Lynk & Co: The First Chinese Manufacturer at the 24 Hours of Le Mans?

Lynk & Co could write a new chapter in the history of motorsport by setting out to conquer the Mulsanne classic.

The idea might have seemed far-fetched a few years ago, yet the prospect of seeing Lynk & Co become the first officially engaged Chinese manufacturer at the 24 Hours of Le Mans has never been more credible. Just a week after Yann Ehrlacher clinched the title in the TCR World Tour, the World Touring Car Championship, the Geely group brand announced its withdrawal from the competition. The end of an era… and perhaps the beginning of a much larger ambition.

Since 2019, Lynk & Co has established itself as one of the major players on the circuits, racking up three Driver titles and four Manufacturer titles, with prominent names like Andy Priaulx, Yvan Muller, and Yann Ehrlacher. However, the discipline has lost some of its luster, with its media exposure declining year after year. In a market where image counts as much as results, the Chinese manufacturer could not ignore any longer the incomparable allure of the world’s greatest race.

Competition, a mirror of the global automotive industry

While Lynk & Co prepares for its transformation, the parent company Geely will take the reins in TCR starting in 2026. The Chinese group, already linked with Renault and the owner of Volvo and Polestar, will field a Geely Preface TCR, heavily inspired by the expertise accumulated around the Lynk & Co 03.

However, eyes are now turning elsewhere. Lynk & Co is exploring new horizons, and rumors are circulating about a potential entry into Hypercar as early as 2028. If confirmed, this would mark a historic first. No Chinese manufacturer has yet fielded a factory car at Le Mans.

Nonetheless, China has not remained invisible there. The Hong Kong-based team KCMG won the LMP2 category in 2015, Jackie Chan DC Racing made its mark in the WEC during the 2010s, and driver Cheng Congfu was a pioneer, being the first Chinese participant at Le Mans in 2008. The latest sign: Yann Ehrlacher, a key figure for Lynk & Co in TCR, is set to start in LMP2 in the Asian Le Mans Series.

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In this context, the arrival of a Chinese manufacturer in endurance racing is no longer a question of if, but when. And as the days go by, the answer seems to lean towards Lynk & Co… unless BYD or SAIC beat them to it!

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