History Repeating: A New Golden Age for Le Mans Shines Brighter Than Ever
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world’s most famous sports car race, and since its inaugural edition in 1923, the legendary event has seen fluctuating levels of manufacturer competition. Today, however, we are witnessing an unprecedented resurgence, as three iconic marques—each with a rich legacy of success—are set to join the already stacked grid of Alpine, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Peugeot, Porsche, and Toyota in the battle for overall victory.
Aston Martin will debut its radical Valkyrie hypercar this year, while Genesis—the luxury division of Hyundai—will enter the fray in 2026, embarking on a new motorsport chapter. Meanwhile, Ford recently announced a factory-backed return in 2027, and insiders suggest that McLaren is preparing to follow suit. A joint McLaren-Ford entry, reminiscent of their final Formula 1 season together in 1993 with Ayrton Senna, was initially explored but ultimately abandoned. However, McLaren’s announcement of a long-awaited return could be perfectly timed for the 30th anniversary of its stunning 1995 Le Mans victory. Watch this space!
Aston Martin: A Lone Overall Victory, But a Storied Le Mans History
Aston Martin returns to Le Mans with unfinished business. The British marque’s only overall win came in 1959, when Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori piloted a DBR1/300 to victory in a grueling race of attrition. Shelby, battling dysentery and carrying a nitroglycerin capsule under his tongue for heart issues, and Salvadori, who drove for 14 hours despite suffering from the flu, emerged victorious ahead of the sister Aston Martin of Maurice Trintignant and Paul Frère. Ferrari finished third, while Porsche endured its worst-ever showing, with all its cars failing to finish.
Aston Martin first entered Le Mans in 1928, running nearly every edition until it shifted focus to a less-than-successful Formula 1 campaign. However, it found further glory in GT racing, winning the GT1 class in 2007 and 2008 with the DBR9, famously defeating Corvette in fierce head-to-head battles. The brand's most thrilling modern Le Mans moment came in 2017, when its Vantage GTE snatched victory from a faltering Corvette C7.R in the race’s dying minutes.
Now, in 2025, Aston Martin steps back into the top class with the V12-powered Valkyrie—a road-going hypercar developed in collaboration with Formula 1 aerodynamicist genius Adrian Newey. Among its fiercest rivals? Ferrari, winners of the past two Le Mans editions with the 499P hypercar, and Porsche, the reigning World Endurance champions with a factory-backed effort led by motorsport legend Roger Penske.
Ford: Iconic GT40 Dominance and a Triumphant Return
Ford’s Le Mans legacy was immortalized in the 2019 film Ford v Ferrari, which dramatized Henry Ford II’s personal vendetta against Enzo Ferrari after a failed acquisition deal. Determined to exact revenge, Ford assembled an all-star team led by Carroll Shelby (yes, the ’59 winner with Aston, who was now focused on running the cars) and star driver Ken Miles, and together they steered the GT40 into a race-winning machine. In 1966, Ford famously secured a 1-2-3 sweep, though a controversial staged finish saw Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon take the victory over the Miles/Denny Hulme entry. Tragically, Miles was killed testing the car’s successor (The ‘J-Car’ which became the GT40 MkIV) but his legacy was assured.
The GT40’s dominance continued, with Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt winning in 1967—an event best remembered for Gurney’s spontaneous invention of the champagne-spraying podium celebration. The Gulf-liveried GT40 of Pedro Rodríguez and Lucien Bianchi triumphed in 1968, followed by Jacky Ickx’s legendary 1969 victory, where he deliberately walked to his car at the start in protest of the traditional sprint start, only to deliver a masterclass in racecraft by winning the race by a mere 120 meters.
Ford returned to Le Mans in 2016, celebrating the 50th anniversary of its historic first victory by winning the GTE-Pro class with the modern GT, in a program managed by Chip Ganassi Racing.
McLaren: The Shock 1995 Victory That Defined Its Hypercar Legacy
This June is McLaren’s 30th anniversary of its jaw-dropping victory in 1995, when its F1 GTR won on debut in dramatic fashion. In tasting a sweet victory the Woking-based brand, which was better-known for its Formula 1 success, scored four of the top five positions, with only the second-placed Courage C34 prototype, that included racing legends Mario Andretti and Bob Wollek, putting up a fight.
The destiny of the race win was transformed in the closing stages, as the race-leading Harrods McLaren, run by David Price, suffered gear selection problems. This writer just happened to be in pits with two hours to go when Wallace alighted and handed over to Derek Bell, and I only realized something was amiss when he insisted on briefing Bell at length before Derek climbed in, delaying the car’s departure.
When it was eventually released, instinct told me to tail Andy into the garage (a journalist’s life was far easier in those days!) where he exclaimed to Price “It’s f*cked, Dave! The gearbox is completely f*cked! I’ve told Derek to leave it in sixth”. This led to a lot more swearing from Price, with whom I developed a warm friendship in years to come but, on that day, I was one of many in the vicinity who was told in no uncertain terms where to go, as he vented the frustration of losing a Le Mans victory in such cruel circumstances.
That handed victory to the Lanzante-run Kokusai Kaihatsu Racing team’s lineup of JJ Lehto (who starred in wet conditions in the night), Yannick Dalmas & Masanori Sekiya. That team had solved the McLaren’s delicate gear linkage issue, which affected many of its entries, by repeatedly spraying it with WD40 at each pitstop. That helped it to win by a lap.
While that remains McLaren’s sole success at Le Mans, its modern-day road cars, like the P1 and recently-launched W1, take huge inspiration from the endurance racing heritage established by the F1 GTR.
The Future of Le Mans’ Golden Era
Success at Le Mans cements a manufacturer’s place in motorsport history and leaves a lasting imprint on its brand identity. The race’s influence extends beyond the track, shaping the development of the world’s most celebrated hypercars. No wonder that so many marques are signing up for this current golden age of sports car racing.
