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European Championship

Serbia

16 Jun 202412:00

England

Match preview

• Getty

  WHAT IVAN TONEY SAID

  He told talkSPORT: “I’m a Brentford player. I have a year left. Going into a major tournament, that is my main focus now. But after this, I’ll be going back to Brentford and I will be a Brentford player still. It’s nice to be linked with other clubs. But I’ve had this in the past. Nothing is done until it’s done. Like I said, I’m a Brentford player and I’m focused on doing well for Brentford for the upcoming season. That’s the main thing.”

  When pressed on if he was ready for a big move, he replied: “Obviously, if it was to come, I would be ready. But I’ve got to remain focused and not let other things and other noise get the best of me and just focus on what I need to do for my club.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  After serving his ban, Toney scored four goals in his first five Premier League games back – leading to reports Brentford had slapped an £80 million ($102m) price tag on his head. However, he failed to score in any of his last 12 matches for the Bees and, as a result, that asking price may have tumbled, particularly as his contract expires in 2025. One of the most in-demand strikers may not have as much interest ahead of the new season, although a strong Euros could change that.

• Getty Images

  WHAT NEXT?

  While speculation will continue to mount over Toney’s future, the former Peterborough United star will hope to feature regularly for England in the upcoming Euros – starting with their tournament opener against Serbia on Sunday.

Statistics, drivers’ comments, schedule

The Le Mans event marks the annual highlight on the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC calendar. The first running of the race was in 1923 to showcase automotive innovation, durability and performance. The only time the classic was not contested was in 1936 due to a general strike in France as well as during WWII and the reconstruction between 1940 and 1948. The famous 24 Hours of Le Mans will be contested at the Sarthe for the 92nd time this year.

In addition to the prospect of securing its 20th outright victory at Le Mans, Porsche celebrates a special anniversary: 50 Years of the Porsche Turbo. The turbocharged engines were developed in motorsport from 1971 and migrated into the road-going 911 just three years later. In 2024, the Porsche 963 hybrid prototype will also be powered by a bi-turbo engine. A classic example of the motorsport commitments from Stuttgart: Porsche advances innovations on the racetrack, subjects them to the toughest tests in fierce competition before they successfully flow into series production shortly afterwards.

Drivers’ comments ahead of the race

Mathieu Jaminet (Porsche 963 #4):
“The 24 Hours of Le Mans is without a doubt the most important race of the year. I’m not the only one who thinks this, all drivers feel the same. As a Frenchman, this is particularly true. Even on the test day, we local heroes noticed the special attention. It’s great to feel like stars for a week! After the race, however, it’s back to normal life very quickly.”

Michael Christensen (Porsche 963 #5): “It’s always incredibly difficult to gauge your chances before the start of the race. Nobody knows how the competition will stack up. We’ve already achieved some excellent results in this year’s FIA WEC and the IMSA series. The car’s great, the team is in top form and the drivers are fighting fit. Everything’s ready. We’ll do our best to be in the lead at the flag.”

Kévin Estre (Porsche 963 #6): “Judging from the way the WEC season has panned out so far, we’re heading into the highlight event with high expectations and great anticipation. As a first step, we want to perfect the setup then qualify well and advance into the Hyperpole. It’s the only time I’m competing at home in France and it’s the biggest event. It’ll be a memorable experience to drive in front of so many spectators again. I can hardly wait to get going on Saturday at 4 pm.”

Will Stevens (Porsche 963 #12): “It’s wonderful to be driving in Le Mans again. Our team has already achieved big successes on this racetrack in the LMP2 class. We’re very familiar with this race and its special features. We’ve learned a lot from the races so far this season and now we’re keen to implement this knowledge to the best of our ability and prepare ourselves perfectly for the big Le Mans challenge.”

Jenson Button (Porsche 963 #38): “I’ve contested Le Mans twice so far and this year I’m racing for a team with extremely high ambitions. I really like that. At the WEC race in Spa, we showed that we’re able to run at the front if everything goes right. That gave us a great deal of confidence. If we draw on all our experience, then there’s no doubt we have every opportunity to achieve something really big.”

Neel Jani (Porsche 963 #99): “We believe we have a good chance. It’s not that we’re dreaming of an overall win, but we might be good for a podium spot. That’s our goal. We still have some work to do on the setup and we still need to figure out our race strategy. We’ll implement all the insights we’ve gained over the past weeks and months to be as well prepared as possible in time for the start.”

Morris Schuring (Porsche 911 GT3 R #91): “This is my first Le Mans race. It’s quite funny looking at the numbers among our crew: My teammate Richard Lietz is competing for the 18th time and I’m only 19 years old. I’m the young rookie. I’m incredibly proud to be part of this team. We’re ready. If we do everything right, we’ll achieve something great – it’ll be a result that will make the Porsche family proud.”

Klaus Bachler (Porsche 911 GT3 R #92): “Given that the Le Mans circuit is not a dedicated racetrack, we expect the grip conditions to change a lot during the week compared to other tracks. We have the best team behind us! The goal is to win our class. We’ve spent months preparing for this challenge and we’ll do our utmost to make our big dream come true.”

Porsche’s unparalleled track record at Le Mans

In 1951, Porsche sent a delegation to the 24-hour race in Le Mans for the first time. With success: the two Frenchmen Auguste Veuillet and Edmond Mouche promptly clinched class victory at the wheel of the Porsche 365/4 SL Coupé. Since then, the Porsche brand has been represented on the grid of the world’s greatest endurance race every year. To date, a total of 855 Porsche racing cars have contested the classic. Thanks to 19 overall victories and 110 class wins so far, the sports car manufacturer from Stuttgart is by far the number one on the list of achievements of the organiser Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO).

