Insight: Why JOTA Heads to Le Mans As Real Contenders

Jamie Klein looks at the chances of the Porsche privateer squad in next weekend's 24 Hours of Le Mans...

For the first time since the mid-2000s, a privateer team heads to next week's 24 Hours of Le Mans able to aim for victory on merit. 

And if Hertz Team JOTA was to triumph in the biggest sports car race of them all, it wouldn’t come as a huge shock based on its form so far in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

From the start of the 2024 season, JOTA has looked every bit the part with its expanded two-car customer Porsche 963 effort, decked out in arguably one of the most attractive liveries in the Hypercar field.

And its decision to focus on testing in the Middle East over the winter paid off as it kicked off the season with a strong run to second in the Qatar 1812km for the No. 12 car.

Imola was altogether trickier, although the works Penske Porsches were also less competitive at the quirky Italian venue than they had been at Qatar, but at Spa the No. 12 machine was back in the mix, with Will Stevens and Callum Ilott emerging triumphant in highly unusual circumstances.

It was a win that undoubtedly owed much to the red flag following the huge crash involving Earl Bamber and Sean Gelael and the subsequent decision to restart the race even after the originally allotted time had run out. But Ilott still had to fight the similarly fortunate No. 6 Porsche of Kevin Estre in the closing stages, finally coming out on top comfortably.