24h Le Mans
Track action at the 24 Hours of Le Mans Centenary will begin with Test Day, a landmark fixture for teams and spectators alike. Here are seven good reasons not to miss the event!
The 24 Hours of Le Mans Test Day will be extra special in 2023, because it is your chance to see the new hypercars from Ferrari, Porsche, Peugeot, Cadillac and Vanwall complete their first laps. These cars will, of course, have already competed at the 1000 Miles of Sebring, 6 Hours of Portimão and TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, but driving around the full 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit will be a moment of truth for them.
Test Day is the opportunity for the 62 teams and 186 drivers to try out their car and get familiar with the iconic, non-permanent circuit. They can start tweaking their cars’ settings and improving their performance ahead of the race, which will take place a week later. They’ll also be running aerodynamic and fuel consumption tests.
Test Day runs from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:30 to 18:30. Teams thus benefit from six hours of track time. That means they’ll be clocking up the laps to gather as much data as possible to nail down their race preparation. Meanwhile, spectators will have six hours in which to identify the 62 cars and pick their favouritess.
Test Day is a free practice session with no pressure in terms of performance, but some drivers are always keen to clock up a suitably impressive lap time. You’ll therefore be able to watch the teams pick up the pace as they aim to get a first impression of their cars’ potential. An initial pecking order will be established and you’ll be able to analyse the drivers’ times. Four categories will be competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans: Hypercar, LMP2, LMGTE Am and Innovative Car. There’ll no doubt be plenty of clashes at every level, especially as Toyota, Ferrari, Porsche, Peugeot, Cadillac, Glickenhaus and Vanwall will all be fighting for victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans Centenary.
Because the Test is a day-long event, you’ll have time to move around and change your vantage point. You can go to the Mulsanne and Arnage corners then return to the grandstand area to watch the cars come and go. Or why not head for Tertre Rouge Corner, the final turn before the iconic Mulsanne Straight?
In a first for Le Mans, there will be a support race on Test Day, with the Ligier European Series. Launched in 2020, this one-make series is open to Ligier JSP4 cars, a futuristic-looking prototype, and Ligier JS2 Rs, a small GT designed exclusively for racing.
The race will run from 14:00 to 15:00 but before, the competitors will take part in a free practice session from 8:00 to 08:45 and qualifying from 09:15 to 09:35. The promise of some spectacular battles on track!
Passion for the 24 Hours of Le Mans is often passed down the generations. If you’re bringing your children, make sure they get to watch in ideal conditions so that they too can fall in love with the legend and start making their own trackside memories! Test Day is the perfect opportunity for their first taste of the race, because there are usually fewer crowds and the grandstands are open to all. Your youngsters can thus sit down for a rest from time to time or enjoy a bite to eat without taking their eyes off the track! And remember that admission to the 24 Hours of Le Mans is free of charge for under-sixteens accompanied by an adult.
A special Test Day ticket is now on sale for €26. Special ACO Members rate: €20 (maximum two tickets per member). See more information on the official ticketing website for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
This ticket is valid for Sunday 4 June only.
