Motor Racing
June 2015Le Mans 24-Hour Race
By tradition a wave of the French tricolour launches this legendary race, known as the Grand Prix of Endurance, which has been run since 1923. Every year approximately 50 competitors draw huge crowds of spectators as they race around the 13.65-km track.
Always conceived by the motoring industry as a real-life test laboratory for innovations and developments, the emphasis at Le Mans 24 has been on the ability of manufacturers to produce sporty, yet reliable and safe, cars. These technological innovations have had a trickle-down effect, with technology used at Le Mans finding its way into production cars several years later.
In the 1990s new regulations were introduced to increase the safety of this daunting test of endurance. Drivers are not allowed to drive for more than four hours consecutively, and no one driver can run for more than fourteen hours in total. This has reduced driver fatigue during the races.
A rule that is unique to Le Mans is the requirement that the cars shut down when they are being re-fuelled in the pits. This reduces the fire hazard, but it also tests the ability of the cars to restart many times under race conditions.
The race is run on the Circuit of the Sarthe, which consists of both permanent, dedicated track and public roads that are temporarily closed for the race. Originally the track actually entered the town of Le Mans, but was cut short because of fears about spectator safety, leading to the creation of the Dunlop Curve and Tertre Rouge. The sections of the track that are on public roads are not as smooth or well maintained as the dedicated racetrack, and offer less grip to the racing cars.
The roll call of car manufacturers that have won at Le Mans is truly impressive: Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Bugatti, Ferrari, Ford, Jaguar, Matra, Mazda, McLaren, Mercedes, Peugeot, Porsche, Renault. This challenging race has entered motor sport folklore.
