• 800 competing cars, 900 drivers, 9,200 club vehicles
  
• 235,000 spectators: numbers that consolidate the Le Mans Classic’s position as the world’s largest classic car event.
  
• Races kicked off by two Richard Mille partners: Rafael Nadal and Didier Drogba.
  
• Presentation of the RM 72-01 Le Mans Classic watch dedicated to the 2023 event.

In a year devoted to celebrating the centenary of the Le Mans 24-hour race, this year’s Le Mans Classic embodied a passion for vintage motorsports like never before. The entire weekend dedicated to this 11^th edition treated spectators to the visual and acoustic thrills of unique engines. 235,000 people – a record number – watched the sparring matches between vintage speedsters divided into six categories according to their age.

Many other races supplemented the programme, offering an opportunity for some legendary Group C cars to relive their former glory and for Porches to battle it out amongst themselves like in the heyday of endurance racing. The enthusiasm aroused by this historic year was also demonstrated by the presence of around 70 Bentleys on the track. The sight of these venerable British cars lined up in position along the pit straight before making an old-school ‘Le Mans style’ start was one of the highlights of this year’s event, as was the display of Lola T70s and Ford GT40s that reigned supreme in their category.

What other event enables you to admire true legends like the Porsche 917, the Ferrari 250 LM or the Alpine A442 in action all at the same time and place, alongside curiosities such as the aptly named 1950 Cadillac Monster, the 1968 Howmet powered by a helicopter turbine or the 1976 Ford Gran Torino straight from Nascar? While a few showers occasionally spiced up the competition on the track, the heavens were kind enough to allow the event’s sporting and spectator success to unfold unhampered after tennis icon Rafael Nadal, accompanied by football legend Didier Drogba – both friends of Richard Mille – kicked off proceedings.

A faithful partner of the Le Mans Classic since it began in 2002, Richard Mille was keen to pay tribute to this wonderful event by revealing a particularly spectacular model this year adorned in the colours of this historical event.

Released as a limited edition of just 150 timepieces, this new RM 72-01 Le Mans Classic boasts a sporty look. Fashioned in green and white Quartz TPT®, the watch showcases a dial with multiple indicators.

Visible through the transparent case back, its self-winding skeleton movement notably includes a flyback chronograph function, a first for an in-house calibre which stands out for its patented coupling system featuring two oscillating pinions and offering optimal performance.

Highlighted in red, the number 16 on the hour counter is, of course, a nod to the traditional start time of the legendary Le Mans race.

Spectators will have to wait another two years before witnessing the start of the next Le Mans Classic, which has become the world’s largest gathering of vintage cars and an unmissable event in the classic car racing calendar. See you there in 2025!

After 24 hours of racing and three races for each of the six grids, we know the winners of this 2023 edition of Le Mans Classic. More than 800 racing cars competed. As spectacular on the track as in the Village, Le Mans Classic attracted more than 235,000 spectators (200,850 in 2022).

This 11^th edition of Le Mans Classic also set records, which speak volumes about the popularity of this event, appreciated by drivers, spectators and exhibitors alike. The 235,000 spectators witnessed a legendary event, with 24 races on the programme and 900 drivers ready to do battle on the Le Mans circuit. It was also a great success in the Village, with 150 exhibitors and 9,200 club cars from all over Europe taking part in this unique event! After this celebration of the centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the date is set for 26-30 June 2025 for the 12^th edition.

Until then, here are the detailed results for the weekend, including the overall team standings which determine the overall winner of Le Mans Classic, the index of performance standings and the rankings for grids 1 to 6.

With a combined 144 laps covered, Team #20 came out on top in the overall standings, having achieved the biggest distance by aggregating the performance of the cars from the six grids.

• Grid 1: François FABRI / Timothy DUTTON - 21 laps - Bugatti T44 1928 G in 2h25’42’’396
  
• Grid 2: Michel VERLIEFDEN - 22 laps - Aston Martin DB2 Sports Saloon Coupé 1951 in 2h26’14’’218
  
• Grid 3: Christian DUMOLIN / Pierre-Alain THIBAULT - 24 laps - Ferrari 250 GT SWB 1962 in 2h19’52’’626
  
• Grid 4: Christian DUMOLIN / Pierre-Alain THIBAULT - 23 laps - Shelby Mustang GT350 1965 in 2h18’24’’729
  
• Grid 5: Jamie CONSTABLE - 25 laps - Chevron B19 1971 in 2h16’37’’750
  
• Grid 6: Nicolas D’IETEREN / Pierre LALMAND - 29 laps - Porsche 935 K3 1979 in 2h22’43’’425

Index of Performance rewards the car having covered the greatest distance depending on the type of car (Prototype, GT, GTS, etc.), its engine capacity and the age of the car. With a time of 14:14’36.843, the #37 team won this classification.

