how long is the course at le mans

Where is the 24 hours of Le Mans held?

Nov 15, 2021 · Le Mans makes up one part of the FIA World Endurance Championship which features multiple long-distance races worldwide. Currently included in the championship are: 6 Heures de Spa-Francorchamps at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.6 Hours of Monza at Autodromo Nazionale di Monza. 8 Hours of Bahrain at the Bahrain International Circuit.

How long is the Le Mans Classic?

Aug 23, 2021 · The 24 Hours of Le Mans is auto racing's Boston Marathon, a brutal test of endurance where competitors race stunningly fast cars for 24 straight hours at speeds that can exceed 200 mph on the...

What is Le Mans?

how long is the le mans sports car endurance race? Their travel times vary, depending on the team, between 45 minutes and four hours. It is not uncommon for …

How fast do you Drive in the 24 hours of Le Mans?

Aug 18, 2021 · Known as the Circuit de la Sarthe, a single lap of Le Mans covers approximately 8.5 miles. See all 55 photos What are the most miles driven during the 24 Hours of Le Mans? The winning car at the...

How long does each driver drive in Le Mans?

A team of three drivers competes in each car. They each drive anywhere from about 45 minutes to four hours at a time, depending on the team. When the cars stop for fuel and tires (about every 45 to 50 minutes) the teams sometimes change out the drivers.Aug 18, 2021

How long are Le Mans shifts?

All teams must rotate three drivers through the car during the race, with no one driver behind the wheel for more than a total of 14 hours. Driver changes happen in conjunction with pit stops for fuel and fresh tires.Aug 23, 2021

How many classes are in Le Mans 24 hours?

four categoriesThere are four categories at Le Mans, corresponding to three types of car. The categories are LMP1 (Le Mans Prototype 1), LMP2 (Le Mans Prototype 2), GTE PRO (Gran Turismo Endurance Professional) and GTE AM (Gran Turismo Endurance Amateur).

Do drivers sleep during Le Mans?

During the race, sleep is a luxury. Everyone is different when it comes to fatigue and recovery times can differ greatly. "In theory, you can get five hours sleep over the course of the race," says Paul-Loup Chatin. "Last year, I managed pretty well.Jun 12, 2019

Do Le Mans drivers pee?

Another is urine. “Pretty much all of us had to pee during a stint,” says Turner, remembering Le Mans in 2005. “It sounds revolting but all you're peeing is water, because you're drinking so much and sweating so much. “The hardest thing was actually relaxing enough to get going,” he continues.Jun 16, 2016

Do Rolex 24 drivers sleep?

Crew members often are napping in the pits during a Rolex 24 at Daytona (Marc Serota/Getty Images). But it still can be difficult to arise from a deep sleep on a cozy bed.Jan 23, 2020

Is Le Mans part of F1?

However, Le Mans has always had a stronger reputation than the World Championship and is a round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The race is also known as a leg of the informal Triple Crown of Motorsport which links Formula One, IndyCar, and sports car racing to represent a career achievement for drivers.

Why do drivers run to their cars at Le Mans?

His protest did not go unnoticed and the rules were changed from 1970 so that all drivers started the race sitting in their cars to prevent them from risking their lives to save a few extra seconds. As of 1971, a rolling start was introduced with the green flag given after the cars take a warm-up lap.Feb 18, 2020

How much does a Le Mans car cost?

Ginetta LMP1 priced at $1.67 million, plus engine lease… Ginetta has released the pricing structure and further technical details of its LMP1 non-hybrid car, which will debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship next year.Apr 13, 2017

Do F1 drivers pee in car?

Do F1 drivers pee in their suits during a race? The simple answer is yes they do. F1 drivers can relieve themselves during races on the off chance that they need to but many have strongly claimed that they wait until they return to the paddock.7 days ago

How do Le Mans drivers eat?

