On Saturday 11th June 2011 a magnificent field – yet another one - of fifty-six cars will roar off down the pits straight.
It will consist of works cars from Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Lotus, Peugeot and Porsche, without forgetting the numerous excellent private teams, plus the presence of Japanese giants Honda, Nissan and Toyota as engine suppliers: they will all help the 79th Le Mans 24 Hours to become part of the legend - a legend that will grow even greater in stature in 2011 thanks to the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup.
This new series of endurance races launched by the ACO will see twenty-six cars, most of which are entered by eight major manufacturers from the world of the car industry, doing battle over seven events, including the Le Mans 24 Hours, on three continents.
The 79th Le Mans 24-Hours race has attracted a fabulous field. The most prestigious makes and the most talented drivers will all gather on the 24-Hours circuit to do battle. Thanks to their presence, the ACO will organize the blue riband motor race of the 2011 season.Motor car manufacturers love Le Mans and vice versa! Audi, the reigning winner, Peugeot, Aston Martin, BMW, Ferrari, Porsche, Corvette and the prestigious Lotus name, back with works cars, without forgetting the return and considerable backing from Japanese engineers from Honda, Nissan and Toyota for some of the best teams, will give enthusiasts the opportunity to experience an event quite unlike any other because of its diversity and the overall quality of its field.
These entries from works teams or privateers confirm the exceptional character of the Sarthe classic, which, since 1923, has always epitomized the values of endurance - sporting and technological fair play - thanks to the unceasing efforts and on-going passion of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest.Jean-Claude Plassart, the President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest: “Once again the field assembled for the 79th event is of exceptional quality. The Sports Management Committee received 71 entries for 56 places on the grid. It again had to make hard choices due to the great interest and overall quality of the candidates. But above all, we’re delighted to see how many major manufacturers from the world of the motor car industry, have put their trust in the ACO to provide them with the best possible theatre in which to showcase their sporting involvement.”
The selection procedure for the entries chosen for the 2011 Le Mans 24 Hours went through several stages in several major events.At the end of the 2010 season, which finished on 7th November after the Zhuhai 1000 kms (CHN), the names of the eighteen entrants invited were already known due their 2010 results in the Le Mans 24 Hours, (4 invitations), the ILMC Championship (3 invitations), the ALMS (2 invitations) and the LMS (4 invitations), the Petit Le Mans (3 invitations) and the Michelin Green X Challenge classification (2 invitations).
On 20th December 2010, at the same time as the publication of the Le Mans 24-Hours technical regulations, entries opened for all teams that wanted to send in a form to the Automobile Club de l’Ouest.
By 19th January 2011 at midnight, the final deadline for entries, the ACO had received 71 entry forms. It was a slight drop in quantity in relation to the previous year, which can be explained by the reshuffling of the categories to harmonize the field with the suppression of the GT1s (13 entries in 2010).On the evening of 25th January 2011, the Selection Committee consisting of eight members met in the presence of the President Jean-Claude Plassart and Vincent Beaumesnil, the Sports Manager, to draw up the list of 56 cars and 10 reserves.
The list was finalized on 28th January 2011 and published on 9th February.
Vincent Beaumesnil (ACO Sports Manager): “This field is without doubt one of the best in the history of the Le Mans 24 Hours because of its homogeneity and the overall quality of the entries. This can be explained by two factors. The first one is that all the teams entered for Le Mans are also entered in the different competitions run under the Le Mans label, the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, as well as the American Le Mans Series and the Le Mans Series. So it’s a question of top-quality teams that have a lot of experience in endurance racing. The second one is the quality of the list of drivers. There are many former winners as well as guys who’ve shown their talent in Formula 1. Finally, I’d like to underline the fact that the new Le Mans 24-Hours regulations (published on 20th December, they can be consulted on-line at the following address: lemans.org), are a big success as proved by the large number of new cars on the entry list.”
