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Did you know that Henry II was born in Le Mans, France? Or that the Musee de Tesse, the fine arts museum of the city, houses paintings by John Constable and Theodore Gericault?
Of course you didn’t. Because what most people know about the French city is that it hosts one of the most dramatic races in the world: the 24 hours of Le Mans.
The 24 hours of Le Mans is an emotionally charged affair. It’s a battle between cars and performance, racing drivers and endurance. The speed is thundering: cars race at an average speed of 219km/h and push on at full throttle to reach 400km/h on the Hunaudieres straight. The history is prestigious: the 24 hours of Le Mans is the oldest active sports car race in endurance racing and has been held annually since 1923. And the human effort is heroic, from driver Romain Dumas stopping to fix his Audi R18 in 2012 to Jack Gerber starting the race at 68 years of age.
The race has all the elements of a sports drama. And as in any drama, the actors are first class.
First, you have the Circuit de la Sarthe which, at 13,629km, is the longest circuit in the world. The circuit consists of a combination of public roads which are temporarily closed and a specialist racing circuit designed to test the speed and endurance of competing cars. The circuit is unique because it combines light and darkness. The 24 Hours of Le Mans starts in the afternoon but about eight of the 24 hours are run in darkness. At night, the circuit becomes magical: as the air cools, the cars go faster with headlights ablaze and brake discs glowing red in the dark.
At night, the circuit becomes magical: as the air cools, the cars go faster with headlights ablaze and brake discs glowing red in the dark
Then there are the cars. The biggest and most prestigious carmakers in the world, including Porsche, Ferrari, Audi and Toyota, line up their entries for the legendary prize. The first cars to race the 24 Hours of Le Mans were obliged to retain part of their original off-track equipment. Over the years, the cars evolved into prototypes and road models modified for a competition in which speed, endurance, economy and good management of fuel, tyres and braking materials are key.
In recent years, the cars have become test-beds for innovation and technology. In 2006, Audi won the race with a diesel sportscar while in 2012, the Audi R18 e-tron quattro became the first hybrid electric vehicle to win at Le Mans. The cars are also an artistic showcase: just consider that artists Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and Jeff Koons all created liveries for BMWs competing at Le Mans.
The drivers are the best in the world: race winners include Jacky Ickx, who started from last place to win in the most dramatic of ways, to Tom Kristensen, who won the 24 hours of Le Mans an incredible nine times. Incidentally, Kristensen was a late replacement for an injured driver in 1997 when he won his first Le Mans race.
Organised by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, the 24 hours of Le Mans is also one of the biggest media events in France, at par with the Cannes Festival. More than 250,000 eager fans attend every year while around 2,400 journalists from over 160 countries relay the news to millions of people around the world.
This year, the 83rd edition of the 24 hours of Le Mans race will be held on June 13 and 14. On Saturday, at 3pm, the French flag will be lowered to release the grunt of powerful engines. But even though the 24 hours of Le Mans is, as its name denotes, a full day affair, the week leading up to the race is a full schedule of concerts, vintage car exhibitions and qualifying practice sessions. Spectators can also get up close to the cars and drivers during the weigh-ins and scrutineering, which take place at the Place de la Republique.
Just a couple of hours away from Paris, the 24 hours of Le Mans can be an exciting stop in your French itinerary. Well, it’s not exactly a stop because, with cars thundering at an average speed of 219km/h, it’s an adrenalin rush.