"Generally speaking, drivers eat after their stint because while their teammate is driving, they can eat, digest and go to sleep a bit. They will eat up until 11 p.m. and then will no longer eat up until around 5/6 a.m. If they were to eat, they would digest and be more subject to drowsiness and fatigue.Jun 15, 2014

How do race car drivers pee during the race?

They simply pee inside their suits. No fancy-schmancy tubes or systems. Nothing. They pretty much wet themselves.Apr 14, 2021

Where is the 24 Hours of Le Mans race track?

The Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, also known as Circuit de la Sarthe (after the 1906 French Grand Prix triangle circuit) located in Le Mans, Sarthe, France, is a semi-permanent motorsport race course, chiefly known as the venue for the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race. Comprising private, race-specific sections of track in addition ...

Where is the Le Mans track?

The road racing track, which was a triangle from Le Mans down south to Mulsanne, northwest to Arnage, and back north to Le Mans, has undergone many modifications over the years, with CIRCUIT N°15 being in use since 2018.

What is the Mulsanne Straight?

As the Hunaudières leads to the village of Mulsanne, it is often called the Mulsanne Straight in English, even though the proper Route du Mulsanne is the one from or to Arnage. After exiting the Tertre Rouge corner, cars spent almost half of the lap at full throttle, before braking for Mulsanne Corner.

What is Le Mans famous for?

Le Mans was most famous for its 6 km (3.7 mi) long straight, called Ligne Droite des Hunaudières, a part of the route départementale (for the Sarthe département) D338 (formerly Route Nationale N138 ).

How fast was the 1988 Le Mans race?

At the beginning of the 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans race, Roger Dorchy driving for Welter Racing in a "Project 400" car, which sacrificed reliability for speed, was clocked by radar travelling at 407 kilometres per hour (253 mph).

How fast is the Sarthe circuit?

Even with the modifications put in place over the years, the Sarthe circuit is still known for being very fast, with prototype cars achieving average lap speeds in excess of 240 km/h (150 mph).

How fast is Mulsanne?

Additionally, the times spent reaching maximum speed also mean tremendous wear on the brakes and suspension as cars must slow from over 322 km/h (200 mph) to around 100 km/h (60 mph) for the sharp corner at the village of Mulsanne .

What time does Le Mans start?

What time does it start? Coverage begins at 8:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern time, with the race starting at 9:00 a.m. Ea stern time (3:00 p.m. local time) on Saturday, June 15. History, hellish events, and high speeds are the key ingredients that make the 24 Hours of Le Mans the world's greatest sports-car race.

How fast is Le Mans?

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is auto racing's Boston Marathon, a brutal test of endurance where competitors race stunningly fast cars for 24 straight hours at speeds that can exceed 200 mph on the fastest section of the incredibly long 8.5-mile Circuit de la Sarthe road course. The race is a punishing test that pushes driver ...

What are the LMP1 and LMP2 cars?

The top two classes, LMP1 and LMP2, are made up of purpose-built race cars that can cost millions and are supported by large crews of engineers and technicians. The cars look like four-wheeled fighter jets and employ advanced aerodynamics to suck them to the track, which enables astounding speed in the corners.

Why was Le Mans canceled?

Racing dynasties have flourished and faded across the 86 years the event has run—it was canceled for 10 years during World War II and in 1936 because of strikes across France.

How long is the longest straightaway in the world?

One of the world's longest racing straightaways at 3.7 miles, it's actually a public road, French route départementale D338, except for those few days each year when it is closed down for the 24-hour event.

When was Le Mans first run?

By Rich Ceppos. Jun 6, 2019. Getty Images. First run in 1923, the annual 24 Hours of Le Mans in France is the world's greatest sports-car race. On the famous Mulsanne straight, the fastest cars top 200 mph.

When is the 24 Hours of Le Mans?

What is it? The 87 th running of the world's most prestigious sports-car race, which lasts (as its name makes clear) for 24 hours. When is the 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans? June 15–16, starting at 9 a.m. Eastern time.

