Le Mans 2021: Drivers to watch during the 24 hours of Le Mans race
General
Le Mans 2021 takes place this weekend. The 24-hour endurance race starts on Saturday afternoon with a range of drivers from around the world joining together to take part. This includes some of the best current WEC drivers some of whom are former Formula 1 drivers and pundits. Here are some of the most noteworthy competitors in this year’s Le Mans.
Sébastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima and Brendon Hartley
It makes sense to start with the World Endurance Championship leaders and an all ex-Formula 1 drivers team. These drivers will be racing for Toyota in the Hyperclass car and have won two out of the three events in the season so far. Buemi, Nakajima and Hartley have all experienced Formula 1 at various teams, but the three are used to working together successfully. This same trio won the event in 2020, and Nakajima and Buemi won with Fernando Alonso in 2019. Hartley secured Le Mans victory in 2017 as well.
Kamui Kobayashi
Kamui Kobayashi started 75 Grands Prix and secured one career podium in the 2012 Japanese Grand Prix to the delight of the home fans. The former Sauber driver will team up with Mike Conway and José Maria López for the other Toyota team. This trio won the last event in Italy and sit second in the Championship.
Sophia Flörsch
In the 2018 Macau Grand Prix, Flörsch had a serious crash that left her with a spinal fracture. The now 20-year-old has since recovered and is going to take part in her second 24 hours of Le Mans race. She will be racing for the Richard Mille Racing Team alongside Tatiana Calderon and Bectske Visser. Calderon is a test driver for Alfa Romeo Formula One team.
Juan Pablo Montoya
A name well known worldwide. Montoya is now 45-year-old but is still going strong a full 15 years after his final Formula 1 race for McLaren. He will be racing for DragonSpeed US for the second consecutive year. He’s in a team alongside Henrik Hedman and Ben Hanley.
Paul Di Resta
An ex-Formula 1 driver who is perhaps better known for his punditry on Sky Sports these days. Di Resta continues to keep himself busy on the circuit as he races for United Autosports alongside Alex Lynn and Wayne Boyd in the LMP2 class.
Anthony Davidson
Davidson might be good friends with Di Resta in the F1 paddock, but they are racing against each other this weekend. Davidson sits second in the Endurance Trophy for the LMP2 drivers championship, six places higher than Di Resta. He will be driving for Jota alongside Antonio Felix Da Costa and Roberto Gonzalez in the LMP2 class.
Nyck De Vries
Fresh from his Formula E World Championship victory, the Dutchman jumps straight back into a race car for Le Mans 2021. De Vries remains one of the reserve drivers for the Mercedes F1 team and has been linked to a seat at Williams for the 2022 season. But for now, his attention is on the 24-hour race in France as he competes for G-Drive Racing alongside Roman Rusinov and Franco Colapinto in the LMP2 class.
Stoffel Vandoorne
From one Mercedes Formula E driver to another, Vandoorne will also be racing in Le Mans 2021. The former McLaren driver will be racing for Jota alongside Sean Gelael and Tom Blomqvist in the LMP2 class.
Robert Kubica
Kubica has completed a few practice sessions during the 2021 Formula 1 season and he’s one of our drivers to watch in Le Mans. He is driving for Team WRT alongside Louis Delétraz and Yifei Ye in the LMP2 class.
The Magnussen family
Former Formula 1 driver Jan Magnussen is a bit of a legend when it comes to the 24 hours of Le Mans. The Danish driver has raced in all editions of the event since 1999 including class wins in 2004, 05, 06 and 09. But this year it’s a little different for Jan. His oldest son Kevin Magnussen left F1 at the end of the 2020 season and can therefore join him this season in France. Anders Fjordbach is the third driver for High Class Racing.
Giancarlo Fisichella
Another classic F1 driver. Fisichella started 229 Grands Prix and won three races. In Le Mans 2021, he will be driving for AF Corse alongside Thomas Flohr and Francesco Castellacci in the LMGTE Am class.
Callum Illot
The British driver is gunning for a spot in F1 next season, but for now his attention is on the endurance championship. He is driving for Iron Lynx this weekend, alongside Matteo Cressoni and Rino Mastronardi.