The former F1 drivers competing at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans
Formula 1 and F1 Academy are headed to Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend, but that’s not where all the action will be.
The 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans will also take place this weekend, from Saturday, June 14 to Sunday, June 15.
In this article, Sports News Blitz’s deputy content editor Nicole Powell, takes us through the 19 familiar faces from F1 who will be competing at this year’s Le Mans.
Felipe Nasr & Pascal Wehrlein - #4 Porsche Penske Motorsport
In the Hypercar class, driving the Porsche 963 are two former F1 drivers, Felipe Nasr and Pascal Wehrlein. Alongside them will be Nick Tandy.
Back in 2015 and 2016, Nasr raced for the Sauber F1 team. The Brazilian scored points on his debut, with a P5 finish in Australia.
Wehrlein, the reigning Formula E champion will be making his Le Mans debut this year.
He too competed in F1 back in 2016, racing for the Manor team, scoring the team’s sole point that year with a P10 finish in Austria.
The German made the move to Sauber in 2017, before being replaced by rookie Charles Leclerc in 2018.
Kamui Kobayashi & Nyck de Vries - #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing
Alongside Mike Conway, in the #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Toyota GR010 Hybrid we have Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries, both of whom found success after F1.
Kobayashi made his F1 debut at the end of the 2009 season for Toyotam before switching to Sauber for the next three years.
Without a seat in 2013, Kobyashi returned to F1 in 2014, driving for Caterham.
His first and only F1 podium came at the 2012 Japanese GP.
Having had a taste of endurance racing in 2013, Kobyashi returned to it, winning Le Mans in 2021, and finishing second on four occasions.
Dutchman Nyck de Vries also failed to make his mark in F1.
After an impressive F1 debut at the 2022 Italian Grand prix in a Williams, De Vries signed with Apha Tauri in 2023.
However, failing to make an impression, he was replaced by Daniel Ricciardo halfway through the campaign.
Outside of F1, the Dutchman is a Formula E champion, having won the 2020/21 title.
De Vries is no stranger to endurance racing either, as he not only still competes in FE, but in the WEC as well.
Sebastian Buemi & Brendon Hartley - #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing
Joining current Haas F1 reserve driver Ryo Hirakwa in the #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing car are two former F1 drivers who have tasted Le Mans glory - Sebastian Buemi and Brendon Hartley.
Sebastian Buemi in particular is no stranger to winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Swiss driver has won it a record four times.
Buemi was a Toro Rosso F1 driver between 2009 and 2011.
Remember when both front wheels flew off of a Toro Rosso at the 2010 Chinese Grand Prix? That was Buemi!
That’s not all he is known for though, as he went on to win the 2015/16 Formula E championship.
His 2025 Le Mans team-mate Brendon Hartley was also an F1 Toro Rosso driver turned four time World Enduarance Championship and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner.
In F1, Hartley competed for Red Bull’s sister team in 2017 and 2018.
In 2017, he joined the team towards the end of the season, replacing Carlos Sainz whom had just departed to Renault. 2018 was the New Zeelander’s first full season.
Hartley is a three time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, winning the iconic race in 2017, 2020 and 2022.
Sebastien Bourdais & Jenson Button - #38 Cadillac Hertz Team Jota
Driving the 38 Cadillac Hertz Team Jota are Sebastien Bourdais and Jenson Button.
Bourdais drove for Toro Rosso in the 2008 F1 season, and part of the 2009 season.
The Frenchman has competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans multiple times, winning in the LMGTE Pro class in 2016.
His team-mate, Button, is a Formula 1 world champion.
Button won the 2009 F1 title, and closed his chapter in the series with 15 wins, eight pole positions and 50 podiums across 17 season.
The Briton has competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times before, but is yet to win it.
Teaming up with Bourdais and Earl Bamber, his aim will be to achieve victory in the illustrious race.
Paul di Resta & Jean-Eric Vergne - #93 Peugeot Totalenergies
Alongside Mikkel Jensen, former F1 drivers Paul di Resta and Jean-Eric Vergne will be driving the #93 Peugot Totalenergies at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Although Paul di Resta is commonly known for punditry in the motorsport realm, the Scot has been racing for years.
In Formula 1, Di Resta drove for Force India between 2011 and 2013, and also made a one-off appearance for Willliams in 2017.
Di Resta has also competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times, winning in the LMP2 class in 2020.
Vergne on the other hand was part of Red Bull’s driver academy, having made his F1 debut with Toro Rosso in 2012.
He is now a Formula E driver, and a successful one at that, having won the Drivers’ title twice so far.
This year, JEV will be competing in his fifth 24 Hours of Le Mans.