24 Hours of Le Mans – Porsche’s outright victories

1970 – Herrmann (D) / Attwood (GB) – Porsche 917 KH
1971 – Marko (A) / Van Lennep (NL) – Porsche 917 KH
1976 – Ickx (B) / Van Lennep (NL) – Porsche 936
1977 – Ickx (B) / Haywood (USA) / Barth (D) – Porsche 936/77
1979 – Ludwig (D) / D. Whittington (USA) / B. Whittington (USA) – Porsche 935 K3
1981 – Ickx (B) / Bell (GB) – Porsche 936
1982 – Ickx (B) / Bell (GB) – Porsche 956
1983 – Schuppan (AUS) / Haywood (USA) / Holbert (USA) – Porsche 956
1984 – Pescarolo (F) / Ludwig (D) – Porsche 956
1985 – Barilla (I) / Ludwig (D) / Krages (D) – Porsche 956
1986 – Bell (GB) / Stuck (D) / Holbert (USA) – Porsche 962C
1987 – Bell (GB) / Stuck (D) / Holbert (USA) – Porsche 962C
1994 – Dalmas (F) / Haywood (USA) / Baldi (I) – Dauer Porsche 962 LM
1996 – Wurz (A) / Reuter (D) / Jones (USA) – TWR Porsche WSC-95
1997 – Kristensen (DK) / Alboreto (I) / Johansson (S) – TWR Porsche WSC-95
1998 – Aiello (F) / McNish (GB) / Ortelli (F) – Porsche 911 GT1
2015 – Bamber (NZ) / Tandy (GB) / Hülkenberg (D) – Porsche 919 Hybrid
2016 – Jani (CH) / Lieb (D) / Dumas (F) – Porsche 919 Hybrid
2017 – Bernhard (D) / Hartley (NZ) / Bamber (NZ) – Porsche 919 Hybrid

The schedule (all times CEST)

Thursday, 11 June
14:00 – 15:00 hrs: Autograph session (pit lane)
14:00 – 18:00 hrs: Pit walk
15:15 – 16:30 hrs: Pitstop Challenge

Wednesday, 12 June
14:00 – 17:00 hrs: Free practice 1
19:00 – 20:00 hrs: Qualifying
22:00 – midnight: Free practice 2

Thursday, 13 June
15:00 – 18:00 hrs: Free practice 3
20:00 – 20:30 hrs: Hyperpole
22:00 – 23:00 hrs: Free practice 4

Friday, 14 June
15:00 – 20:00 hrs: Track walk for fans
16:00 – 19:00 hrs: Drivers’ parade (city centre)

Saturday, 15 June
12:00 – 12:15 hrs: Warmup
16:00 hrs: Green light 24 Hours of Le Mans

Sunday, 16 June
16:00 hrs: Chequered flag 24 Hours of Le Mans

Preview

Porsche is keen to add to its illustrious record at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. At the 92nd edition of the world’s biggest endurance race, the three Porsche 963 racing cars fielded by the Porsche Penske Motorsport works team are targeting their 20th outright victory. For each lap completed by the three factory cars, Porsche will donate 750 euros towards the “Racing for Charity” initiative.

A total of 23 prototypes from nine different brands, including three customer Porsche 963 from Hertz Team Jota and Proton Competition, will pit themselves against each other in the top Hypercar class. In the new LMGT3 category, 23 vehicles from nine manufacturers will also battle for victory. Porsche is represented in this class by two 911 GT3 R entries from its Manthey partner team.

To increase the chances of clinching its 20^th overall win, Porsche Penske Motorsport again fields three Porsche 963 this year. The works cars can be differentiated by the colours of their wing mirrors, the Porsche lettering on the windshield and the rear fin. As usual, those parts of the two regular cars from the FIA WEC will be painted black (No. 5) and white (No. 6). The No. 4 vehicle will feature red accents on those areas. Top drivers from the Porsche works squad will crew the hybrid prototypes from Weissach. The odds in the fiercely contested Hypercar class also look promising for the three identical racing cars from the customer teams Hertz Team Jota and Proton Competition.

“There can only be one goal for Porsche at Le Mans – to win. We hold the record number of victories and we’re determined to add another triumph to our record. That puts big pressure on everyone involved. We’re by no means underestimating our rivals,” says Thomas Laudenbach, outlining the intention of the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer. The Vice President Porsche Motorsport adds: “The top Hypercar class is extremely competitive with a total of 23 prototypes from nine different manufacturers. That’s precisely what motivates us. We want to underline our expertise and technical skills in the world’s toughest race. That applies not only to our factory team but also to the strong customer teams with their Porsche 963. We’re also looking strong in the LMGT3 category. Manthey’s two 911 GT3 R will be well placed to fight for class victory.”

“Our preparations have gone very well – at the first races of the year on both sides of the Atlantic as well as at last Sunday’s test drives,” explains Urs Kuratle. The Director Factory Motorsport LMDh is excited about the highlight of the FIA WEC season: “It’s great to see how the suspense continues to build among everyone in the team. Everyone is working with total concentration. We’re united by one big goal: we want to bring home Porsche’s 20th overall victory. I’m curious to see how the competition evolves over the next few days.”

“We got off to a great start on the test day for this year’s Le Mans race,” states Jonathan Diuguid, in reference to the official pre-test last Sunday. Looking ahead to the race week, the Managing Director Porsche Penske Motorsport adds: “We expect similarly good conditions in practice, qualifying and on both race days. If this happens, then our insights from the test will have been very valuable. We’ll then need to focus on making further tweaks to the cars.”