How many hours is Le Mans?

The 24 Hours of Le Mans . . . Is that like 24 consecutive hours? Yep. The race starts at 8:00 a.m. EST (5:00 a.m. PST) on Saturday in France and ends at 8:00 a.m. EST (5:00 a.m. PST) Sunday.

What is the draw of Le Mans?

One of the draws of Le Mans—and endurance racing in general—has always been the ability to compete against cars of relative speed. The race has featured multi-class racing where you compete against cars of similar spec. You may not necessarily be racing the car next to you on track, in other words.

What is the Mulsanne Straight?

The famous Mulsanne Straight was once a very-long straightaway that connected the towns of Le Mans (roughly Pitlane to Turn 6, above) and Mulsanne (Turn 9) . That straight now has two chicanes (Turns 7 and 8) to keep top speeds down. See all 44 photos.

How far did the GT40s cross the finish line?

At the 1966 race, a pair of Ford GT40s managed to cross the finish line with less than 66 feet separating the two cars. Admittedly, Ford realized how far its cars were ahead of the competition and the team made the in-race decision to arrange this finish.

How many wins did Porsche have at Le Mans?

Porsche's 19 wins make it the most successful automaker to race at Le Mans. The next best brand, Audi, holds 13 wins under its belt.

How long does it take to drive a car in a team?

A team of three drivers competes in each car. They each drive anywhere from about 45 minutes to four hours at a time, depending on the team. When the cars stop for fuel and tires (about every 45 to 50 minutes) the teams sometimes change out the drivers. A driver change includes belting the driver in and plugging in a few things.

Who holds the record for fastest lap time at Le Mans?

What's the fastest speed ever achieved at Le Mans? Roger Dorchy holds the fastest speed at the track when he hit nearly 252 mph in a WM P88 in 1988. Alas, the chicanes since added to the Mulsanne Straight mean today's drivers have little hope of beating Dorchy's record.

How long is the 24 Hours of Le Mans?

Add to Plan. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the most demanding automobile race in the world. Teams of three drivers battle to complete the most laps of the 8.47-mile Circuit de la Sarthe in one full day. Every June, it attracts hundreds of thousands of motorsport fans to the small town that lends the event its name.

What was the purpose of Le Mans?

A brief history. Le Mans has always been about experimentation and pushing the automobile to its limit s. The organizers of the inaugural event in 1923, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, hoped that an endurance race would help them understand which technologies were most beneficial for improving early car models.

What time does the pit walk start?

The day kicks off with the pit walk that starts at 10AM and finishes at 8PM. The cars and garages remain behind barriers but you won’t get any closer to them than this.

When is the autograph session in the hordes?

The main autograph session takes place on Tuesday before the hordes descend on the town. While you can spot famous faces from the past and present throughout the week, this is your best chance to grab them for a chat.

Do you need a weekend pass to go to the Grandstand?

Where to see the action. You don’t need to have a weekend pass for the grandstand to enjoy the race. In fact, even if you have a ticketed seat, it’s best to move around and see the race from different perspectives.

What are the 24 hours of Le Mans?

The 24 Hours of Le Mans, created in 1923, provides a circuit of 13.629 km including the Bugatti circuit and main roads open to the public all year round. 1 La Chapelle Descent. 2 Forest S-Bend. 3 Tertre Rouge Bend. 4 Mulsanne Straight.

How long is the Bugatti circuit?

Bugatti Circuit. Permanent 4.185 km circuit designed in 1965. 1 Main entrance. 2 Dunlop Bridge. In existence since 1950, it is the Eiffel Tower of the circuit. Located on the bend of the same name, from it you can see the 8,000 hectares of the circuit, explaining the name Panorama. 3 Old Museum Bend.

Overview

Track modifications

Speed record

Bugatti Circuit

Events

Race results

Weather and climate

External links