24h Le Mans
The city of Le Mans and the surrounding countryside has been used to the roar of engines since 1923. From the dirt tracks of old to the modern surfaces, the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans has come a long way, yet is still very much the same.
The inaugural 24 Hours of Le Mans, in 1923, was contested on barely tarmacked roads along a 17.262-km circuit which ran through parts of the city. It was the same circuit that had been used for the post-World War I Grand Prix de l’Automobile Club de France. Over the years, the ACO has made regular changes to the circuit, making it ever safer. Run-off areas have been added, chicanes installed to reduce speed, bumps ironed out, the surface renewed and revolutionary SAFER barriers erected. No expense is spared! With the improvements completed in 2018, the circuit now measures 13.626 kilometres.
YESTERDAY: For the first two years, the race started in grid formation. In 1925, the famous Le Mans start was instigated with drivers running across the track, jumping in their cars and speeding off (many without fastening their safety belts). By 1971, driver safety had become a central issue in motor racing. The rolling start was introduced that year and is still in practice today.
TODAY: The surface of the Pit Straight was completely relaid in 2017 (from the Raccordement to La Chapelle). At the end of the straight, LMP1s reach 280 kph in sixth gear before negotiating the first right-hander – the scene of many overtaking manoeuvres.
YESTERDAY: A landmark of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Dunlop Bridge spans the track after the curve and chicane of the same name. In 1924, it was just a basic metal footbridge bearing an advertising banner. It took the shape of a tyre in 1930 and has gradually evolved into the closed footbridge we know today. The Dunlop Curve has been altered several times and in 1987, a left-right chicane was added to reduce speed to around 100 kph.
TODAY: The Dunlop Curve is a large right-hander with a slight downward slope. Drivers take it without braking. Just afterwards, they brake hard before the left-right chicane negotiated in second gear at 100 kph. They can ride the kerb on the inside, but need to be wary of the outside kerb before the bridge.
YESTERDAY: Formerly the Tertre Rouge Esses, this sector is now known as the Forest Esses due to the many pine trees dotted around the circuit here.
TODAY: The downward sloping right-hand Chapel Curve is slightly bumpy and can set a car off balance. However, drivers take it fast before braking for the left-right, in third gear. The left-hander is tricky but if negotiated well, the right can be taken at speed. The slight rise makes for spectacular images from onboard cameras.
YESTERDAY: Tertre Rouge was altered in 1979 when the city’s ring road was built. What used to be a sharp right-hand turn became a smoother curve. The angle was widened again in 2006. After this curve, the circuit enters public roads that are closed to traffic especially for the race.
TODAY: Tertre Rouge is a key point as it influences entry into the Mulsanne Straight. Braking is light, but positioning is vital to come off the bend as fast as possible.
YESTERDAY: This is probably the best-known part of the circuit. Roger Dorchy hit 405 kph in a WM P88 on the Straight in 1988, the highest top speed ever recorded at Le Mans. The record will probably never be broken, as two chicanes were installed in 1990. The Mulsanne Straight was also the backdrop for the spectacular Mercedes CLR “take-offs” in 1999. As a subsequent safety measure, the famous Mulsanne bump was removed in 2001. In 2012, the Straight was completely resurfaced.
TODAY: LMP1s peak at 325 kph, brake sharply 100 m before the first Forza Motorsport chicane and drop to second to negotiate one of the most demanding sectors on the circuit. They accelerate back up to 325 kph and brake less than 100 metres before the second chicane, where the track has more grip. When the track is dry, this chicane can be taken in third gear at 110 kph.
YESTERDAY: The Mulsanne Corner was on the original circuit. In 1956, the signalling pits were moved from the Pit Straight to this slow corner as drivers had more time to read them. Marshals assigned to the pits must have felt quite isolated as once the race had commenced, they had no way of leaving their post.
TODAY: The Mulsanne Corner is particularly impressive, especially at night when you can see the cars’ brake discs glowing in the dark. The corner has to be taken slowly, yet drivers come into the sharp right turn flat out off the Mulsanne Straight. It’s the biggest test of brake power on the circuit. Drivers can go over on the inside to shave off a few milliseconds.
YESTERDAY: Indianapolis is one of the few corners to have always remained the same. Since 1923, only the slope towards the inside has increased, worn away by the cars in the early years before the section was tarmacked. The incline explains the name Indianapolis, a US track famous for its banked turns.
TODAY: Another hard brake. LMP1s approach the turn at close to 320 kph. The banked turn can cause wheels to lock so must be taken with caution. The racing line is chosen with regard to the next turn, Arnage.
YESTERDAY: Like Indianapolis, Arnage has hardly changed since the inaugural edition. A gravel trap was added in 2012 to improve safety.
TODAY: The slowest corner on the circuit is also the most dreaded. It is similar to Indianapolis, a right angle, but in the opposite direction. It is very tempting to come into the turn quickly so as to retain speed in the straight before the Porsche Curves but mistakes are costly and the run-off is a gravel trap.
YESTERDAY: Referred to as the Porsche Curves, this area actually includes the Pont and Karting corners. The sector was refurbished in 1972 before major safety work was conducted in 2017 and 2018, including the erection of a SAFER barrier to absorb impacts and the creation of run-off areas. The alterations have shortened the overall length of the circuit by 3 metres, to 13.626 km. At this point, the circuit leaves the public road and enters the closed-off part of the track. The Corvette Curve and Maison Blanche straight conclude this section.
TODAY: Drivers tend to like the quick turns in this section. Braking coming in reduces speed from 300 to 210 kph. The difference in grip between the public road and the closed circuit can prove hazardous.
YESTERDAY: The Maison Blanche straight leads to the last part of the circuit, the Ford Curves and the Raccordement. The Ford Curves were added in 1968 and officially opened by Henry Ford in person. They were intended to curb speed on the approach to the Pit Straight. When the so-called “new portion” of the track was opened in 1972, a left-right zigzag was added after the chicane, before the Pit Straight. It was called the Raccordement (French for “Join”) as this is the point where it links up with the Bugatti circuit.
TODAY: LMP1s take these final curves on the circuit in second gear. It is possible to run over the kerbs here, but drivers should beware of damaging the car.