“Racing for Charity”: Porsche donates towards helping ill children

The sports car manufacturer will donate 750 euros for each lap completed by the three works-run Porsche 963 racing vehicles. After the racing highlight of the year, the total amount will be donated to three non-profit organisations that, among other things, support and care for seriously ill children worldwide: Kinderherzen retten e.V., Interplast Germany e.V. and the Ferry Porsche Foundation.

The race

The 24 Hours of Le Mans marks the fourth round on the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC calendar and is the highlight of the season. Due to the long distance, double points will be awarded towards the world championship. Porsche tackles the 92nd edition of the world’s greatest endurance race leading all world championship standings. The classic event, which was contested for the first time 101 years ago, offers other novel features: for instance, the deployment of three safety cars at once on the track. The reason for this is that each lap of the Circuit des 24 Heures in Le Mans is extremely long at 13.626 kilometres. This year’s race gets underway on Saturday, 15 June, at 4 pm CEST.

The storied circuit south of the city with its 150,000 inhabitants consists mainly of public roads. Normally, hundreds of trucks and cars drive over the legendary Mulsanne Straight every day on their way from Le Mans to Tours. The fast Porsche curves are both famous and notorious: high speeds and narrow run-off zones pose special challenges and ensure spectacular race action. The unique racetrack in the Sarthe department is only open to the teams to go testing once a season. This took place last Sunday.

TV and live streaming of the race

The official apps of the FIA WEC and the Le Mans organiser ACO offer a paid live stream and live timing from the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The full TV distribution list is available at fiawec.com.

An overview of the drivers and vehicles

Hypercar class (Porsche 963):
Porsche Penske Motorsport #4: Mathieu Jaminet (F) / Felipe Nasr (BR) / Nick Tandy (UK)
Porsche Penske Motorsport #5: Matt Campbell (AUS) / Michael Christensen (DK) / Frédéric Makowiecki (F)
Porsche Penske Motorsport #6: Kévin Estre (F) / André Lotterer (D) / Laurens Vanthoor (B)
Hertz Team Jota #12: Callum Ilott (UK) / Norman Nato (F) / Will Stevens (UK)
Hertz Team Jota #38: Jenson Button (UK) / Phil Hanson (UK) / Oliver Rasmussen (DK)
Proton Competition #99: Julien Andlauer (F) / Neel Jani (CH) / Harry Tincknell (UK)

LMGT3 class (Porsche 911 GT3 R):
Manthey EMA #91: Richard Lietz (A) / Morris Schuring (NL) / Yasser Shahin (AUS)
Manthey PureRxcing #92: Klaus Bachler (A) / Alex Malykhin (UK) / Joel Sturm (D

The 21-year-old forward scored 18 goals in all competitions for Leipzig last season, including goals in each of the last seven Bundesliga matches of the campaign.

Sesko off the table – who will PL clubs turn to next?

Arsenal and Manchester United are still monitoring Bologna’s Joshua Zirkzee amid strong interest from AC Milan.

Both clubs are understood to be keeping a close eye on developments with the striker, who is among a number of attacking options Arsenal and United are looking at this summer

Sky in Italy are reporting Milan are still pushing to sign the 23-year-old after flying to London late last week for talks. Nothing was agreed but they remain in contact with his representatives.

Zirkzee has a £34m (€40m) release clause in his contract, which has two years left to run.

Chelsea also hoping to strengthen up front, which could see the three Premier League clubs go head-to-head in a market thin on the ground for top-class targets available at an achievable price.

Arsenal want to bring in a young striker they can develop, having turned their attention away from players such as Newcastle’s Alexander Isak and Brentford’s Ivan Toney.

Isak, who Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has said is off limits, would be extremely expensive, with reports suggesting a fee of £90m was a laughable proposition.

Toney, 28, would likely come cheaper as he has one year left on his deal.

Reports have suggested Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke has a release clause of £65m for certain clubs this summer, which raises the prospect of him being on the move after a 19-goal return this season.

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has expressed his desire to one day play in the Premier League and could be available this summer, but his release clause stands at around £100m.

Former Coventry striker Viktor Gyokeres has also been linked with a return to England this summer after his prolific first season in Portugal with Sporting Lisbon, scoring 29 goals in 33 league appearances.

Sky Sports News reported that Man Utd had been monitoring Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy around the winter transfer window. He finished the Bundesliga season with 28 goals in 28 games.

What can we read into Sesko’s new deal?

Sky Sports News chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol:

“Benjamin Sesko has been linked with a move to the Premier League for a couple of years now. A couple of years ago, there was talk of a move from Red Bull Salzburg to Manchester United before he moved to RB Leipzig.

“He’s scored a lot of goals, which has led to further talk of him moving to the Premier League with Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham among the clubs interested.

“The big news coming out of Germany today is that he’s going to sign a new contract at RB Leipzig. That new long-term contract is going to remove the release clause that is in his current deal.

“It looks like Sesko will be staying at RB Leipzig for at least another season, but we’ve been in the game long enough to know that just because someone signs a new contract, it doesn’t mean that they’re going to stay for the full length of that contract at their current club.

“When a deal is signed under these circumstances, there is usually a gentleman’s agreement that not too far in the distant future, he will be allowed to leave if another club comes in for him, but in the short term he will be staying at RB Leipzig.”

What does each Premier League team need this season?