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Kevin Magnussen - #15 BMW M Team WRT
Having competed in F1 as recently as the 2024 Formula 1 season, Kevin Magnussen will definitely be a familiar face to F1 fans.
The former Haas F1 driver will be racing at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans alongsde Dries Vanthor and Raffaele Marciello - this will be Magnussen’s second appearance at Le Mans.
In F1, the Dane had 185 Grand Prix starts between 2014 and 2024.
His best result in the single-seater pinnacle was a P2 on his debut for McLaren at the 2014 Australian GP.
Mick Schumacher - #36 Alpine Enduarance Team
Another former Haas driver will be at this year’s Le Mans - Mick Schumacher.
In his second year in F1, Schumacher was team-mates with Magnussen at the American outfit.
With only two points finishes in 2022, Schumacher failed to retain a seat in F1, switching his focus to endurance racing from 2023 onwards, racing for Alpine in the WEC.
With two podiums to his name this WEC season, the former Ferrari academy driver will be looking to impress at this weekend’s Le Mans edition.
Antonio Giovinazzi - #51 Ferrari AF Corse
Anotnio Giovinazzi is enjoying the world of endurance racing.
Giovinazzi is a former F1 driver who made two appearances for Sauber in 2017, and raced for Alfa Romeo from 2019 to 2020.
The Italian won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2023 with Ferrari, and is part of the Ferrari AF Corse team that are currency in the lead of the standings of the 2025 WEC champion.
Giovinazzi will be looking to help his team extend that lead at Le Mans this weekend.
Robert Kubica - #83 AF Corse
Robert Kubica is competing for AF Corse in WEC this year alongside Yifei Ye and Philip Hanson.
Kubica was an F1 driver between 2006 and 2010, and was widely considered a great talent in the sport.
However, a huge rallying incident saw him leave F1, before making a commendable comeback in 2019, driving for Williams.
With his F1 return not proving to be fruitful, Kubica turned to endurance racing.
The Pole has won the European Le Mnas Series in the LMP2 class.
Stoffel Vandoorne - #94 Peugeot Totalenergies
Former McLaren F1 will be driving the #94 Peugeot Totalenergies at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans.
He made his F1 debut in 2017, and was retained by McLaren in 2018. However, he was without a seat in 2019.
The Belgian driver is the 2021//22 FE champion, and is competing for Masereti in the current FE season.
His Peugeout team-mates for this weekend are Loic Duval and Malthe Jakobsen.
Will Stevens - #12 Cadillac Hertz Team Jota
Will Stevens will share the #12 Cadillac Hertz Team Jota with Alex Lynn and FE driver Norman Neto at this year’s Le Mans.
In F1, Stevens drove for Caterham at the 2014 season finale in Abu Dhabi, and then made his full season debut in 2015, driving for Manor Marussia.
While he never scored points in F1, the British driver has seen success in endurance racing.
He has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2017 (LMGTE AM class) and in 2022 (LMP2).
Driving in the Hypercar class this year, Stevens will be aiming to finally win it in the elite class.
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Jack Aitken - #311 Cadillac Whelen
Remember when Lewis Hamilton tested positive for Covid-19 in 2020 and George Russell made his Mercedes debut?
That was the 2020 Sakhir GP, which saw Sergio Perez take his maiden win in F1, with his Racing Point team-mate Lance Stroll joining him on the podium in third. Esteban Ocon was second for Renault.
While Russell stepped in for Hamilton at Mercedes, Jack Aitken stepped in for Russell in Williams.
Aitken crossed the finish line in P16.
At this year’s Le Mans, the Brit will be driving the #311 Cadillac Whelen, alongside current F1 reserve drivers Felipe Drugovich and Frederik Vesti.
This will be Aitken’s third 24 Hours of Le Mans appearance.
Andre Lotterer - #18 IDEC Sport
Moving to the LMP2 class, we have Andre Lotterer in the #18 IDEC Sport, driving alongside Jamie Chadwick and Mathys Jaubert.
Lotterer was Jaguar F1’s test driver in 2001 and 2002, but only made his race weekend debut at the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix.
However, a mechanical issue saw the Caterham driver retire after just one lap.
The German’s 13th 24 Hours of Le Mans will be this weekend. However, this will be the first time Lotterer will not be competing in the top class.
Pietro Fittipaldi - #22 United Autosports
Pietro Fittipaldi is also in the LMP2 category, driving the ORECA 07-Gibson alongside Renger van der Zande and David Heinemeier-Hanson.
Fittipaldi holds the role of Haas’ test and reserve driver and was called up to race in the final two Grands Prix of the 2020 F1 season after Romain Grosjean suffered a dramatic crash in Bahrain.
Grandson of Emerson Fittipaldi, Pietro is currently competing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship for Pratt Miller Motorsports.
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