DPPI


By Stephen Kilbey - Jun 3, 2026, 1:38 PM ET

Why the 2026 Le Mans race matters more than ever for Michelin

The 2026 Le Mans 24 Hours is a particularly important one for French tire constructor Michelin. This year, it has introduced its new range of Pilot Sport Endurance slicks for the top class, and this month’s race at La Sarthe, where Michelin will break Dunlop's record and become a 35-time overall winner (unless every single Hypercar hits trouble and/or retires), represents the biggest test yet.

So far this year, the Pilot Sport Endurance range, which contains 50 per cent renewable and recycled materials and boasts better warm-up and consistency, has been used in seven races across IMSA and the WEC with the GTP and Hypercar fields. Drivers have been pushing them to the limit on a variety of circuits and surface types, on the Daytona high banks, the punishing bumps at Sebring, the narrow streets of Long Beach and Detroit and the fast-flowing, iconic tracks at Imola, Laguna Seca and Spa-Francorchamps.

But Le Mans poses a different test, as for the first time, all three compounds – Soft, Medium and Hard – will be at the disposal of the 18 Hypercar crews in the race, and the Circuit de La Sarthe itself combines a permanent circuit with public roads, plus long straights and many technical corners. It’s a far more taxing circuit for a 24-hour race than Daytona, and the stakes for the teams are far higher. Teams will use all available track time from Test Day through to race day to see just how far they can push Michelin’s new rubber on the circuit for the first time and build their race strategy from there.

What’s most impressive about Michelin’s Pilot Sport Endurance slicks is that, through the opening stanza of their first year in competition, there have been few complaints. The aim was never to release a new set of tires that dramatically improves single-lap pace – GTP and Hypercar are BoP governed, after all – but taking strides forward with both consistency, durability and warm-up, all while incorporating new, more environmentally friendly materials, deserves recognition.

“It’s only the start of the season, but the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring in IMSA, as well as the 6 Hours of Imola and the 6 Hours of Spa went very well,” Pierre Alves, Michelin’s endurance racing program manager, tells RACER.

“Consistency has been significantly improved, without any drop in performance. We managed up to three stints at Imola; Toyota could have tried for four, and we’re aiming for at least the same at Le Mans. We can also confirm that the temperature range in which the medium compound operates is significantly wider compared to the 2025 tire.”

By hitting the 50 per cent mark for renewable and recycled materials, the Pilot Sport Endurance slicks are ahead of the Michelin group’s overarching sustainability targets percentage-wise, and streets ahead of its road car products on the journey to reaching 100 per cent by 2050.

On average, Michelin’s consumer tires contained 32 percent bio-based or recycled materials in 2025, up from 31 percent in 2024. Just a single percentage increase for its road range has a huge impact, as Michelin says that represents the use of an additional 30,000 ‘physical’ tonnes of renewable or recycled materials. That's why the tires we’ll see in action at Le Mans, which are produced in comparatively small quantities, are considered a valuable test bed for materials that may carry over to its mass-produced ranges.
The 30,000 handmade tires from the Cataroux plant in France that will be used by teams across 2026 (at the cost of a million Euros a year per team in fees) contain up to 200 ingredients and a cocktail of environmentally friendly materials. The list includes recycled steel and carbon black, pyrolysis oils, silica derived from rice husks, sunflower oil, orange and lemon peel, plus natural rubber. The carcasses are also produced partly from a recycling process, as they contain PET plastic used to make drink bottles.
Le Mans will mark the first time that all three Pilot Sport Endurance compounds are deployed in a single race. Photo by DPPI

Critically, all materials used are traceable directly from suppliers and not purchased from other companies. The job of sourcing new materials, evolving them, testing them and then setting up a supply chain is hugely complex, but Michelin believes the efforts of its motorsport technicians will pay dividends in the long run.

“Endurance tires are entirely manufactured, in other words, made by hand,” Alves explains. “The various rubber compounds are introduced without a mixer, then the pre-formed rubber plies arrive in parallel, including metal wires and reinforcements. Several plies, made of different materials and at different angles, are combined into a single unit, which is then sent to an assembly station. The operator layers several plies using a laser guide to form the tire carcass. All these plies are positioned with extreme precision, with a tolerance of less than one-tenth of a millimeter.

“The carcass is a multi-layered structure comprising plies, cords and metal reinforcements, which are heat-sealed into a thin layer of rubber. Materials such as Kevlar are also used.

“Once the carcass is formed, the ‘sidewall’ rubber is added to the sides, which is different from that of the tread. This rubber is also highly technical, comprising a bead and a rubber layer that wraps around it to form a very rigid structure. This is the contact rubber, which comes into contact with the rim. The sidewall rubber is highly technical and acts as a shock absorber as it withstands all the flexing of the tire. It extends to the tire shoulder, where the tread rests.
“All the rubber components are bonded ‘wet’, then the tire is placed in a mold before being steam-cured for around 20 minutes at 180°C. This allows the rubber to bond together, forming a tire ready for the track.”

Throughout race week at Le Mans this year, Michelin’s engineers and technicians on site will be studying their performance and durability even more closely than usual, as it’s so early in the range’s projected three-year lifespan. This is partly to ensure there are no safety concerns on a new circuit, and also to gather valuable data to aid the development of its next generation of endurance racing tires, which it expects to launch in 2029.

“We pay very close attention to the condition of the tires coming off the track,” Alves adds. “The first step is a visual inspection. A hot tire doesn’t look the same as one that’s cold. Tire pressure, camber, the stresses the tire has undergone, the car’s settings… all of that comes into play.