What is the ILMC?The Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC) has been created with the intention of promoting the spirit of the Le Mans 24 Hours in a unique international competition, which is spread over a whole season with seven meetings on the calendar including the Sarthe classic.These values are part of the history of the sport thanks to human passion and technical revolutions driven by exceptional popular enthusiasm. This new playing field must arouse a strong desire in all entrants to do battle throughout a season of events that take place on three major continents (America, Europe and Asia), and also give all the amateurs and professionals in motor sport the opportunity to follow duels and sudden unexpected twists and turns on the new ILMC planet.
This endurance competition conceived and organized by the ACO consisted of three races in 2010. After the success of what could be called the first mini-season, in 2011 the ILMC will become a permanent, unmissable top-class fixture on the calendar of world motoring events as well as in the manufacturers,’ teams’ and drivers’ agendas. This year the seven events will bring entrants to circuits like Sebring (USA), Spa-Francorchamps (BEL), Imola (ITA), Silverstone (GBR), Road Atlanta (USA), and finally China. In this rich ILMC programme, which strikes the right balance between myth and discovery, the most prestigious endurance event in the world, the Le Mans 24 Hours race, which will be run for the 79th time on 11-12 June 2011, has been included.
The ILMC is a formidable challenge, and it will provide a theatre in which several of the most prestigious motor car manufacturers, whose drivers are among the best known in endurance, will do battle. The Intercontinental Le Mans Cup combines all the right ingredients to be followed with passion by a host of enthusiasts.
The American races in the ILMC, the Sebring 12 Hours and the Petit Le Mans, are part of the American Le Mans Series, and except for the Le Mans 24 Hours, the European events, Spa-Francorchamps, Imola and Silverstone are also part of the Le Mans Series European calendar. In the United States and Europe, the addition of the entries in the ILMC to those in the ALMS and the LMS will enable spectators to see fields of some sixty cars on the track!
Frédéric- Henri Biabaud: ILMC General Manager« Eight manufacturers, twenty-six entries, four categories, three continents, seven mythic races including the Le Mans 24 Hours! For many years the world of motor sport has always considered endurance racing as the most complete form of racing sport, and the ideal environment for testing and demonstrating the validity of new technologies. Today, thanks to the creation of the ILMC, we’re going to enjoy a particularly thrilling and fulfilling 2011 season because of the quality of the field, the internationalization of this championship and the enthusiasm it has generated in the public and the media. I can’t wait for Sebring!”
2011 entries - the main themesEven before the kick-off of its first full season, the 2011 ILMC has met with telling success among the motor car manufacturers. By 19th January, the closing date for entries, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest had received 28 entries for the whole championship. On 25th January after deliberation, the Selection Committee in the presence of President Jean-Claude Plassart, Frédéric Henry-Biabaud, the ILMC General Manager, and Vincent Beaumesnil, the ACO Sports Manager, chose 26 cars.Vincent Beaumesnil, ACO Sports Manager: “We’re very satisfied to have received so many quality entries, more in any case than we expected when we launched this championship. The 2011 field will consist of ten LM P1s, three LM P2s, seven GTE Pros and six GTE Ams. Eight makes have officially entered and the drivers selected are all very talented. It’s a magnificent field as it’s made up of experienced teams.”
