Australian Driver Leads Class Before 24 Hours of Le Mans

By Michael Doyle

Topic: Motor Sports

Thursday, 11 June 2026, at 9:00 am

Yasser Shahin, Riccardo Pera, and Richard Lietz will drive the number 92 The Bend Manthey Porsche at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In short:

Yasser Shahin is one of four Australian drivers competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Shahin drives for the number 92 The Bend Manthey team and leads the LMGT3 class in the World Endurance Championship.

What's next?

The 24 Hours of Le Mans starts at 12 am AEST on Sunday and ends at 12 am AEST on Monday.

To win, drivers need speed, stamina, reliability, and consistency.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a famous race that many drivers and fans want to participate in or watch.

From 12 am Sunday to 12 am Monday, 186 drivers in 62 cars will compete on the 13.626 km Circuit de la Sarthe.

Yasser Shahin is confident going into the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Shahin is one of four Australian drivers in the race, and his team has been doing well.

Shahin drives a Porsche 911 for the number 92 The Bend Manthey team in the LMGT3 category.

The LMGT3 category competes in all rounds of the World Endurance Championship.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans has three categories: Hypercar, LMP2, and LMGT3.

Shahin's team has placed third in the LMGT3 category in the first two races of the year.

Yasser Shahin and his teammates have placed third in the opening two races of the World Endurance Championship.

The Bend Manthey team leads the LMGT3 Teams championship, and Shahin leads the LMGT3 Drivers championship.

The team is confident, but Shahin knows that the Circuit de la Sarthe can be challenging.

"Two podiums show the car and team are competitive and reliable, which is important at Le Mans," Shahin said.

"You can't win the race in the first hour, but you can lose it if one pit stop goes wrong."

"The confidence comes from knowing everyone on the team is committed and plays a crucial role."

The number 92 car won last year's race in the LMGT3 class, but Shahin was driving for a different team.

Shahin was part of the team that won the LMGT3 class in 2024.

Drivers and teams face many challenges during the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Circuit de la Sarthe is a mix of race track and public roads.

The conditions on the circuit change throughout the lap.

The length of the race means the conditions will change from day to night and back to day.

"That's what makes Le Mans unique," Shahin said.

"The track has smooth and bumpy sections, and the conditions are always changing."

No two laps are ever the same because the track is always changing.

There are four Australian drivers competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Martin Berry will drive a Mercedes in the LMGT3 class.

Two Australians will drive in the LMP2 class.

New Zealand has several drivers competing in the top-tier Hypercar class.

Each car has three drivers who take turns driving during the 24 hours.

One driver can drive for up to four hours in any six-hour period.

Preparation for the race starts months in advance.

Shahin prepares physically and mentally for the demands of the race.

The real work happens before the race, with team and mental preparation being key.

"It's about getting into a state of mind where you focus on stamina and consistency, not heroics," Shahin said.

Drivers need to be strong without being heavy and have a good hydration and nutrition strategy.

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"The temptation is to compete for lap time, but at 4 am, your job is to not make mistakes."

The win comes from 24 hours of getting it right, not one perfect lap.

Four Australians have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans outright.

Bernard Rubin was the first Australian to win the race outright in 1928.

It took 55 years for the next Australian, Vern Schuppan, to win.

Geoff Brabham and David Brabham also won the race for Australia.

The ABC of SPORT

Thursday, 11 June 2026, at 9:00 am

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