Coordinates: 47°56′30″N 0°13′30″E

24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (French: 24 Heures du Mans) is an
endurance-focused sports car race held annually near the town of 24 Hours of Le Mans
Le Mans, France.[1] It is the world's oldest active endurance racing
event.[2] Unlike fixed-distance races whose winner is determined
by minimum time, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is won by the car that
covers the greatest distance in 24 hours. Racing teams must
balance the demands of speed with the cars' ability to run for 24
hours without mechanical failure.[3]

The race is organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO).

It is held on the Circuit de la Sarthe, composed of closed public
roads and dedicated sections of a racing track. The event
represents one leg of the Triple Crown of Motorsport, with the
other events being the Indianapolis 500 and the Monaco Grand
Prix.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans was frequently part of the World

Sportscar Championship from 1953 until that series' final season in
1992. In 2011, it was a part of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. FIA World Endurance
Since 2012, the race has been a part of the FIA World Endurance Championship
Championship.[4] In World Endurance Championship's super-
Venue Circuit de la
season of May 2018 to June 2019, the 24 Hours of Le Mans was
Sarthe
both the second and the last round of the season.[5]
Location 47°56′30″N
0°13′30″E

Contents First race 1923

Last race 2021
Purpose
Duration 24 hours
Race
Cars Most wins Tom
Drivers (driver) Kristensen (9)

Traditions and unique rules Most wins (team) Joest

Schedule Racing (13)
Classification Most wins Porsche
Le Mans start (manufacturer) (19)

Circuit
History
1923–1939
1949–1969
1970–1980
1981–1993
1994–1999
 2000–2005
2006–2013
2014–2020
2021 onwards
Innovations
Aerodynamics
Engines
Brakes
Successful marques and drivers
Accidents
Coverage
Appearances in media
Vintage racing
See also
References
Additional references
External links

Purpose
Launched when Grand Prix motor racing was the dominant form of motorsport throughout Europe, Le
Mans was designed to present a different test. Instead of focusing on the ability of a car company to build
the fastest machines, the 24 Hours of Le Mans would concentrate on the ability of manufacturers to build
sporty yet reliable cars. This encouraged innovation in producing reliable and fuel-efficient vehicles,
because endurance racing requires cars that last and spend as little time in the pits as possible.

At the same time, the layout of the track required cars with better aerodynamics and stability at high speeds.
While this was shared with Grand Prix racing, few tracks in Europe had straights of a length comparable to
the Mulsanne. Additionally, because the road is public and thus not as meticulously maintained as
permanent racing circuits, racing puts more strain on the parts, increasing the importance of reliability.

The oil crisis in the early 1970s led organizers to adopt a fuel economy formula known as Group C that
limited the amount of fuel each car was allowed. Although it was later abandoned, fuel economy remains
important as new fuel sources reduce the time spent during pit stops. Such technological innovations have
had a trickle-down effect and can be incorporated into consumer cars. This has also led to faster and more
exotic supercars as manufacturers seek to develop faster road cars in order to develop them into even faster
GT cars.

Additionally, hybrid systems (flywheel, super-capacitor, battery coupled with both petrol and diesel) have
been championed in the LMP category as rules have been changed to their benefit and to further push
efficiency.

Race
The race is held in June, leading to very hot conditions for drivers,
particularly in closed vehicles with poor ventilation; rain is
commonly seen. The race begins in mid-afternoon and finishes the
following day at the same hour the race started the previous day.[6]

Modern competitors often cover well over 5,000 km. The record is

2010's 5,410 km (3,360 mi), six times the length of the Indianapolis
500, or about 18 times longer than a Formula One Grand Prix.[7]
Drivers and racing teams strive for speed and avoiding mechanical
damage, as well as managing the cars' consumables, primarily fuel, The pits in the daytime
tires, and braking materials. It also tests endurance, with drivers
frequently racing for over two hours before a relief driver can take
over during a pit stop while eating and resting. Current regulations mandate that three drivers share each
competing vehicle.