What does every Premier League team need in the summer transfer window? Sky Sports statistician Paul Harrison dives into the data to find out…

Arsenal

Few flaws can be found in a team who have finished runners-up to Manchester City in successive seasons. However, not a single Arsenal player has surpassed 16 Premier League goals in four campaigns.

This season, Kai Havertz’s return of nine goals in his final 14 league appearances this season was promising, but Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus failed to reach double figures between them from a combined 54 league appearances, with

neither finding the net after January.

The Le Mans event marks the annual highlight on the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC calendar. The first running of the race was in 1923 to showcase automotive innovation, durability and performance. The only time the classic was not contested was in 1936 due to a general strike in France as well as during WWII and the reconstruction between 1940 and 1948. The famous 24 Hours of Le Mans will be contested at the Sarthe for the 92nd time this year.

In addition to the prospect of securing its 20th outright victory at Le Mans, Porsche celebrates a special anniversary: 50 Years of the Porsche Turbo. The turbocharged engines were developed in motorsport from 1971 and migrated into the road-going 911 just three years later. In 2024, the Porsche 963 hybrid prototype will also be powered by a bi-turbo engine. A classic example of the motorsport commitments from Stuttgart: Porsche advances innovations on the racetrack, subjects them to the toughest tests in fierce competition before they successfully flow into series production shortly afterwards.

Drivers’ comments ahead of the race

Mathieu Jaminet (Porsche 963 #4):
“The 24 Hours of Le Mans is without a doubt the most important race of the year. I’m not the only one who thinks this, all drivers feel the same. As a Frenchman, this is particularly true. Even on the test day, we local heroes noticed the special attention. It’s great to feel like stars for a week! After the race, however, it’s back to normal life very quickly.”

Michael Christensen (Porsche 963 #5): “It’s always incredibly difficult to gauge your chances before the start of the race. Nobody knows how the competition will stack up. We’ve already achieved some excellent results in this year’s FIA WEC and the IMSA series. The car’s great, the team is in top form and the drivers are fighting fit. Everything’s ready. We’ll do our best to be in the lead at the flag.”

Kévin Estre (Porsche 963 #6): “Judging from the way the WEC season has panned out so far, we’re heading into the highlight event with high expectations and great anticipation. As a first step, we want to perfect the setup then qualify well and advance into the Hyperpole. It’s the only time I’m competing at home in France and it’s the biggest event. It’ll be a memorable experience to drive in front of so many spectators again. I can hardly wait to get going on Saturday at 4 pm.”

Will Stevens (Porsche 963 #12): “It’s wonderful to be driving in Le Mans again. Our team has already achieved big successes on this racetrack in the LMP2 class. We’re very familiar with this race and its special features. We’ve learned a lot from the races so far this season and now we’re keen to implement this knowledge to the best of our ability and prepare ourselves perfectly for the big Le Mans challenge.”

Jenson Button (Porsche 963 #38): “I’ve contested Le Mans twice so far and this year I’m racing for a team with extremely high ambitions. I really like that. At the WEC race in Spa, we showed that we’re able to run at the front if everything goes right. That gave us a great deal of confidence. If we draw on all our experience, then there’s no doubt we have every opportunity to achieve something really big.”

Neel Jani (Porsche 963 #99): “We believe we have a good chance. It’s not that we’re dreaming of an overall win, but we might be good for a podium spot. That’s our goal. We still have some work to do on the setup and we still need to figure out our race strategy. We’ll implement all the insights we’ve gained over the past weeks and months to be as well prepared as possible in time for the start.”

Morris Schuring (Porsche 911 GT3 R #91): “This is my first Le Mans race. It’s quite funny looking at the numbers among our crew: My teammate Richard Lietz is competing for the 18th time and I’m only 19 years old. I’m the young rookie. I’m incredibly proud to be part of this team. We’re ready. If we do everything right, we’ll achieve something great – it’ll be a result that will make the Porsche family proud.”

Klaus Bachler (Porsche 911 GT3 R #92): “Given that the Le Mans circuit is not a dedicated racetrack, we expect the grip conditions to change a lot during the week compared to other tracks. We have the best team behind us! The goal is to win our class. We’ve spent months preparing for this challenge and we’ll do our utmost to make our big dream come true.”

Porsche’s unparalleled track record at Le Mans

In 1951, Porsche sent a delegation to the 24-hour race in Le Mans for the first time. With success: the two Frenchmen Auguste Veuillet and Edmond Mouche promptly clinched class victory at the wheel of the Porsche 365/4 SL Coupé. Since then, the Porsche brand has been represented on the grid of the world’s greatest endurance race every year. To date, a total of 855 Porsche racing cars have contested the classic. Thanks to 19 overall victories and 110 class wins so far, the sports car manufacturer from Stuttgart is by far the number one on the list of achievements of the organiser Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO).