LM P1 and LM P2This category is where the stakes will be the highest throughout the whole season because of the duel between Audi and Peugeot with Aston Martin as outsider. The French make, the reigning ILMC champion, will enter two new cars in each race plus a 908 HDi FAP run by Oreca; they will take on a brace of particularly well-prepared Audis. At the opening round at Sebring, the German manufacturer will race two of the 2010 R15 Pluses adapted to the new regulations. At Spa, the second event on the calendar, they will be replaced by three new R18s. Aston Martin will do the full season with one of the new AMR-Ones, and should enter a second car in selected events. Rebellion with its Toyota-powered Lola, Oak Racing’s two Pescarolo-Judds and the Zenith HPV Racing squad with a hybrid engine complete a particularly explosive field.Three teams have been selected in LM P2: Oak Racing, which will enter a total of three prototypes in each round, Signature-Nissan backed by the Japanese giant, plus Level 5 Motorsport with a Lola powered by a Honda Performance Development engine.GTESix manufacturers have entered the GTE category with works teams: Aston Martin (racing on two fronts, Prototypes and GT), BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Lotus and Porsche. In GTE Pro Ferrari, the reigning manufacturers’ champion, has entered three F458 Italias, the competition version of its new model. Opposition to the Prancing Horse will come from two BMW M3s and two Lotus Evoras, the car with which the legendary British make is making its return to endurance. In the GTE Am category, there are another three Ferraris but this time they are F430s; they will have to fight off the attacks of a Corvette C6-EZ1, an Aston Martin Vantage and a Porsche 911 RSR in 2010 setup.The quality of the cars is matched by the talent of the drivers. Each team has entered former Le Mans winners for the ILMC, Tom Kristensen, Timo Bernhard, Allan McNish, Stéphane Ortelli and Christophe Bouchut, and drivers who have shown their talents in F1, Giancarlo Fisichella, Stéphane Sarrazin and Sébastien Bourdais, as well as endurance specialists like Stefan Mücke, Nicolas Lapierre, Nicolas Prost and Scott Tucker.
The categories at the startAbrief round-up of the cars competing in the ILMC roundsLM P1 and LM P2 prototypesThese cars are designed for the Le Mans 24 Hours and for endurance races in the Le Mans Series in Europe, the American Le Mans Series in North America and the Asian Le Mans Series in Asia. Provided there are no major upsets, victory in terms of the overall distance classification should go to a prototype. They can have open or closed bodywork and are distinguished by their technical data, their weight and their power hence the different categories.LM P1 and LM P2All cars have air restrictors on the inlet manifold to balance the performance between the LM P1s and LM P2s. The diametre of the restrictors varies according to the engine configuration: number of valves, cubic capacity, supercharger pressure (for turbos or superchargers) and the type of fuel (petrol or diesel).The regulations have been modified for the 2011 season. Where bodywork is concerned the imagination of the aerodynamicists is still allowed full rein. Peugeot and Audi have opted for cars with closed bodywork while Aston Martin has gone the open route. The new prototypes have to have a shark’s fin on the engine cover to increase safety.To cope with the power escalation seen over the past few years, the power output of the engines has been reduced to around 520 bhp. The aim is to push lap times above the 3m 30s mark on the Le Mans circuit. Engineers can still use supercharged/unsupercharged petrol or diesel engines. Hybrids are now allowed! All types of hybrid technology can now be proposed coupled to the front or rear axles.Performance balancing between the different types of engines is reinforced by Article 19 (the ACO retains the possibility, even during the season, to balance performances) and the 2% rule. In the latter case the aim is to bracket the lap times of the quickest cars in each technology within a 2% range in relation to the fastest, all engines combined, by decision of the ACO.The LM P2 category regulations’ priority is to reduce cost. The use of engines from series production cars is one of the consequences of this choice that favours private teams.GTEThe GTs derived from sports cars or supercars designed for road use with petrol engines only, must have a production run of 100 road-going vehicles minimum in the case of major manufacturers, and 25 in the case of a small manufacturer. The GTE regulations include 95% of the former GT2 category rules. Two classes have been created for these road-going vehicles: GTE Pro and GTE Am (for amateur drivers, 2010 cars allowed).Cars entered in the ILMC must comply with the same regulations as those governing the Le Mans 24 Hours. Six years after their last major revision these have undergone an in-depth change with four major aims: safety, environmental protection, a level technical/sporting playing field and cost capping. The full technical regulations for all the categories can be downloaded from the site: lemans.org.
