First held in 1923, the Le Mans 24 Hours is regarded as the world's most famous endurance race, and forms part of motorsport's triple crown alongside the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500.
The blue riband event of the WEC, Le Mans this year returns to its traditional June date slot after the previous two editions were postponed to September and August amid the coronavirus pandemic and will be staged in front of the usual packed grandstands at the Circuit de la Sarthe after attendances were capped in 2021.
Here’s what you need to know and how you can watch the event.
The outright contenders
The third round of the 2022 WEC will be worth double points, which could offer Toyota a reprieve after a patchy opening to its Hypercar class title defence. An accident for defending champion Jose Maria Lopez's #7 GR010 HYBRID in the Sebring season-opener, and a hybrid fault on the sister #8 car last time out at Spa, means both of its crews have registered a retirement and trail championship leader Alpine in the points by 30 and 32 points respectively.
The factory Toyota Gazoo Racing team is seeking a fifth consecutive victory in the event, which would equal the run of wins notched by Audi Sport Team Joest between 2010 and 2014.
It will face off against the Sebring 1000 winning-Alpine and two entries from American boutique sportscar manufacturer Glickenhaus in a five-car Hypercar field that is unchanged from last year.
But changes to the technical rules and Balance of Performance means that eventuality is no guarantee, with Toyota unable to deploy its hybrid drive from the front wheels until it reaches 190km/h, having been able to do so at 120km/h last year.
PLUS: Why a fifth Toyota win at Le Mans is far from a certainty in 2022
The Podium Advanced Technologies-run Glickenhaus cars, fresh from taking a maiden WEC pole last time out at Spa, can count on technical support from Joest while the Alpine is run by the Signatech squad that is no stranger to Le Mans success either, having won the LMP2 class three times.
Peugeot has built a Le Mans Hypercar, but its 9X8 will not race at Le Mans and instead make its debut at the Monza WEC round ahead of a full Le Mans debut next year.
PLUS: Why Peugeot couldn't afford to take a Le Mans gamble in 2022
The other classes
There is plenty more to watch out for in the three other categories that make up the remaining 57 machines in the 62-car field.
The largest single car class, LMP2, features 27 entries of which all but one are ORECAs. All cars must have at least one Silver-graded driver in their line-up, with the exception of the 10 cars entered in the LMP2 pro/am sub-class for crews that must feature a Bronze amateur.
Eight-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Ogier will be making his Le Mans debut at Richard Mille Racing, while fellow rookie Josh Pierson will become the youngest-ever Le Mans starter when the 16-year-old straps into his United Autosports machine.
Seven ex-Formula 1 drivers are among the LMP2 field, including two-time IMSA champion Felipe Nasr at storied American squad Penske, which is using this year's race to prepare for its return running Porsche's LMDh outfit in 2023, and Robert Kubica at Prema - the Italian single-seater powerhouse hoping that the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix winner can make up for the disappointment of losing victory on the final lap last year.
PLUS: How an Italian junior formula giant is readying for its Le Mans future
Another well-qualified rookie is two-time Australian Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen, who is driving the sole privateer entry in the GTE Pro class as Ferrari seeks to defend its hard-earned win from 2021 against Porsche and Corvette.
Van Gisbergen will hope that his Riley-entered Ferrari will allow him to contend as Ferrari and Porsche seek to bow out in style with the automotive giants shifting their focus to the Hypercar class next year.
Finally, there's a 23-car field in the GTE Am class for GT cars featuring a bronze. Hollywood actor Michael Fassbender makes his debut at Le Mans this year, while three-time grand prix winner Giancarlo Fisichella, Formula E ace Nick Cassidy and two-time Daytona 24 Hours victor Renger van der Zande are among the other well-known names in the division.
PLUS: The British rookies targeting a good first impression at Le Mans
Full 2022 Le Mans 24 Hours session timings
Wednesday 8 June 2922
Free Practice 1: 1:00pm-4:00pm BST (2:00pm-5:00pm local)
Qualifying: 6:00pm-7:00pm BST (7:00pm-8:00pm local)
Free Practice 2: 9:00pm-11:00pm BST (10:00pm-12:00pm local)
Thursday 9 June 2022
Free practice 3: 2:00pm-5:00pm BST – (3:00pm-6:00pm local)
Hyperpole: 7:00pm-7:30pm BST (8:00pm-8:30pm local)
Free practice 4: 9:00pm-11:00pm BST (10:00pm-12:00pm local)
Saturday 11 June 2022
Warm up: 9:30am-9:45pm BST (10:30am-10:45pm local)
Race Start: 3:00pm BST (4:00pm local)
Sunday 12 June 2022
Race Finish: 3:00pm BST (4:00pm local)
How can I watch Le Mans?
The Le Mans 24 Hours can be viewed on Eurosport and streaming service discovery+, which costs £6.99 per month or £59.99 annually. It will also be available via Amazon Prime.
Fans can also download the official WEC App, which provides fans with English-language commentary of all sessions, as well as access to live timing and highlights. Within the app, a Le Mans race pack costs £8.99, with a full season pack costing £23.99, which allows users to watch the live feed and access exclusive onboard camera footage on five devices. For more information, click here.
Autosport journalists will be providing live text coverage throughout the race, with a dedicated live blog on Autosport.com.
Live TV times (all BST)
Practice and qualifying sessions: Eurosport 2, Wednesday 12:45pm, 5:45pm and 9:00pm; Thursday 1:45pm and 8:45pm
Hyperpole qualifying: Eurosport 2, Thursday 6:45pm
Warm-up: Eurosport 1, Saturday 9:15am
Race: Eurosport 1, Saturday 2:00pm
Highlights will be available via Motorsport.TV, which will produce in-race hourly updates and release a 52-minute package on Monday after the race.
Weather forecast for the Le Mans 24 Hours
The Le Mans 24 Hours is set to be held in warm and sunny conditions, with a low chance of rain forecast for the event. Highs of 26 degrees Celsius are predicted on Saturday, although heavy rain is forecast on Tuesday.
Most Le Mans 24 Hours wins
Tom Kristensen: 9 wins (1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2013)
Jacky Ickx: 6 wins (1969, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1982)
Derek Bell: 5 wins (1975, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1987)
Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro: 5 wins (2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007)
Yannick Dalmas: 4 wins (1992, 1994, 1995, 1999)
Olivier Gendebien: 4 wins (1958, 1960, 1961, 1962)
Henri Pescarolo: 4 wins (1972, 1973, 1974, 1984)
