List of 24 Hours of Le Mans winners

The 24 Hours of Le Mans (French: 24 Heures du Mans) is an annual 24-hour automobile endurance race organised by the automotive group Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and held on the Circuit de la Sarthe race track close to the city of Le Mans, the capital of the French department of Sarthe. It was first held as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency in 1923, after the automotive journalist Charles Faroux to Georges Durand, the ACO general secretary, and the industrialist Emile Coquile, agreed to hold the race for car manufacturers to test vehicle durability, equipment and reliability. Each overall victor is presented with a trophy bearing the event's emblem and the logo of the ACO commissioned by the sporting director Jean-Pierre Moreau in 1993. All three-time consecutive winning manufacturers permanently keep the trophy. Since 1991, at the initiative of a man named Bernard Warain, a cast of the winning driver's feet, hands and signature are taken before the following year's race and put in a bronze car-wheel shaped plaque that is placed into the pavement in Le Mans' Saint Nicholas district.

Tom Kristensen has won the event nine times, more than any other competitor. Jacky Ickx, the previous record holder, is second with six victories, and Derek Bell, Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro are third with five wins each. Kristensen also achieved a record six victories in succession from the 2000 to the 2005 editions. Hurley Haywood had the longest wait between his first Le Mans win and his last. He first won in 1977 and last won in 1994, a span of 17 years and 5 days. Alexander Wurz waited the longest between his inaugural victory at the 1996 event and his second win—following 12 years, 11 months, 29 days later—at the 2009 edition. Luigi Chinetti is the oldest Le Mans winner; he was 47 years, 11 months and 9 days old when he won the 1949 event. Wurz is the event's youngest winner; he was 22 years, 4 months and 1 day old when he won the 1996 race. There have been a record 34 victors from the United Kingdom, followed by France with 28 and Germany with 18. A total of four countries have produced just one winner.

Porsche have won the most races as a manufacturer with 19 since their first in 1970. Audi are second with 13 wins and Ferrari are third with 11 victories. Porsche also achieved the most consecutive wins with seven victories in succession from 1981 to 1987. German manufacturers have won a record 34 times amongst four constructors, followed by the United Kingdom with 17 victories amongst 6 manufacturers and France with 15 wins amongst 9 constructors. Joest Racing are the most successful race team with 15 victories and the Audi R8 is the best race-winning vehicle with five victories.

As of the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans, there have been 146 victorious drivers from 20 individual countries and 25 winning manufacturers representing 7 different nations in the race's 92 editions. The first two winners were André Lagache and René Léonard in 1923, and the most recent drivers to achieve their first victory were Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen in 2024. All years (except 1977, 1979 and 1983) until 1985 saw two drivers per entry win before three participants per car became the norm from 1985 onwards. Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Mike Rockenfeller set the record for the farthest distance covered by a race-winning team, driving 5,410.713 km (3,362.061 mi) and completing 397 laps in an Audi R15 TDI plus in 2010. Frank Clement and John Duff hold the record for the shortest distance covered by a victorious squad, completing 120 laps and 2,077.34 km (1,290.80 mi) sharing an Bentley 3 Litre Sport in 1924.

Winners

Statistics

By driver

By nationality

By manufacturer

As of 16 June 2024

By team

As of 16 June 2024

Notes

References

Bibliography

• Hurel, François (2002). Alpine at Le Mans: 1963–1995. Translated by Waldron, David. Nîmes, Gard: Editions du Palmier. ISBN 978-2-914920-00-1 – via Open Library.
• Hurel, François (2004). Matra au Mans [Matra at Le Mans] (in French). Nîmes, Gard: Editions du Palmier. ISBN 978-2-914920-31-5 – via Open Library.
• Long, Brian (2008). Porsche Racing Cars – 1976 to 2005. Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset: Veloce Publishing. ISBN 978-1-904788-45-4.
• Vergeer, Koen (2009). Le Mans: geïllustreerde editie [Le Mans: illustrated edition] (in Dutch). Amsterdam, Netherlands: AmstelSport. ISBN 978-90-482-0026-9 – via Open Library.
• Wagstaff, Ian (2011). Audi R8. Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset: Veloce Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84584-327-4 – via Open Library.
• O'Kane, Philip (2012). "A History of the 'Triple Crown' of Motor Racing: The Indianapolis 500, the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Monaco Grand Prix". In Hassan, David (ed.). The History of Motor Sport: A Case Study Analysis. Abingdon, Oxfordshire: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-67788-2 – via Open Library.
• Spurring, Quentin (2015). Le Mans 1923–29: The Official History of the World's Greatest Motor Race. Yeovil, Somerset: Haynes Publishing. ISBN 978-1-91050-508-3.
• Leffingwell, Randy (2017). Porsche 70 Years: There Is No Substitute. Minneapolis, United States: Motorbooks. ISBN 978-0-7603-4725-6.
• Spurring, Quentin (2017). Le Mans 1930–39: The Official History of the World's Greatest Motor Race. Sherborne, Dorset: Evro Publishing. ISBN 978-1-91050-513-7.
• Smale, Glen (2021). Porsche at Le Mans: 70 Years. Minneapolis, United States: Motorbooks. ISBN 978-0-7603-6905-0.

External links

• Official website