The 2011 Calendar1 - Sebring 12 Hours (Florida, USA), 19th March 20112 - Spa-Francorchamps 1000 kms (BEL), 7th May 20113 - Le Mans 24 Hours (FRA), 11th & 12th June 20114 - Imola 6 Hours (ITA), 3rd July 20115 - Silverstone 6 Hours (GB), 11th September 20116 - Petit Le Mans (Road Atlanta, Georgia, USA), 1st October 20117 - China 6 Hours (China) 12th November 2011
SEBRING (USA) SATURDAY 19th MARCH 2011The Sebring International Raceway (Sebring, Florida, USA) has hosted the Sebring 12 Hours since 1952, and the event has been an integral part of the American Le Mans Series calendar since 1999. The circuit measures 5,95 kms and is laid out on a former USA Air Force base. Some parts of it still use the runways made from concrete slabs. The first USA F1 Grand Prix counting for the World Championship was held there in 1959. Since 1997 this circuit has been owned by the Panoz Motorsports Group.
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS (BEL), SATURDAY 7th MAY 2011The first layout of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit near the towns of Spa, Malmedy and Stavelot in the Ardennes goes back to 1921. It is a very selective, very quick track that measures 7,004 kms in its current form. It has been revamped on several occasions, and remains one of the most popular circuits in the world with drivers and spectators alike. Since the creation of the F1 World Championship it has hosted 46 grand prix. It also welcomes the Spa 24 Hours and several other national and international events. Since 2004 the Spa 1000 kms, one of the most famous endurance races in the world held for the first time in 1966, has been part of the Le Mans Series. Given its rich history this event had kept its prestigious name, the Spa 1000 kms, even though it lasts exactly six hours whether or not the winner has reached the 1000-km mark.
LE MANS 24 HOURS – SATURDAY & SUNDAY 11th–12th JUNE 2011The Le Mans 24-Hours circuit needs no further presentation. Since 1923, the greatest international endurance race, and one of the legendary events in the history of world motor sport, has taken place there. This layout has undergone many modifications since the first running of the Sarthe classic, and its current length is 13,629 kms (since 2007). One of its special features is that it is not a permanent track. The 79th Le Mans 24 Hours on 11th-12th June 2011 is part of the ILMC calendar. It is the only race of such duration and double points will be awarded. It is the first time since 1992 that the 24 Hours-race has been integrated into a world championship or international cup.
IMOLA (ITA) SUNDAY 3rd JULY 2011The Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit is in Imola (Emelia-Romagna) a town not far from Bologna and Maranello, the home of the Scuderia Ferrari. Its origins go back to 1950 and it measures 4,909 kms. Between the Italian and San Marino Grand Prix 26 F1 events have been held there. The layout, which has been modified and improved several times since its creation, is special in that races are run in an anti-clockwise direction. Imola’s infrastructures have been rebuilt recently, and although it doesn’t have a long endurance tradition, this long circuit with fast, off-camber curves is an ideal one to host a round of the ILMC.
SILVERSTONE (GBR) SUNDAY 11th SEPTEMBER 2011The Silverstone circuit is located between the towns of Milton Keynes, Northampton and Oxford. It measures 5,901 kms and is laid out on a former Royal Air Force base. It hosted its first race in 1948 and has been revamped several times since then. The British F1 Grand Prix has been held there since 1950 - without a break since 1987 - a total of 44 GPs. It is a prestigious, quick and historic circuit on which other international events for both cars and bikes are run. Since 1976, whether in 6-hour or 1000-km format, it has hosted rounds of all the major endurance championships. With the exception of 2005, the Silverstone 1000 kms has been part of the Le Mans Series calendar since 2004.
ROAD ATLANTA (USA) SATURDAY 1st OCTOBER 2011The Road Atlanta circuit is in Braselton (Georgia, United States) and has been open since 1970 when a round of the defunct CanAm Series took place there. It measures 4,088 kms and hosts a number of events for bikes and cars. Don Panoz bought it in 1996 and made it his home base for his motor sport activities, as well as giving it a major revamp. The first Petit Le Mans took place there in 1998 and became part of the American Le Mans Series when this championship was created in 1999. The Petit Le Mans is a race of 1000 Miles (1609 kms) or 10 hours maximum.
