The 94th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours will take place this weekend, with 62 cars and 186 drivers set to race at the Circuit de la Sarthe.<\/p>\n
There will be some familiar faces racing in France this weekend, with no less than 16 ex-Formula 1 drivers set to get behind the wheel of prototype and GT machinery.<\/p>\n
Who are these drivers and what did they achieve during their F1 careers?<\/p>\n
Kamui Kobayashi<\/p>\n
Le Mans entry: #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid<\/p>\n
Kamui Kobayashi took part in 75 Grands Prix during his F1 career, which began with Toyota before three seasons at BMW Sauber and eventually Caterham between 2009 and 2014.<\/p>\n
The Japanese driver achieved a best result of third in front of his home fans at Suzuka in 2012, and moved into the World Endurance Championship post-F1 with Toyota. He won the 2021 Le Mans 24 Hours and has finished runner-up five times at the French endurance race.<\/p>\n
Nyck de Vries<\/p>\n
Le Mans entry: #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid<\/p>\n
A one-off appearance for Williams<\/a> at the 2022 Italian Grand Prix in place of Alex Albon<\/a> gave Nyck de Vries the chance to show his capabilities, with the 2019 Formula 2 champion finishing ninth.<\/p>\n It was enough to gain the attention of the Red Bull<\/a> junior team \u2013 then named AlphaTauri \u2013 and the Dutchman was signed for the 2023 season. But failing to reach the points in 10 races meant he was dropped, and a move to sports cars beckoned, the highlight so far being runner-up at the 2024 Le Mans with Toyota.<\/p>\n Sebastien Buemi<\/p>\n Le Mans entry: #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid<\/p>\n Three seasons with Toro Rosso between 2009-2011 were not enough to convince Red Bull’s hierarchy to promote Sebastien Buemi to the senior team, and so after 55 Grands Prix starts and a best result of P7, the Swiss driver found himself joining Toyota’s WEC programme.<\/p>\n Competing in his 15th season with the Japanese manufacturer this year, Buemi has taken four wins at the Le Mans 24 Hours and the same number of WEC titles during an illustrious sports car career.<\/p>\n Brendon Hartley<\/p>\n Le Mans entry #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid<\/p>\n Like many before him, Brendon Hartley was also cut adrift at Toro Rosso after just one full-time season with the team, which yielded a best result of P9.<\/p>\n The New Zealander found success in sports cars, first with Porsche where he won the 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours, before repeating the feat the following season having moved to Toyota. A third Le Mans success came in 2022, having also finished runner-up on three other occasions at La Sarthe.<\/p>\n Will Stevens<\/p>\n Le Mans entry: #12 Cadillac V-Series.R<\/p>\n A one-off appearance for Caterham in 2014 before a full season with Manor in 2015 meant Will Stevens was consigned to the back of the field for his F1 career, but the Briton has found himself towards the front in the Hypercar class.<\/p>\n He has secured two outright wins during previous WEC seasons aboard Porsche and Cadillac machinery, and is a two-time Le Mans class winner across GTE and LMP2.<\/p>\n Kevin Magnussen<\/p>\n Le Mans entry: #15 BMW M Hybrid V8<\/p>\n A total of 185 Grands Prix starts yielded just one podium for Kevin Magnussen, somewhat ironically on debut for McLaren<\/a> at the 2014 Australian Grand Prix before spells at Renault and Haas<\/a>.<\/p>\n Having called time on his F1 career at the end of 2024, K-Mag moved into sports cars full-time with BMW’s Hypercar project. The Dane previously raced at Le Mans in 2021 alongside his father and ex-F1 driver, Jan, aboard an LMP2 prototype and completed a full season in IMSA the same year with Cadillac during a break from F1.<\/p>\n Andre Lotterer<\/p>\n Le Mans entry: #17 Genesis GMR-001<\/p>\n A three-time winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours with Audi, Andre Lotterer first made his debut at the French endurance race in 2009 and returns this year with the new-for-2026 Genesis project.