24 Hours of Le Mans 2023 (Live Stream)

Image credit: Antonin Vincent (ACO)

One hundred years ago, the world was very different: The original Wembley Stadium opens its doors for the first time in London, hyperinflation ravages Germany, the Irish Civil War ends - and in a small French town, a full-day endurance race is held for the first time. In 2023, the 24 Hours of Le Mans celebrate their 100th anniversary with an event that features several elements that make it even more special. Here is our preview including live streams.

After having the top-level prototype class firmly in their grasp since 2018, Toyota faces strong competition in 2023: The LMH and LMDh classes have seen the arrival of big names like Cadillac, Porsche, Peugeot and Ferrari, leading many to dub the era a new golden age of sports car racing. 16 Hypercars by seven manufacturers are on the entry list for Le Mans' centennial race. The green flag flies on Saturday, June 10th, at 14.00 GMT/16.00 CEST/10.00 EST.


Ferrari is back at Le Mans after 50 years. Can the iconic Italian manufacturer compete for overall victory with its 499P? Image credit: Jean-Philippe Boyer (ACO)

The Return of an Icon​

While the entries of the several manufacturers were welcomed with open arms by many WEC fans, none drew more attention than that of Ferrari: The legendary Italian marque last raced in the top class at La Sarthe 50 years ago in 1973, finishing in second place thanks to the efforts of Arturo Merzario and Carlos Pace in their 312PB-73.

Still a regular sight in GT classes and the prototype class in the 1990s and early 2000s with the Dallara-engineered Ferrari 333SP, it would take half a century for the works team to be back in competition for the overall win in Le Mans, this time in cooperation with AF Corse. Ferrari fields two LMH cars in 2023, one driven by Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen, the other by James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi and Alessandro Pier Guidi.

Anniversary Win in an Anniversary Year?​

Since the German manufacturer's first victory in 1970, Porsche and Le Mans have become synonymous. Last entering the top class at La Sarthe in 2017, Porsche bid farewell to LMP1 competition with their third consecutive overall win. Their GTE car is still racing to this day, but with the 963 LMDh, the manufacturer is back at the sharp end of the grid.


Six years after bowing out with an overall victory, Porsche is back in contention for the overall victory - and its GTE armada will try to take another class win. Image credit: Porsche Motorsport

Celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2023, Porsche could secure its 20th Le Mans victory if the stars align. Three 963s are entered by Porsche Penske Motorsport (one of them fittingly using number 75), another is fielded by Team Jota. Additionally, an armada of eight Porsche 911 RSR-19 will be trying to cross the line first in the GTE class.

Dane Cameron, who is driving the #5 Porsche with Michael Christensen and Fred Makowiecki, is eager to show what the new Porsche program is capable of: "It’s a very special feeling to finally be at the start of this race week. We have the chance to bring home the triumph at LeMans - for Porsche and Mr Penske. At the same time, it’s a dream come true for me: I’ve always dreamed of racing for overall victory at LeMans."


No rear wing needed: Peugeot took a different approach in its LMH car's design compared to the competition, fully embracing ground effect aerodynamics. Image credit: Peugeot Sport

Peugeot's Radical Concept​

Last seen at Le Mans in 2011, Peugeot turned heads when the first concept renders of its 9x8 were released: The car sported no rear wing, and despite speculation that it would have to be added to the real car to achieve the necessary downforce, the French marque managed to create a car without a wing. Instead, they opted for using ground effect aerodynamics to minimze drag on the long straights of Le Mans.

The concept proved troublesome since its debut at the 2022 6 Hours of Monza, however: Peugeot could not quite find the correct balance, although the 9x8 was designed with Le Mans in mind - and the Circuit de La Sarthe differs substantially from most others on the WEC calendar due to its high full-throttle percentage over a lap.


Toyota has scored back-to-back 1-2 finishes at Le Mans with its GR010 Hybrid - will their dominance continue? Image credit: Prudencio Casales (ACO)

End of a Dominant Era?​

Toyota had tried to secure overall victory at Le Mans many times, coming as close as being just one lap away from victory in 2016 before technical gremlins caused the leading car to lose the race, before finally achieving this goal in 2018 with Sebastien Buemi, Fernando Alonso and Kazuki Nakajima behind the wheel. The Japanese manufacturer has taken every overall win at La Sarthe since.

Changes to the Balance of Performance ahead of Le Mans have left Toyota with a whopping 36 kilograms of additional weight, however. The BoP was supposed to be unaltered throughout the first four WEC races of 2023, but the ACO felt that it was needed to be adjusted due to greater performance differences than anticipated. All LMH and LMDh except the Peugeot 9x8, the Glickenhaus 007 and the Vanwall-Vandervell 680 have received BoP changes.

Well-Known Names in LMP2​

While the attention is going to revolve around the top-tier prototype class for most, LMP2 is always a competitive class to look out for as well. Five former F1 drivers take the wheel in one of the second-tier prototypes, with Pietro Fittipaldi, Jan Magnussen, Giedo van der Garde, Robert Kubica and Daniil Kvyat being on the grid in an LMP2. Other well-known names include 2016 IndyCar Champion and 2019 Indy 500 winner Simon Pagenaud, IMSA racer Ricky Taylor or GT endurance aces like Mirko Bortolotti, Dries Vanthoor, Robin Frijns or Rene Rast.

The defending LMP2 champions are not on the grid in this class in 2023: After finishing in fifth overall in 2022, LMP2 winners Will Stevens and Antonio Felix da Costa moved up to the LMDh class alongside their Jota team, piloting a Porsche 963 instead. Roberto Gonzalez will not be in a car at Le Mans this year.

NASCAR at Le Mans​

Over the years, the Garage 56 entry has seen some interesting vehicles tackle the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and 2023 is no different: Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet and Goodyear field a modified Camaro ZL1 NASCAR Cup car driven by 2010 overall winner Mike Rockenfeller, 2009 Formula One World Champion Jenson Button and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson.


While the car is running in its own class and is not eligible for the overall win, the team did get a win at Le Mans already: The LMGTE pit stop challenge saw the Hendrick crew perform the fastest, leading to sprayed champagne on the podium. Meanwhile, the car was able to compete with the majority of the GTE grid on track and gets to start ahead of the GTE field, which makes the Garage 56 entry even more interesting to keep an eye on.

Watch Free Live Streams​

While the full race will be broadcast on different stations around the world, most notably Eurosport in Europe and MotorTrendTV in the United States, free live stream are also available, mostly as onboard shots from different cars. Keep an eye on this space as we'll add more once they become available!

Your Thoughts​

Who are you rooting for in the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans? Who are your favorites for overall victory? Let us know in the comments below, and feel free to discuss the race as well!