24 Hours of Le Mans – Porsche’s outright victories

1970 – Herrmann (D) / Attwood (GB) – Porsche 917 KH
1971 – Marko (A) / Van Lennep (NL) – Porsche 917 KH
1976 – Ickx (B) / Van Lennep (NL) – Porsche 936
1977 – Ickx (B) / Haywood (USA) / Barth (D) – Porsche 936/77
1979 – Ludwig (D) / D. Whittington (USA) / B. Whittington (USA) – Porsche 935 K3
1981 – Ickx (B) / Bell (GB) – Porsche 936
1982 – Ickx (B) / Bell (GB) – Porsche 956
1983 – Schuppan (AUS) / Haywood (USA) / Holbert (USA) – Porsche 956
1984 – Pescarolo (F) / Ludwig (D) – Porsche 956
1985 – Barilla (I) / Ludwig (D) / Krages (D) – Porsche 956
1986 – Bell (GB) / Stuck (D) / Holbert (USA) – Porsche 962C
1987 – Bell (GB) / Stuck (D) / Holbert (USA) – Porsche 962C
1994 – Dalmas (F) / Haywood (USA) / Baldi (I) – Dauer Porsche 962 LM
1996 – Wurz (A) / Reuter (D) / Jones (USA) – TWR Porsche WSC-95
1997 – Kristensen (DK) / Alboreto (I) / Johansson (S) – TWR Porsche WSC-95
1998 – Aiello (F) / McNish (GB) / Ortelli (F) – Porsche 911 GT1
2015 – Bamber (NZ) / Tandy (GB) / Hülkenberg (D) – Porsche 919 Hybrid
2016 – Jani (CH) / Lieb (D) / Dumas (F) – Porsche 919 Hybrid
2017 – Bernhard (D) / Hartley (NZ) / Bamber (NZ) – Porsche 919 Hybrid

The schedule (all times CEST)

Thursday, 11 June
14:00 – 15:00 hrs: Autograph session (pit lane)
14:00 – 18:00 hrs: Pit walk
15:15 – 16:30 hrs: Pitstop Challenge

Wednesday, 12 June
14:00 – 17:00 hrs: Free practice 1
19:00 – 20:00 hrs: Qualifying
22:00 – midnight: Free practice 2

Thursday, 13 June
15:00 – 18:00 hrs: Free practice 3
20:00 – 20:30 hrs: Hyperpole
22:00 – 23:00 hrs: Free practice 4

Friday, 14 June
15:00 – 20:00 hrs: Track walk for fans
16:00 – 19:00 hrs: Drivers’ parade (city centre)

Saturday, 15 June
12:00 – 12:15 hrs: Warmup
16:00 hrs: Green light 24 Hours of Le Mans

Sunday, 16 June
16:00 hrs: Chequered flag 24 Hours of Le Mans

Preview

Porsche is keen to add to its illustrious record at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. At the 92nd edition of the world’s biggest endurance race, the three Porsche 963 racing cars fielded by the Porsche Penske Motorsport works team are targeting their 20th outright victory. For each lap completed by the three factory cars, Porsche will donate 750 euros towards the “Racing for Charity” initiative.

A total of 23 prototypes from nine different brands, including three customer Porsche 963 from Hertz Team Jota and Proton Competition, will pit themselves against each other in the top Hypercar class. In the new LMGT3 category, 23 vehicles from nine manufacturers will also battle for victory. Porsche is represented in this class by two 911 GT3 R entries from its Manthey partner team.

To increase the chances of clinching its 20^th overall win, Porsche Penske Motorsport again fields three Porsche 963 this year. The works cars can be differentiated by the colours of their wing mirrors, the Porsche lettering on the windshield and the rear fin. As usual, those parts of the two regular cars from the FIA WEC will be painted black (No. 5) and white (No. 6). The No. 4 vehicle will feature red accents on those areas. Top drivers from the Porsche works squad will crew the hybrid prototypes from Weissach. The odds in the fiercely contested Hypercar class also look promising for the three identical racing cars from the customer teams Hertz Team Jota and Proton Competition.

“There can only be one goal for Porsche at Le Mans – to win. We hold the record number of victories and we’re determined to add another triumph to our record. That puts big pressure on everyone involved. We’re by no means underestimating our rivals,” says Thomas Laudenbach, outlining the intention of the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer. The Vice President Porsche Motorsport adds: “The top Hypercar class is extremely competitive with a total of 23 prototypes from nine different manufacturers. That’s precisely what motivates us. We want to underline our expertise and technical skills in the world’s toughest race. That applies not only to our factory team but also to the strong customer teams with their Porsche 963. We’re also looking strong in the LMGT3 category. Manthey’s two 911 GT3 R will be well placed to fight for class victory.”

“Our preparations have gone very well – at the first races of the year on both sides of the Atlantic as well as at last Sunday’s test drives,” explains Urs Kuratle. The Director Factory Motorsport LMDh is excited about the highlight of the FIA WEC season: “It’s great to see how the suspense continues to build among everyone in the team. Everyone is working with total concentration. We’re united by one big goal: we want to bring home Porsche’s 20th overall victory. I’m curious to see how the competition evolves over the next few days.”

“We got off to a great start on the test day for this year’s Le Mans race,” states Jonathan Diuguid, in reference to the official pre-test last Sunday. Looking ahead to the race week, the Managing Director Porsche Penske Motorsport adds: “We expect similarly good conditions in practice, qualifying and on both race days. If this happens, then our insights from the test will have been very valuable. We’ll then need to focus on making further tweaks to the cars.”

“Racing for Charity”: Porsche donates towards helping ill children

The sports car manufacturer will donate 750 euros for each lap completed by the three works-run Porsche 963 racing vehicles. After the racing highlight of the year, the total amount will be donated to three non-profit organisations that, among other things, support and care for seriously ill children worldwide: Kinderherzen retten e.V., Interplast Germany e.V. and the Ferry Porsche Foundation.

The race

The 24 Hours of Le Mans marks the fourth round on the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC calendar and is the highlight of the season. Due to the long distance, double points will be awarded towards the world championship. Porsche tackles the 92nd edition of the world’s greatest endurance race leading all world championship standings. The classic event, which was contested for the first time 101 years ago, offers other novel features: for instance, the deployment of three safety cars at once on the track. The reason for this is that each lap of the Circuit des 24 Heures in Le Mans is extremely long at 13.626 kilometres. This year’s race gets underway on Saturday, 15 June, at 4 pm CEST.

