Six reasons to watch the 2021 Le Mans 24 Hours

At the Le Mans test day last Sunday, the intriguing threat from the new (very much independent) Glickenhaus challenge was confirmed when Frenchman Olivier Pla knocked the Toyotas from the top of the times with 10 minutes of the five-hour afternoon session to run. The pair of red Pipo-engined Glickenhaus 007s are powered by a 3.5-litre twin-turbo non-hybrid V8 compared to Toyota’s 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 that is mated to a front-axle mounted motor generator unit: two contrasting solutions to reach the capped output of 670bhp/500kW. But pure pace is one thing; can the new Glickenhaus really beat the might of Toyota?

The test day backed up the Monza WEC performance to show that Jim Glickenhaus’s high ambition isn’t simply a pipe-dream – but the result will likely come down to reliability. Even with the crack Joest team in consultant mode, Glickenhaus would do amazingly well to run without delay, while Toyota has completed a full quota of grinding endurance tests, but has been far from trouble-free in the WEC rounds. As its British world champion Mike Conway knows only too well after a series of victory near-misses at Le Mans, Toyota can take nothing for granted this weekend.

The fifth contender in LMH is Alpine’s A480, a ‘grandfathered’ LMP1 car running with heavy restrictions. It will need to stop for fuel more often than the Toyotas and Glickenhaus entries, but it should be bullet-proof. With that in mind, the French brand could be a strong tip to add a second Le Mans victory to its first claimed all the way back in 1978.

3 An LMP2 car could win overall

But there’s an even more intriguing scenario: if all five LMH entries are hit by delays, which certainly isn’t out of the realms of possibility, a well-run car from the secondary LMP2 division might have a shot at an overall victory.

A bumper grid of 25 blue-plated LMP2s will line up for the start on Saturday afternoon, with plenty of top racing stars peppering the driver line-ups. United Autosports, co-owned by McLaren chief Zak Brown and the LMP2 class champion from last year, is an obvious favourite with a strong three-car entry featuring the likes of ex-F1 ace Paul di Resta and quick Brits Alex Lynn and Phil Hanson. But any one of about a dozen cars in LMP2 could win this class – and at least bid for a place on the overall podium.

Other big names to look out for include ex-grand prix aces Robert Kubica and Juan Pablo Montoya, plus Danish father-and-son duo Jan and Kevin Magnussen, united for the first time at High Class Racing.

The strength in depth in LMP2 is remarkable. Even if the LMH cars do stay reliable, the race within a race in this class promises to be tight and captivating.

4 Porsche vs Ferrari vs Corvette in GTE Pro

Manufacturer interest has dwindled in the top GT category at Le Mans. But an entry that boasts two works Porsches, two well-supported 911 RSR privateers, a pair of factory-backed Ferrari 488 GTE EVOs and two works Corvette C8.Rs isn’t one to be sniffed at. Porsche held the edge on pace at the test day, but the battle with AF Corse’s Ferraris is likely to rage throughout, with Britain’s James Calado on the search for a second Le Mans class win to add to the one he claimed in 2019.

Corvette hasn’t scored a GT win at the 24 Hours since 2015, but Nick Tandy – who won the race overall that year in Porsche’s 919 Hybrid LMP1 – hasn’t joined the American team just to make up the numbers in the green-plated category.

5 Le Mans is still the ultimate race for amateurs

While top-ranking professional drivers covet seats in all the classes at Le Mans, the beauty of the 24 Hours is it still remains accessible to amateurs with the ambition, skill and sizeable budget who aspire to join its grid. There’s a Pro-Am subclass within LMP2, but it’s GTE Am that caters most directly to what used to be called ‘gentleman drivers’. The cars are the same as in GTE Pro, but each driver line-up must include two bronze-graded amateurs.

Anchored by a decent pro, such as IMSA star and former LMP2 Le Mans class winner Harry Tincknell, GTE Am offers those with deep pockets a chance to become a Le Mans winner. It always attracts a strong entry and this year there will be 23 cars on the grid with orange-plated numbers, Aston Martin maintaining a three-car Aston Martin Vantage presence after pulling out of GTE Pro, despite taking the win in the senior class last season.