<\/p>\n The German has also proven adept behind the wheel of single-seater machinery, winning Japan’s Super Formula series in 2011 and finishing runner-up four times, as well as making a one-off appearance in F1 at the 2014 Belgium Grand Prix with Caterham.<\/p>\n Sebastien Bourdais<\/p>\n Le Mans entry: #38 Cadillac V-Series.R<\/p>\n Arriving in F1 as a four-time American Champ Car champion, Sebastien Bourdais spent just one-and-a-half seasons in the championship having only achieved a best result of P7 for Toro Rosso.<\/p>\n But even prior to his arrival in F1, Bourdais had made a name for himself in sports cars, finishing runner-up three-times at the Le Mans 24 Hours with Peugeot in 2007, 2009 and 2011 and has since joined Cadillac’s efforts.<\/p>\n Jack Aitken<\/p>\n Le Mans entry: #38 Cadillac V-Series.R<\/p>\n With Lewis Hamilton<\/a> struck down by COVID-19 for the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix and regular Williams driver George Russell<\/a> standing in at Mercedes, Jack Aitken was given his chance to compete in F1.<\/p>\n A P16 finish after a spin proved to be the only race in F1 for the Briton, forcing him to focus on a career in sports cars. Driving for Cadillac since 2023, Aitken currently leads IMSA’s GTP standings but has yet to finish inside the top-10 outright at Le Mans.<\/p>\n Antonio Giovinazzi<\/p>\n Le Mans entry: #51 Ferrari 499P<\/p>\n Three full seasons with Alfa Romeo yielded a best result of P5 for Antonio Giovinazzi, but after 62 Grand Prix starts the Italian was left to take a Ferrari<\/a> test driver role.<\/p>\n This soon morphed into a full-time race seat, though, as the Scuderia returned to the top-tier of endurance racing in the Hypercar class. The project quickly bore fruit, as Giovinazzi helped claim Ferrari’s first outright victory at Le Mans for nearly 60 years in 2023 before he won the World Endurance Championship last season.<\/p>\n Robert Kubica<\/p>\n Le Mans entry: #83 AF Corse 499P<\/p>\n With a Ferrari contract in his pocket for the 2012 season, Robert Kubica’s F1 career was horrifically cut short in a pre-season rally crash that nearly severed the Pole’s right arm in 2011. After years of rehabilitation, Kubica made a remarkable return for Williams in 2019, scoring the team’s only point during a season where the car was drastically off the pace.<\/p>\n Two further one-off outings for Alfa Romeo brought what was once a promising F1 career to an end with just a single victory. But in a full circle moment, Kubica finally joined Ferrari for the Scuderia’s Hypercar programme in 2024 before winning the Le Mans 24 Hours last year.<\/p>\n Paul di Resta<\/p>\n Le Mans entry: #93 Peugeot 9X8<\/p>\n Three seasons with Force India between 2011-2013 yielded consistent points finishes and a best result of P4, but apart from a further one-off outing for Williams in the 2017 Hungarian Grand Prix, Paul di Resta called time on his F1 career.<\/p>\n The former DTM champion focused on LMP2 with Zak Brown’s United Autosports outfit which included a 2020 class win at Le Mans, before a switch to Peugeot as the French manufacturer joined the Hyperclass in 2022.<\/p>\n Stoffel Vandoorne<\/p>\n Le Mans entry: #93 Peugeot 9X8<\/p>\n Stoffel Vandoorne’s career in F1 with McLaren coincided with a barren run for the Woking-based team, meaning that the Belgian driver only achieved a best result of P7 in two full seasons between 2017-2018 before being dropped.<\/p>\n Finding a new lease of life in sports cars, Vandoorne joined Peugeot’s Hypercar project as the French manufacturer returned to the top class at Le Mans in 2023, having previously achieved an outright podium in 2019 with SMP Racing’s LMP1 outfit.<\/p>\n Jack Doohan<\/p>\n Le Mans entry: #24 Nielsen Racing Oreca 07<\/p>\n Jack Doohan’s F1 career was over before it almost even began as the Australian was dropped by Alpine<\/a> after just seven races behind the wheel.<\/p>\n Despite initially looking at a season in Super Formula and being a Haas reserve driver, Doohan has focused his sights on endurance racing and will make his debut at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours in the LMP2 class with Nielsen Racing.<\/p>\n Pietro Fittipaldi<\/p>\n Le Mans entry: #26 Vector Sport Oreca 07<\/p>\n