24h Le Mans
Today's the day! The start of the historic 24 Hours Centenary will be given at 16:00 local time. The race is the fourth round on the 2023 FIA WEC calendar. The official starter will wave the French flag to release the competitors for 24 hours of racing, including Toyota, Ferrari, Porsche, Peugeot, Cadillac, Glickenhaus and Vanwall going after a particularly prestigious overall win this year.
The minutes preceding the official start of the race at 16:00 are reserved for a stunning annual ceremony. The cars are positioned on the grid, the French flag is brought in by helicopter, La Marseillaise national anthem is sung in chorus by all in attendance and the Patrouille de France air force acrobatic team flies over the circuit. The pressure starts to mount intensely for the drivers at this point. When the Race Director releases the 62 cars, the adrenaline is at an all-time high!
Earlier, between 12:00 and 12:15, the teams will be given one last opportunity to hit the track during the Warm-Up to confirm their cars are ready for the race. This is not the time for drivers to take any unnecessary risks. The brief track time is perfect for fine-tuning final settings and adapting the cars to weather conditions announced for the race.
Competitors in the Ferrari Challenge Europe and Ferrari Challenge North America will hit the track in the Ferrari 488 Challenge EVOs a few hours before the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans for their race between 09:30 and 10:15.
The Porsche Carrera Cup allows young drivers to stand out on an international stage, and amateurs to fulfill their passion for racing. They'll show off their driving skills in a race scheduled from 10:45 to 11:30.
The grand 24 Hours of Le Mans Centenary exhibition will be open to the public every day of Race Week. The installation highlights 86 outstanding cars: 65 winners and 21 cars that otherwise made history at the 24 Hours. Organised in collaboration with Peter Auto, the exhibition takes visitors through 100 years of history including the evolution of the circuit, records set and major events that marked the race.
With more than 10 million LPs sold to date, MIKA has earned gold and platinum records in 32 countries and has proven to be a true multifaceted artist thanks to his talent as a singer-songwriter, performer, fashion designer, illustrator and columnist. MIKA first found success with his single Grace Kelly from his first album Life In Cartoon Motion that climbed straight to number 1 on the British charts and in 11 other countries with more than seven million copies sold across the globe. He has since released three more albums that went platinum: The Boy Who Knew Too Much, The Origin of Love and No Place In Heaven. MIKA has won the British Breakthrough Act award and has been nominated at the Grammys, MTV Europe Music Awards, Capital Radio Awards and World Music Awards. His Italian RA12 TV program “Stasera Casa Mika” won the prestigious Rose D’or Award for Best Entertainment Series in 2017. MIKA served as a judge on "The Voice" in France and hosted his own radio show on BBC2 Radio called "The Art of Song." Don't miss the start of the concert at 20:00 in the Pop Art Concert Fan Zone!
The 24 Hours Centenary festivities will come to a close with a nighttime extravaganza including a breathtaking fireworks display and a show using 400 drones! Make sure to be at the Pop Art Concert Fan Zone at 23:00 on the dot for the start of this unforgettable spectacle.
09:30 – 10:15 : Ferrari Challenge | Race 1
10:45 – 11 :30 : Porsche Carrera Cup | Race 1
12:00 – 12:15 : 24 Hours of Le Mans Centenary | Warm-Up
12:30 – 13:25 : 24 Hours of Le Mans Centenary Exhibition Parade
13:50 – 15:00 : Gridwalk
15:30 : 24 Hours of Le Mans Centenary | Official Ceremony
15:51 : 24 Hours of Le Mans Centenary | Formation Lap
16:00 : 24 Hours of Le Mans Centenary (91st running) | Start
20:00 – TBD : Mika Concert
23:00 – TBD : Nighttime Centenary Show