The storied circuit south of the city with its 150,000 inhabitants consists mainly of public roads. Normally, hundreds of trucks and cars drive over the legendary Mulsanne Straight every day on their way from Le Mans to Tours. The fast Porsche curves are both famous and notorious: high speeds and narrow run-off zones pose special challenges and ensure spectacular race action. The unique racetrack in the Sarthe department is only open to the teams to go testing once a season. This took place last Sunday.

TV and live streaming of the race

The official apps of the FIA WEC and the Le Mans organiser ACO offer a paid live stream and live timing from the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The full TV distribution list is available at fiawec.com.

An overview of the drivers and vehicles

Hypercar class (Porsche 963):
Porsche Penske Motorsport #4: Mathieu Jaminet (F) / Felipe Nasr (BR) / Nick Tandy (UK)
Porsche Penske Motorsport #5: Matt Campbell (AUS) / Michael Christensen (DK) / Frédéric Makowiecki (F)
Porsche Penske Motorsport #6: Kévin Estre (F) / André Lotterer (D) / Laurens Vanthoor (B)
Hertz Team Jota #12: Callum Ilott (UK) / Norman Nato (F) / Will Stevens (UK)
Hertz Team Jota #38: Jenson Button (UK) / Phil Hanson (UK) / Oliver Rasmussen (DK)
Proton Competition #99: Julien Andlauer (F) / Neel Jani (CH) / Harry Tincknell (UK)

LMGT3 class (Porsche 911 GT3 R):
Manthey EMA #91: Richard Lietz (A) / Morris Schuring (NL) / Yasser Shahin (AUS)
Manthey PureRxcing #92: Klaus Bachler (A) / Alex Malykhin (UK) / Joel Sturm (D)

Innovation and motor racing go hand-in-hand at Porsche. The development of turbo technology is a prime example. In 1974, exactly 50 years ago, the 911 Turbo, Porsche’s first turbocharged series model, celebrated its world debut. Producing 260 PS, it was brutishly powerful for its time. The roots of its cutting-edge engine lay in racing: Supercharging technology was used for the first time in the Porsche 917/10. Today, the system output of the latest 911 variant reaches 398 kW (541 PS, 911 Carrera GTS (provisional values): Fuel consumption* combined (WLTP) 11.0 – 10.5 l/100 km, CO₂ emissions* combined (WLTP) 251 – 239 g/km, CO₂ class G ).

The 911 Carrera GTS is also powered by a turbo engine but combines it for the first time with a T-hybrid system. The engineers once again benefit from the knowledge Porsche has collected in motorsports: from 2015 to 2017, the technologically sophisticated 919 Hybrid won the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times and swept the title pool in the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC. Porsche now targets its 20th overall victory in the world’s most famous endurance race with the 963-hybrid prototype. Know-how transfer from the racetrack to the road.

The beginning of Porsche’s turbo technology

It was the summer of 1970. Porsche had won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time with the 917 KH and was looking for its next challenge: victories in the North American CanAm series. However, with its comparatively small, 580 PS 4.5-litre twelve-cylinder engine, the 917 faced tough competition from the big-block American cars. Plans for a 16-cylinder power plant were drawn up. At the same time, the idea of achieving the needed performance boost from an exhaust turbocharger was also evolving.

The problem, however, was that the constant braking and acceleration on the twisty CanAm tracks required a high-revving turbocharger with as little lag as possible. The innovative solution: a boost pressure control system on the exhaust side prevented unwanted excess pressure in partial load or overrun operation by expelling excess exhaust gases via a bypass relief valve and a wastegate. This limited the boost pressure and kept it at a constant level. It also allowed for a smaller turbocharger, lower rotating masses and improved responsiveness.

In late July 1971, an open 917/10 Spyder with a supercharged engine turned its first laps in Weissach: Instead of a large turbocharger, Porsche opted for a smaller turbo on each of the two cylinder banks. This improved the responsiveness enormously and produced 850 PS. The stage was set and the CanAm success was monumental: in 1972, Porsche’s partner team Penske Enterprises won six of the nine race as well as the CanAm Cup and the drivers’ title thanks to George Follmer. In 1973, the 5.4-litre 917/30 Spyder put out a staggering 1,100 PS. Only changes to the regulations could stop Porsche’s winning streak – but they did not halt the march of turbo technology, especially in motorsport.

The turbo engine revolutionises Le Mans

After CanAm, Porsche continued to use turbos in racing versions of the 911 and specially designed prototypes. The first racing car equipped with a turbo engine at Le Mans in 1974 was a 911 Carrera RSR Turbo 2.1, which turned laps during practice with hissing noises. Its 368 kW (500 PS), 2.1-litre flat-six power unit already featured intercooling: the air cooled on its journey from the charger to the combustion chambers is denser and thus more oxygen-rich. At the 24-hour race, it achieved a sensational second place overall. Once again, the transfer of technology to series production quickly followed, with the intercooling migrating into the 911 Turbo from 1977. This boosted the power output of the series model to 300 PS.

The turbocharged 2.1-litre engine yielded the first two outright victories for a turbo racing car at Le Mans: In 1976, the open-body 936/76 Spyder initially produced 382 kW (520 PS) and achieved a top speed of 360 km/h. A year later, the 700-kilogram lightweight – now featuring two chargers and producing 397 kW (540 PS) – clinched victory again. In 1978 and 1979, technical problems interrupted the winning streak but Porsche learned from its defeats and demonstrated formidable ambition and stamina: in 1981, the 936 Spyder, now with 456 kW (620 PS), tackled Le Mans again and bid farewell to the works team with a third victory.

