24h Le Mans
The thrill of being in the grandstands or the general enclosure when the cars take to the track sends your senses into overdrive. The show you’re about to see is a celebration of sights, sounds and smells that will take your whole body along for the ride.
Night has fallen. The air is cooler. Though you can’t yet see them, you hear them arrive. Regardless of the noise regulations, the cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit make a racket. And within the din are the details. The well-trained ear can differentiate the gentle hum of a Porsche 911 RSR-19 flat-six engine from the shrill whistle of a downshifting Ferrari 488 GTE Evo turbo or the roar of a pack of LMP2s on the approach. Everything sounds louder in the dark.
Once you get the hang of it, the deafening chaos reveals a wealth of information. You’ll be able to pick out an Aston Martin V8 from a cluster of cars. Or listen to the Toyotas sweep past the outer kerb at the Tertre Rouge corner: if it shaves the kerb, you’ll know the driver is on the attack, teetering on the very edge of the track. Listen closely and you’ll realise that beneath a high-pitched screech you can hear the tyres being put through their paces. And then, there are the times it all goes pear-shaped. A mash-up of pinions in a broken gearbox, a flailing engine, or a cylinder down will make your ears bleed. On this note, make sure you kit out adults and children alike with earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones to protect your hearing.
When everything goes well, the race has no smell. Not so when it all comes a cropper. While the odours that emanate from a racing car could, arguably, never be classed as fragrant, they bear witness to overheating, engine failure, heavily-pounded brakes, and fuel leaks. The acrid smell cuts through the fresh night air, offending your nose but telling you what’s happening on the track. And what could be sweeter than the smell of burning rubber as an elated winner delights fans with a series of doughnuts to celebrate victory?
Now open your eyes wide. A car naturally rears up as it accelerates, slumps when it brakes, and slopes as it turns. You can see as the car’s weight shifts around. You can gauge a driver’s finesse by the way the car moves: the front train of a Corvette flattens a touch too much as braking nears completion, the rear train of a Ferrari grapples for grip as it comes out of a turn. The slightest hint of roughness will niggle a rigid prototype.
Look closely to see how the cars behave differently in a curve: the aerodynamic LMP2 prototypes with a strong downforce seem to be glued to the track – not so much the GTEs. We saw a somewhat sluggish front end on a Glickenhaus coming down La Chapelle, where the permanent Bugatti racetrack gives way to the 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit; however, maybe it was simply the settings or tyre temperature.
Between one run and another, you’ll see how a car moves through its settings and observe the judgement calls of the driver as they strive to take it up to but not over the tipping point. As darkness draws in, see how the brake discs glow red, particularly at the front – it’s always an impressive sight. Every straight, curve and spin is a celebration for the senses.
The best way to experience motor racing is up close. Especially at the 24 Hours of Le Mans!