CHINA 6 HOURS (CHI) SATURDAY 12th NOVEMBER 2011
Additional information• Format: Four 6-hour races, one 1000-Miles event (Petit Le Mans), one 12- Hour race (Sebring) and one lasting 24 Hours(Le Mans).• The Petit Le Mans is a 1000-Mile (1609 kms) race, 10 hours maximum.• The points awarded for the Le Mans 24 Hours will be double those scored in the other events in the different ILMCclassifications.• The American and Chinese rounds of the ILMC will take place on Saturday.• The Le Mans 24-Hours test day will be held on Sunday 24th April 2011. The ILMC entrants who are participating de factoin the 24 Hours can come and test.At the end of the 2011 season two manufacturers’ titles (LM P1 and GTE) plus four for teams (LM P1, LM P2, GTE Pro and GTE Am) will be awarded to the winners. In each race the entrants will score points according to a specific scale. Double points will be awarded for the Le Mans 24 Hours.In the two main categories reserved for manufacturers, the two highest-placed cars of each make will score points.For this a nomination system has been created. It was decided and accepted by the manufacturers competing in the ILMC that in each event, any manufacturer entered in LM P1 and in GTE, can nominate two additional cars in addition to those entered for the full year. These additional cars can also score points in the manufacturers’ classifications according to their position at the end of the race. In the teams’ classification the highest-placed car scores points for its team.
Le Mans 24 2011 Entry List
The 79th Le Mans 24-Hours race has attracted a fabulous field. The most prestigious makes and the most talented drivers will all gather on the 24-Hours circuit to do battle. Thanks to their presence, the ACO will organize the blue riband motor race of the 2011 season.Motor car manufacturers love Le Mans and vice versa! Audi, the reigning winner, Peugeot, Aston Martin, BMW, Ferrari, Porsche, Corvette and the prestigious Lotus name, back with works cars, without forgetting the return and considerable backing from Japanese engineers from Honda, Nissan and Toyota for some of the best teams, will give enthusiasts the opportunity to experience an event quite unlike any other because of its diversity and the overall quality of its field.
These entries from works teams or privateers confirm the exceptional character of the Sarthe classic, which, since 1923, has always epitomized the values of endurance - sporting and technological fair play - thanks to the unceasing efforts and on-going passion of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest.Jean-Claude Plassart, the President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest: “Once again the field assembled for the 79th event is of exceptional quality. The Sports Management Committee received 71 entries for 56 places on the grid. It again had to make hard choices due to the great interest and overall quality of the candidates. But above all, we’re delighted to see how many major manufacturers from the world of the motor car industry, have put their trust in the ACO to provide them with the best possible theatre in which to showcase their sporting involvementThe selection procedure for the entries chosen for the 2011 Le Mans 24 Hours went through several stages in several major events.
At the end of the 2010 season, which finished on 7th November after the Zhuhai 1000 kms (CHN), the names of the eighteen entrants invited were already known due their 2010 results in the Le Mans 24 Hours, (4 invitations), the ILMC Championship (3 invitations), the ALMS (2 invitations) and the LMS (4 invitations), the Petit Le Mans (3 invitations) and the Michelin Green X Challenge classification (2 invitations).
On 20th December 2010, at the same time as the publication of the Le Mans 24-Hours technical regulations, entries opened for all teams that wanted to send in a form to the Automobile Club de l’Ouest.
By 19th January 2011 at midnight, the final deadline for entries, the ACO had received 71 entry forms. It was a slight drop in quantity in relation to the previous year, which can be explained by the reshuffling of the categories to harmonize the field with the suppression of the GT1s (13 entries in 2010).On the evening of 25th January 2011, the Selection Committee consisting of eight members met in the presence of the President Jean-Claude Plassart and Vincent Beaumesnil, the Sports Manager, to draw up the list of 56 cars and 10 reserves.
