Emanuele Pirro was unexpectedly emotional when he returned to Le Mans – “his” circuit – and to the 24 Hours. The five-time winner of the world’s greatest endurance race served as Grand Marshal at the wheel of the Porsche lead car that sets the pace for the pack of drivers during the rolling start. He arrived in Le Mans last Thursday for a few preparations before the big day and, on Thursday evening, he got the chance to cover two laps of the 13-kilometre-plus track which is very special to him. He then completed his official lap on Saturday, just before 14:30. "It was a very emotional moment. It was a special occasion so I recorded a video in which you can see all the competitors behind me. Of course I wanted to go faster, but that’s not part of the procedure! I had to keep to a very specific pace to keep the whole grid together. The tension was palpable, you could feel the adrenalin behind! When I came back in after my lap, it felt like I’d unleashed 59 tigers, 59 wild cats! It’s an amazing experience."

In 2000, Emanuele Pirro clinched his first 24 Hours of Le Mans win with German manufacturer Audi, a historic moment in the race’s history, which the driver was able to reminisce on during a visit to the 24 Hours of Le Mans museum. “History is like good health – money can’t buy you either. History is a treasure, it’s priceless, and it helps build your future.“ The future of Endurance racing is embodied in Le Mans Hypercar and LMDh, the ACO/IMSA convergence, which the Italian sums up well: “A few years ago the Atlantic Ocean felt immense, with a big gap between the American and European races. That gap has now narrowed and it’s excellent news."  

Emmanuele Pirro (left), Grand Marshal at the 88th 24 Hours of Le Mans.