The Sauber team was the favorite contender at the 1989 Le Mans 24 Hours. Equipped with the Mercedes 5-liter turbocharged engine, the Sauber C9 Group C cars had the right compromise between cornering behavior and top speed. It therefore seemed a good year for Sauber, after the unlucky release in the previous edition. The Jaguar XJR-9 and the numerous Porsche 962Cs lined up by private teams are also competitive. The Japanese were present in force, with Mazda, Nissan and Toyota, and Aston Martin, returned to endurance races after a very long absence. The 1989 edition was also the last one with the configuration of the Hunaudières straight without chicanes. The Sauber Mercedes team scored a 1-2, placing Reuter / Dickens / Mass in first position, two laps ahead came Baldi / Acheson / Brancatelli. Third was the Porsche 962C of the Joest team driven by Stuck and Wollek.