Garage 59 steps onto endurance racing’s biggest stage

Garage 59 is ready for the ultimate test of time: the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The legendary race is the third round of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship and it’s the one that everyone wants to win.

The team arrives in France with momentum after victory for the #10 McLaren GT3 EVO in Round 2 at Spa-Francorchamps, but under no illusion of the herculean task ahead.

Le Mans is a race that demands respect. Across 24 hours, changing conditions, traffic, strategy and discipline all play their part, making it one of the toughest tests in endurance racing.

Garage 59 will field two McLaren entries at Le Mans. The #10 McLaren will be driven by Antares Au, Tom Fleming and Marvin Kirchhöfer, while the #58 McLaren will be shared by Alexander West, Benjamin Goethe and Finn Gehrsitz. Marvin is the only true Le Mans rookie in the team, while Benji and Tom are Le Mans 24-hour race rookies but have competed at the Circuit de la Sarthe in other events. Alex, Antares and Finn have competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans before and fully understand the scale of the challenge awaiting them in France.

Ahead of the race, the drivers shared their thoughts on what Le Mans means to them, the challenges they expect, and what success would look like when the chequered flag falls.

L-R: Antares Au, Marvin Kirchhöfer, Tom Fleming, Finn Gehrsitz, Benji Goethe, Alexander West

Le Mans is one of the most famous races in the world. For those racing here in the 24 Hours for the first time, what does it mean to be part of it?

Tom Fleming: Special. Seriously, seriously special. It’s an absolute dream to be competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. All year, there’s been nothing else on my mind apart from this event. Being in only the early stages of my career, I hope to be in this position many times in the future.

Marvin Kirchhöfer: I’m excited. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is on every race driver’s list. I will actually tick off all of the big 24-hour races this year: Daytona, Nürburgring, Le Mans and Spa.

For those of you returning to Le Mans, what do you look forward to most?

Antares Au: The vibe. This is the single most prestigious endurance race there is.

Alexander West: The atmosphere. Something very special happens at Le Mans, which is unique to this event.

Finn Gehrsitz: Honestly, it’s the sheer brutality of the challenge. I thrive in environments that push you to the absolute limit. Le Mans is the toughest race of the season, and that is exactly the kind of challenge that brings out my best performance.

There is so much history attached to this race. Does that create pressure, or is it more about excitement?

Benjamin Goethe: More excitement for sure. It is such a unique event with so much history that I just want to give it my all.

Marvin Kirchhöfer: Mostly excitement. I put pressure on myself when I need it, which is usually towards the end of endurance races when you are in the fight for something.

Tom Fleming: I definitely feel excitement. You never forget your first, and to be part of such a spectacle, something I’ve only watched before, is going to be magnificent. Of course I want to win the race, but there isn’t the pressure to perform. We’ve had a very strong start to our WEC campaign and I believe we have a strong chance of a solid result.

Le Mans combines permanent track sections with public roads, long straights, traffic and changing conditions. What makes this place so unique?

Tom Fleming: Something the simulators don’t really capture is the dynamic change in grip level because of the mix of track surfaces. Some parts are permanent racing circuit, and others are public roads with very different treatment.

Benjamin Goethe: I really love the flow of the track, especially how fast and committed you have to be through sections like the Porsche Curves. There’s so much history there, and when you hook up a lap it feels incredibly rewarding. The challenging part is how little margin for error there is, especially with traffic and changing conditions over such a long lap.

Finn Gehrsitz: It’s that breathtaking transition where the circuit leaves the permanent track and opens up onto the public roads. Blasting down what is usually just a normal everyday street at nearly 290 km/h is an absolute rush. The speed, the narrow margins and the history of those roads make it an incredible feeling.

For the drivers who have raced here before, does experience change the way you understand Le Mans?

Antares Au: For sure it evolves with experience. First time around everything’s new and big and overwhelming. When you get to do it again, you’re a bit wiser, more settled, and know you want to make more out of the incredible opportunity that is these two weeks on track.

