24h Le Mans
Monday 15 January 2024 marks Blue Monday, thought to be the most depressing day of the year. Fortunately, we have the 92nd 24 Hours of Le Mans (12-16 June) to look forward to! Here are our top tips on how to cope on this dreary Monday and indulge your passion for the French endurance classic.
What could beat another look at the highlights from the Centenary race on our YouTube channel? Revisit the most memorable moments, the most exciting overtaking manoeuvres and Ferrari’s historic victory with the #51 499P Hypercar driven by Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi. And remember the wins for Inter Europol Competition in LMP2 and Corvette Racing in LMGTE Am.
Experience the excitement from a different angle with on-board views from a selection of the cars in the race: check out our YouTube playlist. Feel the same adrenaline rush as the drivers and gain a deeper understanding of the circuit’s intricacies. For the uninitiated, this is also a great way to get acquainted with the track. Without further ado, hop into the cockpits of the Corvette C8.R, Cadillac V-Series.R, Alpine Oreca 07-Gibson, Glickenhaus 007, Ferrari 499P, Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Peugeot 9X8, Porsche 963 and the Toyota GR010 Hybrid.
To chase away that Blue Monday feeling, relive all the excitement of the Centenary 24 Hours of Le Mans. Spend some time browsing through the official annual, an essential keepsake documenting one of the greatest events in the history of motorsport. It contains all the highlights from this year’s event, along with a presentation of the teams, the regulations, the standings, what happened off track and some of the very best photos. Meanwhile the official film will take you behind the scenes of the race. You can find the DVD and the annual in our official stores (Le Mans, Paris, Tours and Rouen) and online: boutique.lemans.org
The resounding roar of the engines is a key component of the 24 Hours of Le Mans experience. Why not take a listen to some of the most distinctive sounds from the Centenary, available on our SoundCloud profile? Hear the Gibson engine from the LMP2 class, the Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar and its V6, the V8 that powers the three Cadillac V-Series.R or the powerhouse that propels the Chevrolet Camaro Zl1, derived from the barnstorming NASCAR beast. A full-lap sound recording is also available. Sit back, close your eyes and savour the assorted engine tones!
The start of this year’s FIA WEC World Endurance Championship is not far off now. The competition kicks off on 2 March with the Qatar 1812 km, the first of eight rounds on the 2024 calendar. There will be 14 manufacturers on the grid: Ferrari, Toyota, Porsche, Peugeot, Cadillac, Alpine, Lamborghini, BMW, McLaren, Ford, Corvette, Aston Martin, Lexus and Isotta Fraschini. No fewer than 19 Hypercars will go head-to-head at the event, which also marks the début of the LMGT3 class in the FIA WEC. In the meantime, check out the Entry List and note your favourite teams.
And our final tip to help you get through Blue Monday – admire some of the finest photography from the Centenary 24 Hours of Le Mans in this gallery.
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