour commentator on the host TV programme for the race!

Peugeot is the only factory team that is racing in 2023 that also raced 12 years ago with the remaining 2011 factories: Aston Martin, Audi, Pescarolo and OAK Racing no longer active in the top class.

Aston Martin still, of course, support customer GT cars and whilst Audi’s Hypercar programme was canned in favour of F1.

The Pescarolo name could return if a new enterprise who have bought the rights to the famous name can procure the mountain of funding that they will need to campaign the customer Peugeot that they are targeting.

If they do so that will assist the commercial case of the Onroak Automotive enterprise that grew from the OAK Racing effort, Jacques Nicolet, then a driver, now the elder statesman of the company that has worked with Peugeot on the 9X8 with carbon fibre production and aerodynamic consultancy, with the same company set to return as a top-class chassis maker in 2024 with the Lamborghini LMDH project!

Whilst Zytek – represented on the LMP1 grid by the #20 Quifel ASM squad – isn’t around as a chassis manufacturer any more, the company morphed into the Gibson Technology enterprise that now powers every LMP2 squad!

There are some of 2011 features that the 2023 crop didn’t repeat, LMP1 attrition was high, just seven of the 17 would finish after a combination of poor reliability (I’m looking at you Aston Martin AMR-One!), and a couple of monstrous accidents for Audi impacted the field. In 2023 just three would not make the finish, the #75 Porsche succumbing to fuel pressure problems, the #4 ByKolles-entered car suffering a fire in the engine bay and the #7 Toyota out with accident damage.

The race for the win in 2011 was a classic with the surviving Audi catching and passing the leading Peugeot then holding on in an epic battle.

And 2023 delivered too – The race featured 35 lead changes, with eight cars from five manufacturers and six teams having time at the front. AN historic Ferrari win after a great chase throughout the race will leave 2023 as one of the most fondly remembered Le mans in history.

One final contrast, and it’s a telling one, 2011 was the previous high-water mark for the top class, 2023 isn’t! There is more to come from Hypercar – much, much more!

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