In the meantime, in 1979, Kremer Racing achieved the first overall Le Mans victory with a racing version of the 911 Turbo – the 935. Even then, customer racing formed the basis of Porsche’s racing commitment. The development of the vehicle culminated in 1978 with the 935/78 “Moby Dick”, which was used solely by the works team. Its 3.2-litre biturbo engine was the first to feature water-cooled multi-valve cylinder heads and delivered up to 621 kW (845 PS).

The beginning of a special Le Mans era

Porsche 956 and 962 C racing prototypes won the 24 Hours of Le Mans seven times between 1982 and 1994 – thus writing a unique success story. They heralded a revolution in aerodynamic design and many other innovations that are reflected in Porsche production vehicles today. The ground effect of the specially shaped underbody enabled very high cornering speeds, provided stability on the straights and shortened braking distances – an effect that has long been featured in numerous production models.

The development of fully electronic engine control units such as the Motronic from Bosch also yielded huge progress in efficiency in terms of the consumption limit stipulated in the Group C regulations at the time. Another cutting-edge innovation: the Porsche dual-clutch transmission PDK. The racing department had been experimenting with the system since the autumn of 1984, which enables swift gear shifts with virtually no interruption to power delivery. It worked reliably from 1987 onwards. Today, the sports car manufacturer delivers most of its production cars with PDK instead of a manual gearbox. Under the name DSG, it has also begun its victory march in many divisions of the Volkswagen Group and other car manufacturers.

The 3.0-litre biturbo six-cylinder engine of the 962 C also powered the open TWR Porsche WSC Spyder, which Joest Racing drove to overall victory at Le Mans in 1996 and 1997. At the same time, the works team put its faith in the Porsche 911 GT1, now with its six-cylinder boxer engine mounted at the front of the rear axle. Its 441 kW (600 PS) 3.2-litre biturbo engine represented a technical development that was introduced into series production in 1997 with the 996-generation 911 – fully water-cooled. In 1998, the Porsche 911 GT1-98 clinched a one-two victory at Le Mans.

The racetrack as a unique test laboratory

The 919 Hybrid underlined how consequently Porsche uses motorsport as a development platform for cutting-edge technologies. The Le Mans winner of 2015, 2016 and 2017 is still the most complex racing car the sports car manufacturer has ever built. Its compact, highly efficient V4 engine with the Porsche-developed direct fuel injection represented state-of-the-art technology. The 2.0-litre petrol engine produced around 368 kW (500 PS), with an electric motor driving the front axle at times with around 294 kW (400 PS).

The lithium-ion battery recuperated energy partly via braking and partly through a technology used only by Porsche in the World Endurance Championship: a second turbocharger – with variable turbine geometry – in the exhaust flow powered a generator. Another particularly innovative feature was the 800-volt system that Porsche had developed from scratch for the 919 Hybrid. This was used for the first time in a production model – the Porsche Taycan unveiled in 2019 – and is one of the key technical features of Porsche’s first purely electric sports car.

The full potential of the high-tech racing car was underlined in 2018 by the Evo version of the 919 Hybrid. Freed from regulatory constraints, two-time Le Mans winner and Porsche brand ambassador Timo Bernhard turned a lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 5:19.55 minutes. The video of the spectacular record lap has now been viewed over nine million times on YouTube.

Porsche 963: 20th outright win in sight

Since 2023, Porsche has again been represented with a hybrid vehicle in the highest class of the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC and the American IMSA sports car series. Development of the 963 began in 2020. It combines a 4.6-litre V8 engine whose roots go back to the Porsche RS Spyder and the 918 Spyder super sports car with two small turbochargers and a hybrid system. Based on the LMDh regulations, the prototype produces a total output of around 515 kW (700 PS).

The job of the 963 is clear: to score the 20th Le Mans victory for Porsche and showcase the potential of the manufacturer’s sports cars. Fifty years after the world premiere of the 911 Turbo in Paris, this would be the 18th outright win for a Porsche racing car with a turbocharged engine.

• Getty Images

  Mauritania 0-1 Senegal

  Senegal kept their unbeaten start to the World Cup qualifiers following a 1-0 victory over struggling Mauritania.

  Al Shabab forward Habib Diallo’s strike in the 27th minute was enough to help Senegal collect maximum points away from home.

  The second-ranked team in Africa moved up the table, meanwhile, the Northwest African country remained at the bottom of Group B.

• (C)Getty Images

  DR Congo 1-0 Togo

  The Democratic Republic of the Congo beat Togo 1-0 in Kinshasa to stay in position three in Group B.

  Young Boys’ star Meshack Elia netted just six minutes into the game.

  The Leopards are tied on seven points with second-placed Sudan while Togo are fourth in the table.

• Getty

  Namibia 0-0 Tunisia

  Peter Shalulile’s Namibia played out to a goalless draw with Tunisia at the Orlando Stadium.

  The Brave Warriors scored from Orlando Pirates’ star Dion Hotto’s free kick in the 14th minute, but the goal was disallowed as the referee cited the Tunisia goalkeeper was fouled before the goal.

  Namibia remains second and undefeated with eight points in Group H after four games, while Tunisia leads the group with 10 points.

• Backpagepix

  São Tomé and Príncipe 0-1 Liberia

  The Lone Stars edged winless São Tomé and Príncipe at the last minute, thanks to an off-the-bench Sheikh Sesay goal.

  Liberia moved up to the third spot, but they could be leapfrogged by Malawi if they win against Equatorial Guinea. São Tomé and Príncipe remain at the bottom of Group H.

