"Les 24h du Mans" - a century of innovation

Mariya Gabriel is the European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education, Youth and Sport. Under her leadership, the new Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, and the cultural strand of Creative Europe programmes (2021-2027) will be defined and implemented. Her main priorities are excellence in research, innovation and education with a particular attention for young people and regions. “No one left behind” and “Think out of the box” are her mottos. Between 2017 and 2019, Mariya Gabriel was European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society. She was elected as Member of the European Parliament (MEP) in 2009, 2014 and 2019. Mariya Gabriel is First Vice-President of the European People’s Party (EPP), and, since 2012, Vice-President of EPP Women. Commissioner Gabriel is a board member of the United Nations youth programme Generation Unlimited (GenU). Mariya Gabriel is also known for her involvement in the fight for gender equality. Among others, she received the prestigious Italian prize “Golden Apple” for highest achievements for women. At the European Parliament, she was awarded twice “MEP of the year” – in 2016 for the Development category, and in 2013 for the Gender Equality category. In November 2020, Commissioner Gabriel received the Annual Award of the Vienna Economic Forum “Partner of the Year 2020” for contribution to the economic development, rewarding Ms Gabriel’s vision of a European knowledge strategy comprising the European Education Area, the European Research Area and the new Digital Education Action Plan.

Pierre Fillon is an ophthalmologist, the President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest since 2012 (the ACO organises, among other things, the 24 Hours of Le Mans) and Co-President of MissionH24 since 2018. He Attended his first 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966 and has never missed an edition since! MissionH24, is a collaborative programme with GreenGT, aiming at the creation of a car racing category dedicated to Hydrogen prototypes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, for a decarbonised competition and mobility.

An endurance driver in the LMGTE category, she has taken part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice, with an all-female crew, at the wheel of a Ferrari 488. She achieved a top 10 in each of her categories. She is the first woman to achieve a pole position in the FIA World Endurance Championship. She scored two FIA World Endurance Championship podiums in her class and a European Le Mans Series victory. She won her class at the Spa 24 Hours.

After a single-seater racing, Stéphane Richelmi is now involved in endurance racing. He has taken part three times in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with a victory in his category (LMP2) in 2016 with Signatech Alpine. A reference driver for MissionH24, at the wheel of a hydrogen-electric prototype, he became the first driver to have run an international endurance event with this hydrogen technology: in Imola, Italy, in 2022. He raced in Le Mans and Portugal with the H24, an electric hydrogen prototype (on display in Brussels on 1 March).

F1, Formula E and Endurance driver. With Toyota, Sébastien Buemi has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times (2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022) and three FIA World Endurance Championship titles. He was Formula E World Champion.

F1 and endurance driver. He has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans 4 times, with 4 different manufacturers: Peugeot, Porsche, McLaren and BMW.He is currently a driver advisor to the FIA’s Stewardship and Endurance Race Organisation.