24h Le Mans
The distance record at the 24 Hours is the most coveted of all records at Le Mans. To achieve a flawless race with zero missteps is the ultimate dream of every competing team. Entrants have continued to push themselves throughout the years in their attempts to complete the symbolic number of 400 laps.
In the 1920s, shortly after the inception of the race, competitors weren't known to boast about lap speed or lack of mechanical troubles. Marketing campaigns focused on distance travelled or laps completed. Le Mans offered the perfect opportunity to set the distance record over 24 hours.
The number of laps depends on the configuration of the circuit, of course. The longer that is, the lower the total number of laps at the same hourly average, which is why it is customary to use the latter measurement rather than a fixed number. The symbolic number of 400 laps has never been reached in 92 runnings of the 24 Hours.
To do so would nearly take a miracle. Everything would have to fall into place perfectly. In addition to factors like the regulations (which at times have limited fuel consumption, car speed, aerodynamics, etc.), the track itself would need to be ideal for 24 hours with minimal safety car deployments and the absence of any mechanical problems. Mother Nature also plays a major role as it would be impossible to achieve the record in disruptive weather.
During the first running in 1923, for example, nothing went right. There were consistent downpours, the regulations in no way encouraged participants to go full throttle, the track was littered with pebbles and the cars weren't up to the task. The #9 Chenard & Walcker Sport distance record-holder, and therefore the favourite in the eyes of the public, completed 128 laps in 24 hours. Nine years later, the winning Alfa Romeo 8C covered 200. The circuit was quite different indeed, but the distance remained correlated to the number of laps.
Remarkable progress was made at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the early years relative to tyres, car reliability, the state of the track and everything that follows. In 1939, the winning Bugatti Type 57G completed 248 laps (1,145 km more than the Chenard & Walcker).
The 300-lap benchmark was next on the agenda. In 1953, Jaguar shocked opponents by equipping its Type C with disc brakes, the first in the history of motorsport. The change made all the difference. Since then, only one winning car has travelled less than 300 laps in 24 hours:. incessant rain and several surprise twists in 1995 led to the surprise victory of a McLaren F1 GTR after 298 laps.
When Ford set out to win Le Mans against Ferrari in the 1960s, it pulled out all the stops. In pursuit of that goal, the American carmaker produced the iconic high-performance GT40. In 1967, Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt won the 24 Hours in 388 laps, i.e. 5,000 km, a first at the race.
Over the years and various incarnations of the circuit, a few competitors have come close to reaching the 400-lap mark. The installation of chicanes in the Mulsanne Straight in 1990 slowed the cars, but not the progress: of the 13 runnings with more than 380 laps, nine date back less than 18 years.
In 1968 when new regulations were established, the record seemed safe for awhile. But the arrival of the iconic Porsche 917 in 1969 changed everything. That exceptional prototype, as intimidating as it was fast, soon set a new track record and, in 1971, a new distance record. Helmut Marko and Gijs van Lennep completed 397 laps of the circuit (5,335 km) at the wheel of their 917 K, short just 40 km from reaching 400 laps, but at that insane pace, their achievement was still mind-blowing.
It's always the same story: the circuit undergoes major modifications, as it did in 1972, but the cars come back even stronger than before. The Group Cs in the early 1980s challenged every bar previously set. In 1988, the Jaguar XJR-9 LM driven by Johnny Dumfries/Jan Lammers/Andy Wallace covered 394 laps in 24 hours. One year later, the Sauber-Mercedes C9 did 389. Then the chicanes were added, throwing another wrench in the hunt for the distance record.
But once again, the level of innovation rose to the occasion. The extremely well-designed Audi R8 threw its hat in the ring, and its successor, the R10 TDI, became the first diesel to claim the top step on the podium, in 2006. The car reached 380 laps for the first time since 1989. The increase in power of LMP1s with roaring engines came full circle in 2010 with the victory of the Audi R15 TDI shared by Timo Bernhard/Romain Dumas/Mike Rockenfeller.
The trio achieved 397 laps and a distance record of 5,410.7 km. It was a stunning feat, enough to reach 400 laps at the 1971 configuration of the circuit. After first appearing in 2012, hybrid prototypes routinely surpassed 380 laps, but the record remained in place 14 years later. Others came close: from 2018 to 2020, the winning Toyota never fell below 385 laps in 24 hours, a real coup given the number of major incidents the team endured.
Meanwhile, in 2015, Porsche was a top contender for the record. The German marque's three 919 Hybrids stood an excellent chance despite intense competition. Nico Hülkenberg/Earl Bamber/Nick Tandy crossed the finish line after 395 laps without making a single mistake.
The Hypercar era that got underway in 2021 is in its infancy, so it's no surprise the distance covered at Le Mans has shortened since the creation of the category, as is almost always the case following the introduction of new regulations. Last year, the Ferrari 499P of James Calado/Antonio Giovinazzi/Alessandro Pier Guidi covered 342 laps during a particularly challenging running of the race due to highly unpredictable weather conditions.
So, is the record even achievable? It wasn't that long ago the two-hour mark was considered unreachable by marathon runners, but is now a common goal for high-level runners. In the same vein, it was most likely thought in 1923 that covering 4,000 km during the 24 Hours was unthinkable. The technical evolution, the ACO's relentless pursuit of innovation and driver talent level are breathtaking. The legendary 100-year history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans has proven one thing to the world: engineers do not know the meaning of the word impossible.