“Next, we measure the tires using a laser and enter the data into our databases. Then we cut the tire, layer by layer, to ensure that nothing has shifted and that the carcass hasn’t been damaged. It’s a matter of verifying performance but also of safety.

“And then all the data collected is used to feed into a virtual tire model, which is constantly evolving and will help us define the next generation of tires. This is what we call track correlation, using a virtual tire model – a sort of digital twin – that evolves every day.
“There is a ‘signature’ wear pattern for each car and even for each driver. Our technicians are so highly trained and professional that they are able, much like a sommelier with wine, to recognize which car or even which driver used them when everyone is driving on the same track."

 

By Stephen Kilbey - Jun 3, 2026, 7:14 AM ET

Hydrogen-powered Toyota and Ligier prototypes set to run demonstration laps at Le Mans

Two cutting-edge hydrogen-powered race cars are set to complete demonstration laps at the Circuit de la Sarthe at the Le Mans 24 Hours next week.

The first demo is from Toyota Racing, which will showcase its TR LH2 liquid hydrogen concept car (pictured above). The prototype, which is based on the same chassis as its TR010 Hybrid Hypercar, will complete laps on both Thursday and Saturday in the hands of three-time Le Mans winner Kazuki Nakajima.

It will be the first public running for the liquid hydrogen-fueled car, with the runs following on from the unveiling of Toyota’s liquid hydrogen-powered GR LH2 concept at Le Mans last year.

“After some track testing in the past few months, we are ready to hit the track with the TR LH2 racing prototype in Le Mans. There is no better place than Le Mans to do a first race lap with a prototype car, and I’m very honored to have a chance to drive,” Nakajima said.

The Japanese marque has a strong history as a leader in the development of hydrogen technologies in motorsport, fielding concept cars in the Japanese Super Taikyu series since 2021, as well as performing demonstration runs at rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship. At Le Mans, its ORC ROOKIE GR Corolla H2 Concept also previously completed a demonstration lap in 2023.

The second car that will take to the track is the Ligier JS2 RH2 (pictured below), which is being co-developed by Bosch Engineering, Maserati and Ligier Automotive.
The hydrogen-combustion-powered racer, previously revealed at Le Mans in 2023, now features a new racing engine capable of producing “hypercar-level performance”. Bosch Motorsport says the latest version of the hydrogen-powered engine is based on Maserati’s Nettuno, a 3.0-liter six-cylinder gasoline engine featuring biturbo charging and dry sump lubrication.

According to the company, key components including the cylinder head and turbocharger were retained from the original design, while modifications were made to the pistons, injection system, ignition system and engine control unit to enable hydrogen operation.

“To make a vision like the hydrogen race car a reality, you need a strong team. Our strategic partnership with Ligier Automotive is the foundation on which we are developing and testing the vehicle,” said Ingo Mauel, head of Bosch Motorsport. "At the same time, our collaboration with Maserati provided a first-class basis for the engine. This pooling of expertise is our key to bringing sustainable performance to the road faster.”

Instead of the combined direct and port fuel injection system used in the gasoline engine, the hydrogen-powered version employs hydrogen direct injection using Bosch’s HIDI LCV injectors. The 3.0-liter engine produces around 480 kilowatts and 880 Newton-meters of torque in its motorsport application.

Davide Danesin, the head of Maserati Engineering, said the Nettuno engine’s design made it suitable for hydrogen conversion.

“Nettuno is a state-of-the-art engine that continues to demonstrate robustness, efficiency, and versatility. For this reason, it has proven to be particularly well-suited for conversion to hydrogen, thanks to its inherent strength, which allows it to withstand very high cylinder pressures,” Danesin said.

According to Bosch, the vehicle and engine have completed nearly 5,000 miles of track testing in varying weather conditions without technical issues. The company said ongoing development has increased torque and power while further reducing emissions.
Jacques Nicolet, President of Ligier Automotive, said the project demonstrates the potential of combining expertise from multiple automotive and motorsport organizations.

“The Ligier JS2 RH2 project perfectly illustrates what can be achieved when three complementary areas of expertise come together. Our collaboration with Bosch Engineering and Maserati allows us to explore the full potential of hydrogen in motorsport, combining performance with sustainability. It also echoes a meaningful chapter in our history – the original Ligier JS2, powered by a V6 3.0 L Maserati engine, claimed victory at the Tour Auto in 1974.

“Today, this legacy inspires us to look ahead. Together, we are not only developing a race car demonstrator, but also opening the door to future applications, such as a decarbonized track-day car integrating Maserati engine technology and Bosch hydrogen systems,” Nicolet said.

Off track, the Toyota and Ligier will also be on display to the public in the H2 Village at Le Mans during race week.

MissionH24, Alpine, Toyota Racing, Ariane Group, Blue Spirit Aero, Vision, Eodev, Hylico, the University of Le Mans, the Maison de l’Europe, Horizon Educational and its H2GP program, TotalEnergies and its 700 bar station, as well as the young winners of the Ecogreen Energy Challenge will also be exhibiting at the event, presenting the technology to the 350,000 + race-going fans.

As it stands, the ACO and FIA are still working towards debuting Hydrogen-powered race cars in the Le Mans 24 Hours and introducing a category for the technology in the FIA WEC before the end of the decade. However, progress in developing a set of technical regulations has been slow and subject to multiple delays.
ACO President Pierre Fillon gave his most recent public update on the subject during the FIA WEC's 100th race at Fuji Speedway last September, reiterating that the debut of the hydrogen ruleset is still targeted for 2028 or 2029. We may hear more about the technology's prospects at Le Mans during the ACO's annual press conference on the eve of the 24 Hours next week.