This is the most repeated procedure on the car throughout the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Refuelling is necessary and also strategic. Necessary because the main aim is to get the car to drive as long as possible without running out of petrol. Strategic because other than just refuelling the car, the other actions carried out on the car are factors of risks and mainly a loss of time.

The tank capacity of a LM P2 is 75 litres (for the 24 Hours of Le Mans). This represents approximately 40 minutes of racing or 10 laps. This is an important consumption as the 24 Hour circuit has many areas where the car is in full charge, i.e. at full power.

The moment when the limit of fuel is reached for it to be correctly pumped into the tank, has always been the sworn enemy for the consumption optimization. To prevent this, four small pumps have been placed in the four lower corners of the tank. They send the fuel into a buffer inside the tank in which the fuel is sucked up by the pump. It’s a kind of tank in another tank which has a capacity of 5 to 7 litres. The fuel tanks for refuelling are placed on the side of each pit at 2,6m from the ground and hold 200l. In Le Mans, an electric pump system enables to fill these tanks from even bigger ones situated under the pits. We’re talking about unleaded fuel with an octane rate of 102 against 95 or 98 for the fuel that is sold for normal cars. It is of course fuel that is especially elaborated for competition and performance research (a high octane rate allows a faster ignition in the combustion). The filling up of the car is done with a large conduit holding a thinner tube for the degassing. It has a special valve that fits into the opening of the tank to free the fuel. The 75 litres are freed in 23 seconds.

Even if refuelling is a current action, it still remains very technical and regulated. Fire risks are real even if they are rare. Endurance is a very demanding discipline and no mistakes are allowed.

Karine Avon/ACO