Finn Gehrsitz: Absolutely. Le Mans is unlike any other circuit on earth. You have to master the strategic chess game and develop an instinct for the race rhythm, knowing when to attack and when to manage the car. There is zero room for error.

Benji and Tom, you have raced on the Circuit de la Sarthe before, but not in the 24-hour race. Which part of the event are you most curious about experiencing?

Benjamin Goethe: I’m most curious about experiencing the night running and how the race evolves over the full 24 hours. At the same time, that’s probably the part you have to respect the most too, because fatigue, traffic and changing grip levels can catch you out quickly.”

Tom Fleming: I’m most curious about the pacing of the race itself. There will be a very large spread of strategies being played out from Lap 1, and to understand what the right call is will be interesting.

Traffic is always a major part of Le Mans. How different is it here compared with other endurance races?

Alexander West: There are more cars at Le Mans but the straights are longer so it’s actually easier to manage the traffic. 

Antares Au: Funny enough, it’s actually easier in some ways. Do the math: 13.6km circuit, 62 cars, that’s 220 metres between each car on average. In a lot of other WEC circuits we deal with track densities that are twice as high. That doesn’t mean it’s easy; you still have to watch out for the high-risk areas like the chicanes and Porsche/Karting, where the natural speeds of the different classes are tremendously different.

Marvin Kirchhöfer: I think you will have to be very aware of traffic in the final sector, as there will be big speed differences through there.

A 24-hour race is as much about preparation and patience as outright speed. How are you preparing for the week?

Benjamin Goethe: A 24-hour race is all about staying consistent, managing energy and being ready for anything, so I’m preparing to stay adaptable and patient throughout the week.

Marvin Kirchhöfer: I’m focusing on the physical side by working out and going on the bike a lot, and also making sure I get good sleep.

Tom Fleming: For me, the best thing to do is to take the hurdles as they come. There’s no point wasting unnecessary energy before the event. The job is to drive fast, and as long as you’re doing that, everything else is easier.

How do you balance pushing from the start while respecting the length of the full event?

Benjamin Goethe: I feel ready to push, but Le Mans is also a race where you need to be smart from the very beginning. Knowing the track definitely helps, and being experienced in the McLaren, the goal is to settle into a strong rhythm early and build from there.

Marvin Kirchhöfer: It’s a very long event, so there is time to have a nice, steady build-up.

Tom Fleming: Of course, with a new combination of car and circuit you’d rather start a bit more cautiously, but I’ve done a couple of support races now at Le Mans, so I’m not building my track knowledge from zero.

For those who have raced through the night here before, is there one moment that really captures Le Mans for you?

Antares Au: The Mulsanne Straight at dawn. That section is pitch black throughout the night, but when you survive the night, you see the first light of the morning crack over the treeline as you come down Mulsanne towards Indianapolis. It’s a genuinely unique experience, metaphorically and mentally.

Finn Gehrsitz: I really love the night stints, where it’s just you, the car and the darkness. But the ultimate feeling is crossing the finish line and achieving a great result. When you’ve pushed your body and mind to the limit for 24 hours, seeing that chequered flag is the ultimate reward.

Finally, when the chequered flag falls on Sunday, what would make this a successful Le Mans?

Antares Au: To be on the podium. Easier said than done, but I’d love to be at my best and give it my best shot.

Alexander West: Finishing — and finishing on the podium.

Marvin Kirchhöfer: I would be very happy with a podium at Le Mans. Obviously, we want to win though. I think if we all do our job, make no mistakes, have no technical issues and are in the fight, we should be proud.

Benjamin Goethe: Winning is always the aim, but if we can finish the race making no mistakes and giving it our all, I would be very proud.

Tom Fleming: Finishing on the lead lap feels like the most cautious answer without jinxing anything. Typically, there aren’t too many cars that finish on the lead lap, so doing so would mean we’ve had a good run at it.

Finn Gehrsitz: Success for me means executing to the absolute maximum of my potential. I’m entering this weekend more prepared than ever, and I’m ready to leave everything on that track.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans will get underway on Saturday 13 June at 16:00hrs local time.