• Grid 1: Leigh SEBBA / Peter COLE - Morgan 4/4: 1:05’53.038
  
• Grid 2: Tazio OTTIS / Ace ROBEY - Ferrari 750 Monza 1955: 1:57’37.247
  
• Grid 3: David GRAUS / Martin STRETTON / Ivan VERCOUTERE - Osca 1600 GT Zagato 1961: 2:34’50.479
  
• Grid 4: David DANGLARD - Porsche 911 2,0L 1965: 2:20’40.248
  
• Grid 5: Dave HAGAN - Porsche 910 1967: 3:08’54.533
  
• Grid 6: Roger TOWNSHEND - Ford Capri RS 2600 1972: 3:06’41.296

Grid 1
The first heat was dominated by Gareth BURNETT and Michael BIRCH in their Talbot AV105 1937 #2. The two drivers never let a win go to the opposition, taking first place in all three races. A unique performance for this 2023 edition of Le Mans Classic. Each race was won by a gap of more than 20 seconds. In the first race on Saturday, it was Albert OTTEN’s #54 1939 BMW 328 Roadster that finished in second place, but it was the #15 1934 Talbot AV105 shared by Max SOWERBY, Daniel BALFOUR and Gareth BURNETT that regained that position on Sunday night and again in the morning. This last race was animated at the start by a nice battle between this Talbot AV105 1934 #15 and the Aston Martin Speed Model 1939 #40 of Stephen SKIPWORTH and James DEAN. A pass through the second chicane at Mulsanne straight was particularly impressive, with crossed paths and drivers very close to each other, but never touching!

General standings Grid 1

1. Gareth BURNETT / Michael BIRCH - Talbot AV105 1937 #2
   
2. Max OWERBY / Daniel BALFOUR / Gareth BURNETT - Talbot AV105 1934 #15
   
3. Albert OTTEN - BMW 328 Roadster 1939 #54

Grid 2
Comprising cars that took part in the Le Mans 24 Hours between 1949 and 1956, the second grid saw a great battle between British manufacturers, with Jaguar, Cooper and Aston Martin all taking part. It was a Jaguar that emerged victorious! The #16 1954 D-Type of Niklas and Lukas HALUSA was the most consistent, with victory in the first race, a well-controlled second place overnight, and a hard-fought final victory on Sunday. The two HALUSA brothers won ahead of the 1955 Cooper T38 #2 of Frederic WAKEMAN and Patrick BLAKENEY-EDWARDS by a margin of 130 milliseconds over the line on Sunday lunchtime! It was an exciting battle between the two cars, with the leadership being exchanged several times. The two cars were never more than ten meters apart, and the drivers even played the slipstream game on the Mulsanne straight. A joint effort to find the limit that allowed them to reach a top speed of over 240 km/h and cover the 13.626 kilometers of the circuit in just over five minutes.

General standings Grid 2

1. Niklas HALUSA / LukasHALUSA - Jaguar Type D 1954 #16
   
2. Frederic WAKEMAN / Patrick BLAKENEY-EDWARDS - Cooper T38 1955 #2
   
3. Richard WILSON / Richard BRADLEY - Maserati 250S 1958 #5

Grid 3
At the Le Mans 24 Hours, the late 50s (which this grid 3 features) saw a rivalry between Ferrari and Jaguar. As a tribute to history, this duel returned to the track. Andy Wallace used all his driving skills to win the first two races. Wallace, who has taken part in 21 races - including a win on his debut in 1988 in a Jaguar XJR-9 LM - was almost faultless in the #49 1957 Jaguar D-Type. He was defeated by several Ferrari 250 GT SWBs and, in particular, the #65 1959 Lister Jaguar Costin in the final race. It was Emanuele Pirro, five-time winner at Le Mans, who faced him and won the final race. The only 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Breadvan, with its remarkable design by Giotto Bizzarrini, was also on show. The car, which was involved in an accident during the 2022 edition, was in the hands of Lukas HALUSA and Alexander AMES and continues to attract a great amount of curiosity.