The list was finalized on 28th January 2011 and published on 9th February.Vincent Beaumesnil (ACO Sports Manager): “This field is without doubt one of the best in the history of the Le Mans 24 Hours because of its homogeneity and the overall quality of the entries. This can be explained by two factors. The first one is that all the teams entered for Le Mans are also entered in the different competitions run under the Le Mans label, the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, as well as the American Le Mans Series and the Le Mans Series. So it’s a question of top-quality teams that have a lot of experience in endurance racing. The second one is the quality of the list of drivers. There are many former winners as well as guys who’ve shown their talent in Formula 1. Finally, I’d like to underline the fact that the new Le Mans 24-Hours regulations (published on 20th December, they can be consulted on-line at the following address: lemans.org), are a big success as proved by the large number of new cars on the entry list.”
LMP1 Entries
Car No. 1: Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R18
2: Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R18
3: Audi Sport North America Audi R18
5: Hope Racing Oreca 01 Hybrid
7: Peugeot Sport Total Peugeot 908
8: Peugeot Sport Total Peugeot 908
9: Team Peugeot Total Peugeot 908
10: Team Oreca-Matmut Peugeot 908 HDi FAP
12: Rebellion Racing Lola B10/60 Toyota
13: Rebellion Racing Lola B10/60 Toyota
15: Oak Racing Oak Pescarolo Judd
16: Pescarolo Team Pescarolo 01 Judd
19: Highcroft Racing HPD ARX-01e
20: Quifel ASM Team Zytek 09SC
24: Oak Racing Pescarolo 01
007: Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin AMR ONE
009: Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin AMR ONE
LMP2 Entries
27: SignaTech-Nissan Oreca 03 Nissan
28: SignaTech-Nissan Oreca 03 Nissan
33: Level 5 Motorsports Lola HPD
35: Oak Racing Oak Pescarolo Judd BMW
36: RML HPD ARX-01d
39: Pecom Racing Lola B11/40 Judd BMW
40: Race Performance Oreca 03 Judd BMW
41: Greaves Motorsport Zytek Z11 Nissan
42: Strakka Racing HPD ARX-01d
48: Team Oreca Matmut Oreca 03 Nissan
49: Oak Racing Oak Pescarolo Judd
LMP Reserve Entries
Extreme Limite Norma M200P Judd BMW
Kronos Racing Lola Aston Martin
Rangoni Motorsports Zytek 09H Hybrid
Boutsen Energy Racing Oreca 03 Nissan
Pegasus Racing Courage-Oreca LC75 Honda
GTE-Pro Entries
51: AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia
55: BMW Motorsport BMW M3
56: BMW Motorsport BMW M3
58: Luxury Racing Ferrari 458 Italia
59: Luxury Racing Ferrari 458 Italia
64: Lotus Jetalliance Lotus Evora
65: Lotus Jetalliance Lotus Evora
66: JMW Motorsport Ferrari 458 Italia
71: AF Corse Ferrari 458
73: Corvette Racing Corvette C6.R ZR-1
74: Corvette Racing Corvette C6.R ZR-1
75: ProSpeed Competition Porsche 997 RSR
76: IMSA Performance-Matmut Porsche 997 RSR
77: Team Felbermayr-Proton Porsche 997 RSR
79: Jota Sport Aston Martin Vantage
80: Flying Lizard Motorsport Porsche 997 RSR
88: Team Felbermayr-Proton Porsche 997 RSR
89: Hankook-Team Farnbacher Ferrari 458 Italia
GTE-Am Entries
50: Larbre Competition Chevrolet Corvette C6.R
57: Krohn Racing Ferrari F430 GT2
60: Gulf AMR Middle East Aston Martin Vantage
61: AF Corse Ferrari F430 GT2
62: CRS Racing Ferrari F430 GT2
63: Felbermayer Proton Porsche 997 RSR
68: Robertson Racing Doran Ford GT
70: Larbre Competiton Porsche 997 RSR
81: Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 997 RSR
83: JMB Racing Ferrari F430 GT2
GTE Reserves
Robertson Racing Doran Ford GT
Tolimit Arabia Porsche 997 RSR
ProSpeed Competition Porsche 997 RSR
Young Driver AMR Aston Martin Vantage
BMS Scuderia Italia Porsche 997 RSR
