Le Mans: United Autosports wins the 24 Hours of Le Mans
United Autosports wins the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans
On Sunday 16th June at 16:00 local time, the #22 United Autosports crew of Bijoy Garg, Nolan Siegel and Oliver Jarvis took a spectacular victory at the 92nd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans – battling through heavy downpours and tricky night conditions to cross the line in front of a record crowd of 329,000 roaring fans, with 297 laps under their belt and 19 seconds to spare.
United Autosports are now two-time Le Mans winners, cementing the Anglo-American team’s reputation as one of the leading LMP2 competitors on the world stage. It also marks British driver Oliver Jarvis’ second victory while remarkably for Le Mans rookies Bijoy Garg and Nolan Siegel, they celebrated victory in the legendary endurance race on their first attempt.
For the sister #23 LMP2 entry of Ben Keating, Filipe Albuquerque and Ben Hanley, it was a tricky start with Keating spinning into the gravel at the Dunlop Chicane during the opening hour. The #23 rejoined the race and battled on valiantly to the finish, fixing an alternator issue - believed to have been caused by a rogue piece of gravel - along the way, and crossing the line P6 in the LMP2 Pro/Am class.
It cannot be underestimated how gruelling this race is. The United Autosports team has been in Le Mans for two weeks, with 114 staff working around the clock to launch the four-car attack and ultimately bring home victory – with thousands of kilometres of running and hundreds of pit stops along the way. Thank you to every single team member. Your hard work, passion and dedication is what makes this possible.
Next up, the team are in New York State for the Six Hours of the Glen – round three of the 2024 WeatherTech IMSA SportsCar Championship. Stay up to date on social @unitedautosports.
24 Hours of Le Mans winners 2024 - Nolan Siegel, Oliver Jarvis and Bijoy Garg - United Autosports LMP2 racing drivers
#22 LMP2 ORECA 07
Quali p5 | race p1
Oliver Jarvis: “What a race! It’s my 13th Le Mans and none have been as tough – it was an insane amount of pressure. The track conditions were constantly changing – it was difficult for drivers, teams, spectators. We had a really solid race, stayed out of trouble and, crucially, stayed on the lead lap. Even when we were leading, I didn’t believe we had won until halfway through my last stint. My co-drivers were making their Le Mans debuts and they leave as winners.”
Bijoy Garg: “To win Le Mans on my first attempt is unbelievable. United Autosports gave us a fast car throughout and prepared us for every condition. Olly did a fantastic job in the race but, really importantly, he gave Nolan and I great guidance throughout the entire week which helped us get up to speed quickly. We were made to work for the win due to the conditions but we had strong pace. Can’t wait to do it again sometime!”
Nolan Siegel: “This was my first Le Mans … and we’ve gone and won it on our first attempt, which is incredible. I couldn’t be happier with the result. The way the team handled everything in the race, which ran in such changeable conditions, makes the result even sweeter. It’s remarkable Bijoy and I have won as rookies … with Olly’s guidance, it all just came together. It’s an amazing group of people at United Autosports who did everything possible to help us.”
United Autosports #23 LMP2 Pro/Am drivers - Ben Keating, Ben Hanley and Filipe Albuquerque
#23 LMP2 PRO/AM ORECA 07
Quali p6 | race p4 (lmp2 pro am) p13 (lmp2)
Ben Keating: “The 2024 Edition of Le Mans did not go as I hoped. A small mistake from me, turned into a huge ordeal for the entire team. This is an extremely long race when you are out of it within the first hour. HOWEVER, the sister car carried the banner and won it!! So happy for the team, Olly, Nolan, and Bijoy.”
Filipe Albuquerque: “We had great pace. Unfortunately, one mistake takes everything out - especially this year at Le Mans which was so hard for everybody. There was a lot of rain, then dry conditions. Just one little mistake … that’s exactly what happened to us. We had the same pace as our sister car and they won! I am super happy for the United Autosports team. They have been chasing this win since 2020, when we won together, and they deserve it. They put in an outstanding performance. They made no mistakes in such an eventful race. Super proud.”
Ben Hanley: “Le Mans threw everything there was at us with the weather. It can be cruel sometimes, with the alternator issue caused by a small piece of gravel. It’s one of those things where nine times out of 10 nothing happens. You carry on, you go off and lose a bit of time, but this time we paid a big price for it. It’s a shame because everyone drove well … very few mistakes. The team did an awesome job. We had an incredible car, it was just a bit cruel to us this year. A real shame.”
Team bosses Richard Dean and Zak Brown Le Mans
mANAGEMENT
Zak Brown, United Autosports Chairman: “What an awesome Le Mans! I’m so proud of this team … the leadership of Richard [Dean] and Max [Gregory], all the drivers did an outstanding job, and the LMP2 and LMGT3 crews. The LMP2 performance in the #22 car was stunning. We had a little bit of bad luck in the #23 car early on but no one quit. And then both McLaren LMGT3s … that was an impressive performance. Mega fast, competing hard for 20 hours, and given the time United have had with the car, I think we should all be very proud. It was just an awesome weekend. I’m so proud of everyone and appreciate how hard everyone is working.”
Richard Dean, United Autosports CEO: “A knife edge race from start to finish. Twenty four hour races aren’t meant to be easy but when you throw in the weather and the track conditions, it was very tough. There was so much going on during the race. The pit wall made strong decisions, the cars were very strong … as was the winning driver line-up. Three drivers with such a range in experience. Olly guided Nolan and Bijoy through it and they didn’t put a foot wrong. I am very proud. It was heartbreak early on for #23 and if you hit a problem early on, you’re never going to get laps back but they kept pushing and had good pace. That’s Le Mans for you. In LMGT3, we put up a strong fight with established LMGT3 teams and manufacturers. The retirements were disappointing but I’m super proud of them. All of the McLaren and United Autosports team can be really proud and the LMGT3 drivers have been an absolute dream to work with.”
