Mulsanne Corner

Previously unchanged since 1986 when a right-hand kink was created to avoid a new roundabout, Mulsanne has seen its grass verges asphalted this year. It offers a spectacular vantage point, especially at night when brake discs can be seen glowing in the dark.

From full throttle on the Mulsanne straight, drivers have to slow right down to negotiate the right-angle corner, with a safety barrier opposite and very little run-off space. In fact, this section is so slow that in 1956 the signalling pits were installed just after the corner instead of on the pit straight where speeds are higher and distractions more dangerous. They remained there until 1990. The team members posted at Mulsanne had to remain on the spot for 24 hours as all access routes were closed for the duration of the race.

This winter, the grass verges between the Mulsanne Corner and the Porsche curves were tarmacked, to prevent skidding in wet weather. The corner itself remains as it has been since 1986 and is still one of the most testing spots on the circuit.

When tiredness sets in on the Sunday morning, it is not uncommon for drivers to go straight on at Mulsanne. Fortunately, there are rarely any consequences other than a dent or two. The cars drop 300 kph in the space of 300 metres, yet there are rarely any spectacular accidents, although many will remember Anthony Davidson’s somersaults in his Toyota in 2012. Just before the end of the straight, the driver of a Ferrari did not see the TS030 coming up fast behind him and cut in front of Davidson, who crashed heavily into the tyre barrier. Fortunately, the barrier did its job. The Ferrari driver, Piergiuseppe Perazzini, came out without a scratch and Anthony Davidson felt lucky to have broken two vertebrae.

The Mulsanne corner is popular with spectators just to marvel at the intense braking, especially at night. Each car offers the same spectacle: a circle of fire in the wheel as the brakes heat to furnace-like temperatures. Mulsanne is at the furthest tip of the circuit, but is well worth a visit (with an Enceinte Générale pass), especially for keen photographers.

To be continued...

Cécile Bonardel / ACO Translation by Emma Paulay

PHOTO: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, 18 & 19 JUIN 1932. A competitor in Mulsanne Corner.