General standings Grid 3

1. Andrew WALLACE - Jaguar Type D 1957 #49
   
2. Harrison NEWEY / Joe MACARI / Christian HORE - Ferrari 250 GT SWB 1961 #42
   
3. Remo LIPS - Ferrari 250 GT SWB 1961 #26

Grid 4
Built for high speeds and engineered to be responsive in all conditions, the Ford GT40 dominated endurance racing at the end of the 1960s, winning four Le Mans races in a row between 1966 and 1969. 14 GT40s were registered for grid 4, with no fewer than 10 models occupying the first five rows. Victory looked set to go to a GT40, and it did in all three races. Diogo FERRAO was the most consistent, winning two heats in the #74 1965 GT40. He only let the first race go to Christian GLÄSEL and Seb PEREZ, also in a 1965 GT40. It was not just the driving that made the difference between the GT40s. As demonstrated in the final race, the #1, shared by James FARLEY and Eric VAN DE POELE, was in the lead and looked set for its first win of the weekend. But the left-hand door opened at high speed and the driver was powerless to close it, forcing him back into the pits. The 1965 GT40 finished 12th!

General standings Grid 4

1. Diogo FERRAO - Ford GT40 1965 #74
   
2. Emile BREITTMAYER - Ford GT40 1965 #38
   
3. Shaun LYNN - Ford GT40 1965 #2

Grid 5
A distinctive car of the late 60s and early 70s, the Lola T70 won at Daytona and Watkins Glen but never managed to shine in the Le Mans 24 Hours. In grid 5, this model was well represented and was once again the benchmark... with three victories in three races! As in previous editions of Le Mans Classic, where T70s have often been seen at the front of the field, the 1968 Mk.3B #18 of Steve BROOKS and the 1969 Mk.3Bs #63 (David and Olivier HART) and #64 (Oliver BRYANT) were among the leading contenders. It was the #63 that stood out the most with two victories, and sufficient gaps to win the overall classification. The domination of the T70s should not overshadow the wide range of entries on Grid 5. The 1965 Ford GT40 #65 of Hans HUGENHOLTZ and Emanuele PIRRO finished a fine fourth in the first race, while Mr John of B and Soheil AYARI finished third in the 1971 Ligier JS3 #24. Finally, the #57 1971 Chevron B19 of NELSON and Christian VAGLIO-GIORS finished sixth in the final race.

General standings Grid 5

1. David HART / Olivier HART - Lola T70 Mk.3B 1969 #63
   
2. Steve BROOKS - Lola T70 Mk.3B 1968 #18
   
3. Christophe GADAIS - Lola T70 Mk.3 1968 #71

Grid 6
As was the case with the Ford GT40s on Grid 4, it was the Lolas that seemed to be unbeatable before the start of this series of races dedicated to cars from the 1972-1981 period. Five Lola types T286, T292 or T298 took the first six places on the starting grid. The first race was a true recital, with Maxime GUENAT’s #50 1976 Lola T286 leading a quadruple. But in the early hours of the morning, the order was shaken up: Yves SCEMAMA won in the #17 1976 TOJ SC304, with a comfortable lead built up over the 40 minutes of the race. At the very last start, the pressure was on. Could he keep his momentum going in front of the Lolas? Yes! Yves SCEMAMA, at the wheel of the TOJ in its signature gold livery, was on the verge of another success. But a technical problem forced him to slow down... He then dropped down the rankings, leaving the lead to Maxime GUENAT, who had already won on Saturday.

General standings Grid 6

1. Maxime GUENAT - Lola T286 1976 #50
   
2. Nicolas MINASSIAN - Lola T298 1979 #68
   
3. Henry FLETCHER - Chevron B26 1976 #18

Half of the cars entered on these six grids ran on synthetic fuel, in partnership with Aramo. Le Mans Classic is in line with the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where all the latest technological developments in motor racing are tested. This initiative by Peter Auto and Aramco significantly reduces the carbon impact of on-track activities and contributes to making progress in the world of historic competition.

The 40-minute Endurance Racing Legends race was the very first to be held on Saturday. To open the race, the competitors were greeted by unpredictable weather, with rain pouring down for the first few laps. Emmanuel COLLARD (Pescarolo C60 2006 #23) retained his pole position ahead of François PERRODO (Toyota GT-One 1999 #1). The two drivers know each other well, having competed in several editions of the Le Mans 24 Hours together (from 2013 to 2017 and again in 2020). Never very far from one another, the two drivers never exchanged positions. The same was true for the very last 30-minute sprint race on Sunday. In the Pescarolo prototype, Emmanuel COLLARD once again managed to keep François PERRODO within a hair’s breadth. In the two races on this grid dedicated to GTs and prototypes from the 90s and 2000s, it was the Dutch duo of Olivier and David HART in the #34 2005 Courage C60 that finished third.