• BackpagePix.

  Djibouti 1-1 Ethiopia

  Djibouti registered their first point in Group A following a 1-1 draw with Ethiopia in El Jadida.

  The host took the lead through Gabriel Dadzie in the 29th minute, but Ethiopia were quick to equalise when Minyilu Wondimu Dibaba scored three minutes later.

  The two sides are yet to win a match after four games, and they are fifth and sixth in the Group A table.

• • 

    Getty

    Goalkeeper & Defence

    Emi Martinez (7/10):

    Relatively untroubled throughout, his only job was to judge a few crosses. Didn’t have a save to make.

    Gonzalo Montiel (6/10):

    Held his position defensively, and rarely ventured forward. His main job was to cover for Di Maria.

    Cristian Romero (7/10):

    Assisted Di Maria’s opener. Put in a few typically ferocious tackles – some of which really should have been called for fouls.

    Lisandro Martinez (6/10):

    Had a good effort in the first half denied. Reliable at the back after an injury-stunted season with Man United.

    Marcos Acuna (6/10):

    Got forward a bit, but didn’t create many chances from wide areas.

Next matches

Friendlies

Ecuador

12 Jun 202417:30

Bolivia

Match preview

Friendlies

Argentina

14 Jun 202417:00

Guatemala

Match preview

• Getty

  Midfield

  Leandro Paredes (7/10):

  Received it, moved it, and kept play ticking in an otherwise stop-start game.

  Rodrigo De Paul (7/10):

  Got stuck in, but spent a lot of his time throwing himself on the ground. Does the dirty work every time.

  Giovani Lo Celso (6/10):

  Didn’t offer his usual creativity from the middle, and spent periods as a spectator.

• Getty

  Attack

  Julian Alvarez (6/10):

  Willing to make runs in behind the defence, and linked play effectively at times. Doesn’t get credit for the stuff he does without the ball.

  Lautaro Martinez (5/10):

  Nonexistent throughout. Managed 21 touches and put one glorious chance right at the goalie.

  Angel Di Maria (8/10):

  Sloppy for about 10 minutes, before coming alive. Took his goal wonderfully, hit the bar with a free-kick soon after. An excellent hour of work, all said.

• Getty

  Subs & Manager

  Lionel Messi (6/10):

  A few nice touches. Should have ended the game with an assist had his teammates been more clincial.

  Enzo Fernandez (5/10):

  Gifted a golden opportunity to make it 2-0, but elected to pass. Otherwise uninvolved.

  Nico Gonzalez (N/A):

  No time to make an impact.

  Angel Correa (N/A):

  No time to make an impact.

  Lionel Scaloni (7/10):

  Left out Messi from the start, but fielded an otherwise near-full-strength side. Argentina were dragged into a scrappy game, but still managed to win. A solid evening’s work.

Chivas 2024-25 home kit, release date & price

• PUMA

  Club America 2024-25 away kit, release date & price

  The 2023-24 away football shirt was white and featured traditional colors with red horizontal stripes on the upper part and thicker blue blocks on the lower part.

  Details relating to Chivas away jersey for the 2024-25 season remain unclear at this stage, with Puma yet to have officially released any information about appearance, release date and cost.

  Regarding pricing, the 2024-25 away kit is expected to retail at $100 for a standard adult shirt.

• Chivas 2024-25 third kit, release date & price

  There has not been much talk or any concrete leaks about the new Chivas 2024-25 third kit.

  The 2023-24 third shirt edition was inspired by the agaves. It combined a dark green base with silver logos and a modern graphic design. The graphic replicated the look of agaves from Jalisco, Mexico.

  Agaves are a group of succulent plants belonging to the Agavoideae subfamily. They are renowned for their role in the production of tequila, a famous distilled spirit.

• Getty

  Chivas 2024-25 goalkeeper kit, release date & price

  It is unclear as yet how the Chivas goalie kit would look like in 2024-25, but if last season’s gear is anything to go by, a green Puma top could be among the options at hand.

Gakpo was used in a variety of positions by Jurgen Klopp when the Reds’ squad was decimated by the loss of several top performers. Recruited as a striker in a £40million deal from PSV Eindhoven in January 2023, the Dutchman’s versatility enabled Klopp to still guide Liverpool to the Carabao Cup and a third-place finish in his final season at Anfield.

Now Gakpo goes into the Euros aiming to improve on an impressive World Cup two years ago that saw him score three goals before Holland crashed out against eventual champions Argentina in a semi-final shoot-out.

Gakpo said: “We had an injury crisis at Liverpool that had to be solved in a certain way. You have to just deal with it. Sometimes that went very well and sometimes not so well because of the constant switching.

“But it has been a process from which I eventually gained a lot for myself. In the end, I am grateful that it turned out to be a very instructive season.

“What my role will be (in Germany)? I haven’t thought about that myself yet. I have felt my role changing – and maybe others now look at me differently.

“As you get older yourself and some younger guys come in, then the dynamic changes automatically. But I have always had a great sense of responsibility to do my best for the team. That’s just how I am.”

Holland coach Ronaldo Koeman reckons he will be able to employ Gakpo in as many as five different roles during the tournament. And the 25-year-old reckons Koeman will also be able to call on a player who has also improved physically during his time in the Premier League.

Gakpo said: “My condition has improved in terms of the pace I can handle and also the intensity. I’m not one for data, but if I compare my stats at Liverpool to my stats at PSV, you can see that the high intensity distance per match is now much higher.

“It depends on the coach where I will be used as well as the system, of course.”

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