Aussie Driver Yasser Shahin Leads Le Mans Championship

When the green flag drops Sunday for the 94th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, one Australian driver will start the race exactly where every competitor dreams of being: first place.

Yasser Shahin, a Palestinian Australian racer, leads the LMGT3 class of the World Endurance Championship heading into motorsport's most legendary test of speed and stamina. Along with teammates Richard Lietz and Riccardo Pera, Shahin drives the number 92 The Bend Manthey Porsche, which has notched third-place finishes at both Imola and Spa this season.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is exactly what it sounds like: 62 cars, 186 drivers, racing nonstop from midnight Sunday to midnight Monday on a 13.6-kilometer circuit in the French town of Le Mans. Each car fields three drivers who swap in and out, with no single driver allowed more than 14 hours behind the wheel.

Shahin knows championship points mean nothing if you can't finish. "You can't win the race in the first hour, but you can certainly lose it," he told ABC Sport this week. "One pit stop going wrong can be the difference between a podium and finishing nowhere."

The Circuit de la Sarthe is part racetrack, part public road, meaning the surface changes constantly as drivers navigate the course. The famous Mulsanne straight uses regular streets that are bumpier and offer different grip than the smooth permanent sections.

Then there's the day-night cycle that transforms everything. "The whole character of the place changes at night," Shahin explained. "You're adapting to rubber going down, the track temperature shifting as the sun moves."

Shahin already has Le Mans experience, winning the LMGT3 class with Manthey in 2024. His teammate Lietz was part of that victory too, giving the duo confidence that they know what it takes.

Why This Inspires

What makes Shahin's story remarkable isn't just the racing skill. It's the months of preparation, the team of more than a dozen people working in perfect sync, and the mental discipline required to race for consistency rather than glory over 24 exhausting hours.

"The real work happens in the lead-up," Shahin said. "It's about getting yourself into a state of mind where you understand that it's stamina, consistency, repeatability and precision that delivers the results, not heroics."

Shahin is one of four Australians competing this weekend, joined by Martin Berry in LMGT3, and Jack Doohan and James Allen in the LMP2 class. Three New Zealanders round out the Oceania representation in the top-tier Hypercar category.

For Shahin and his team, the goal is simple: keep the car running, stay consistent, and let 24 hours of hard work speak for itself.