Race 1

1. Emmanuel COLLARD - Pescarolo C60 2006 #23
   
2. François PERRODO - Toyota GT-One 1999 #1
   
3. Olivier HART / David HART - Courage C60 2005 #34

Race 2 (Sprint)

1. Emmanuel COLLARD - Pescarolo C60 2006 #23
   
2. François PERRODO - Toyota GT-One 1999 #1
   
3. Olivier HART / David HART - Courage C60 2005 #34

Group C Racing
The Group C Racing cars once again provided a spectacular show on track. Emblematic of the endurance racing of the 80s and early 90s, the prototypes raced through the Mulsanne straight at more than 300 kph (the #16 1989 Porsche 962 C even clocked a top speed of 330.1 kph). For the first time at Le Mans Classic, two races were held. The longer, a 40- minute race, was won by Erik Maris in the 1992 Peugeot 905 Evo 1 Bis #3. He was ahead of David and Olivier HART’s 1992 Lola T92/10 #4. This car was noticed for the sound of its highly recognisable Judd V10 taken from Formula 1. In Sunday’s sprint race, it was a Porsche that came out on top. The #7 1990 962 C of Ivan VERCOUTERE and Ralf KELLENERS in its Joest livery outclassed the #31 1990 Mercedes-Benz C11 of Kriton LENDOUDIS.

Race 1

1. Erik MARIS - Peugeot 905 Evo 1Bis 1992 #3
   
2. David HART / Olivier HART - Lola T92/10 1992 #4
   
3. Ivan VERCOUTERE / Ralf KELLENERS - Porsche 962 C 1990 #7

Race 2 (Sprint)

1. Ivan VERCOUTERE / Ralf KELLENERS - Porsche 962 C 1990 #7
   
2. Kriton LENDOUDIS - Mercedes-Benz C11 1990 #31
   
3. David HART / Olivier HART - Lola T92/10 1992 #4

Porsche Classic Race Le Mans
When the all-Porsche line-up got underway on Saturday, a battle between two 935s quickly began: Emmanuel BRIGAND (#46 1981 Porsche 935) and Carlos de QUESADA (#4 1979 Porsche 935 K3) fought it out until the latter made a mistake. He locked his 935 K3 at the Dunlop chicane and lost control, ending his race in the gravel.

Emmanuel BRIGAND also lost time during his pit stop and dropped to second place behind the #182 1977 935 of Dominique and Maxime GUENAT. His fightback was halted by a technical problem. Dominique and Maxime GUENAT finished ahead of the #63 1974 Porsche 911 RSR Turbo 2.1L of Guillaume DUMAREY and Philippe BRUNN. Johnny MOWLEM placed another iconic model from the German make on the third step of the podium, the #52 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.0.

1. Dominique GUENA / Maxime GUENAT - Porsche 935 1977 #182
   
2. Guillaume DUMAREY / Philippe BRUNN - Porsche 911 RSR Turbo 2,1L 1974 #63
   
3. Johnny MOWLEM - Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.0 1974 #52

Benjafield’s Racing Club
The unique grid, organised in conjunction with Benjafield’s Racing Club and featuring over 70 iconic Bentley models from the inter-war period, was won by Clive MORLEY in the #58 Bentley 41⁄2 Litre. After a Le Mans start, the competitors took to the track and Clive MORLEY took the early lead from pole position. At the wheel of the #44 Bentley Blower 1929, Martin OVERINGTON moved into the leading position but his mechanics betrayed him with less than two minutes to go. Clive MORLEY won the race in tribute to the British firm, which had won five Le Mans 24 Hours races between 1924 and 1930. Richard HUDSON’s 3/4.5-litre 1925 Bentley #39 was second, while Mick SLEEP, driving the 1926 Bentley Supersports #17, finished third.

1. Clive MORLEY - Bentley 4,5L 1926 #58
   
2. Nicholas SLEEP - Bentley Supersports 1926 #17
   
3. Carlos SIELECKI / Mathias SIELECKI - Bentley 3L Super Sport 1926 #9