24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a renowned endurance automobile race held annually in France, first established in 1923. It takes place on the Circuit de Sarthe, an 8.467-mile track that combines public roads and private sections. Teams of drivers race two-seated sports cars, which can be specially designed prototypes or modified versions of existing vehicles. The race's unique structure requires multiple drivers per team, as no single driver can complete the entire 24-hour duration. The winner is determined by the team that completes the most laps within this timeframe, with a rich history of competition among major car manufacturers striving for innovative performance.
The event has faced significant challenges, including a tragic accident in 1955 that resulted in numerous fatalities, prompting changes to safety regulations and course design. Modern Le Mans features diverse vehicle classifications, including Le Mans Prototypes and Grand Touring Endurance cars, with professional drivers competing in various categories. Danish driver Tom Kristensen holds the record for most wins, with nine victories, while Porsche and Audi lead in manufacturer wins. The race remains a pivotal event in the world of motorsport, combining endurance, strategy, and engineering excellence.
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is one of the most prestigious endurance automobile races in the world. First held in 1923, the Le Mans race is run on the Circuit de Sarthe, an 8.467-mile (13.626-kilometer) track in northern France. Drivers at Le Mans race sports cars, which are two-seated vehicles that can be either prototypes made especially for the race or modified forms of existing cars. The length and grueling nature of the event is such that one driver cannot complete the entire race. Drivers instead work in teams, with the winner being the team that completes the greatest number of laps in the twenty-four-hour period. The race is as famous for its competition between car manufacturers as it is among drivers, with companies trying to outdo each other by designing the most innovative performance vehicles. While the 24 Hours of Len Mans may be the world’s most famous auto race, it is also the site of the sport’s greatest tragedy. In 1955, a car careened off the track and into the stands, killing the driver and more than eighty spectators.
Background
The first gas-powered automobiles with internal combustion engines were invented in the 1880s, and the first automobile race was held soon after this. The 1894 contest was held on a 79-mile (127-kilometer) course that ran through the French countryside from Paris to the town of Rouen. France and Germany were two of the leading car-manufacturing nations at the start of the twentieth century. As a result, French and German car companies often participated in races to show off the performance of their vehicles. Most of the early European events were known as Grand Prix races, a French term meaning “great prize.” Grand Prix races were typically designed for speed and were run on road courses rather than on specially built tracks.
In 1923, a group of French racing enthusiasts, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, organized a race that was a test of endurance and performance rather than speed. Because of the grueling nature of the contest, organizers chose a 10.7-mile (17.2-kilometer) course through the streets of Le Mans in northwestern France. The course, which utilized all public roads, was called the Circuit de la Sarthe, after the Sarthe River that runs through the town. Car companies were eager to participate as a way to demonstrate their innovative designs and the durability and reliability of their vehicles. Thirty-three cars and sixty-six drivers signed up for the inaugural twenty-four-hour race in May 1923. The first winners were Andre Lagache and Rene Leonard, who raced for French automaker Chenard & Walcker.
Overview
French and British teams dominated the race in its early days, with the Italian Alfa Romeo team capturing a pair of wins in the early 1930s. The race was put on hold from 1940 to 1948 as World War II (1939–1945) engulfed Europe, but it was restarted in 1949. By the early 1950s, the race had grown so popular that it became the centerpiece of the World Sportscar Championship, a circuit devoted to endurance races and road races. However, in the midst of its soaring popularity, the race was also the site of the worst tragedy in the history of motorsports. In 1955, a car driven by Frenchman Pierre Levegh ran into the back of another car that was forced to slow near the pit area. Levegh’s car went airborne, slammed into an embankment near the stands, and exploded. Levegh was killed instantly, and his car split apart, sending pieces flying into the crowd of spectators. Eighty-three people were killed, and more than 120 were injured in the crash, which prompted major changes in the course and sport of racing.
Part of the legacy of the 1955 crash is that the course was eventually shortened to its modern length of 8.467 miles. Stretches of private roads made specifically for racing were also incorporated into the route, and adjustments were made to the area around the pits to slow cars down as they entered. In the modern era, drivers typically drive at full speed for about 85 percent of the course, at times reaching speeds of 186 miles per hour (300 kilometers per hour). The all-time speed record at Le Mans is 251.7 mph (405 km/h), set in 1988.
Modern rules allow two types of sports cars to compete at Le Mans, with both types further divided into two classifications. Le Mans Prototypes, or LMPs, are specially built cars made exclusively by automakers for racing at Le Mans. They are constructed using the most up-to-date aerodynamic and fuel technology and can cost millions of dollars to produce. LMP1 cars are the top class of racing vehicles and are under no minimum performance restrictions. LMP2 cars are also prototypes but are typically gasoline-powered, slightly slower, and must meet certain weight requirements. GTE, or grand touring endurance, cars are specially modified vehicles based on existing sports car designs. Professional drivers compete in GTE-Pro cars, while private teams and amateur drivers use GTE-Am vehicles.
Drivers are ranked according to experience, with only the most experienced drivers allowed to compete at the Hypercar level. A team is made up of three drivers who must take turns getting behind the wheel. Each driver must drive for at least six hours during the race but cannot drive for a total of more than fourteen hours. At one time, racers would begin the race from a standing start and run to their cars. However, due to safety reasons, the race now begins with the drivers in their vehicles. The winner of the race is the team that completes the most laps over the course of twenty-four hours. The all-time record of 397 laps, or 3,362.061 miles (5,410.713 kilometers), was set in 2010. Danish driver Tom Kristensen holds the record for most victories at Le Mans, with nine wins over a period from 1997 to 2013. German automakers Porsche and Audi have the most manufacturer’s wins, with nineteen and thirteen, respectively. The Italian automaker Ferrari is next with nine. The only American company to win at Le Mans was Ford, which captured four titles from 1966 to 1969.
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