Competing teams race in groups called "classes", or cars of similar specification, while competing
simultaneously for outright placing amongst all classes. Originally, the race showcased cars as they were
sold to the general public, then called "Sports Cars", in contrast with the specialised racing cars used in
Grand Prix motor racing. Over time, the competing vehicles evolved away from their publicly available
road car roots. Today, the race comprises two classes: prototypes and Grand Touring cars (similar to sports
cars sold to the public). These are further broken down into two sub-classes: constructors' prototypes,
privateer prototypes, and two subclasses of GT cars.[8]

Competing teams have had a wide variety of organizations,

ranging from competition departments of road car manufacturers
(eager to prove the supremacy of their products) to professional
motor racing teams (representing their commercial backers, some
of which are also car manufacturers who want to win without
paying for their own teams) to amateur teams (racing as much to
compete in the famous race as to claim victory for their commercial
partners).

The race was the part of the World Sportscar Championship in

The pits at dawn
every season except the 1956, 1975-1979 and 1989-1990 seasons.
However, Le Mans has always had a stronger reputation than the
World Championship and is a round of the FIA World Endurance
Championship. The race is also known as a leg of the informal
Triple Crown of Motorsport which links Formula One, IndyCar,
and sports car racing to represent a career achievement for drivers.
Additionally, it is seen as a leg of the Triple Crown of endurance
racing, which links the three largest sports car races together, with
12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Daytona forming the other
legs. Since 1998, the American Le Mans Series (now the IMSA
Weathertech Sports Car Championship) has held an endurance The pits at night
race, along with the 12 hours of Sebring, every year called "Petit
Le Mans", as a 10-hour American version. In 2014, the
Weathertech Sports Car Championship (a merger of the races at Sebring; Petit Le Mans in Braselton,
Georgia; the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen in Watkins Glen, New York; and the Rolex Sports Car Series' 24
Hours of Daytona) held all four major American endurance classics in preparation for teams to race at Le
Mans.
Cars

The race has approximately 60 competitors. Each car was required

to have at least two seats. However, recently cars only need to
accommodate a second seat in the cockpit rather than the seat itself.
Two doors are allowed; open cockpit cars do not require doors.
Since 2014, all cars in the premier LMP1 category must have a roof
due to safety concerns, with open-cockpit cars only permitted in the
slightly slower LMP2 category. Since 2017, all prototype cars,
GT cars approaching Dunlop Bridge
LMP1 or LMP2, must have closed cockpits.[9]

Although all cars compete at the same time, there are separate
classes. A prize is awarded to the winner of each class and the overall winner. The number of classes has
varied over the years, but there are now four. Custom-built Le Mans Prototypes (LMP) are the top two
classes, LMP1 and LMP2, divided by speed, weight, and power output.

For LMP2, teams are obliged to run one of four approved chassis – ORECA, Ligier, Dallara, or
Multimatic/Riley – mated with a standard 4.2-litre Gibson V8 engine. LMP1 teams are subject to no such
restrictions. Their extra power, lower weight, and more complex aerodynamics result in much quicker lap
times; LMP1 cars also may use hybrid technology.[10]

From 2011, the next two classes are production-based grand tourer (GT) classes, GT Endurance Pro and
GT Endurance AM. Both of these classes use the LM GTE, or "Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance"
regulations. Although the top class is the most likely to be the overall winner, lower classes have won on
occasion due to better reliability.

Drivers

Initially, there were no rules on the number of car drivers or how

long they could drive. Although almost all teams used two drivers
in the early decades, some Le Mans drivers such as Pierre Levegh
and Eddie Hall attempted to run the race solo, hoping to save time
Drivers photograph from 2018 by not having to change drivers. This practice was later banned.
Until the 1980s, there were teams in which only two drivers
competed, but by the end of the decade, the rules were changed to
stipulate that at least three drivers must drive each car.

By the 1990s, due to the speeds of the cars and the strain it puts on drivers, additional rules to reduce driver
fatigue mandated that drivers could not drive for over 240 minutes over 6 hours and that no one driver
could run for over 14 hours total. With careful management of driver stints, this makes it possible to
complete the race with only two drivers (as Jeroen Bleekemolen and Cooper MacNeil did in 2014),
although the vast majority of teams still continue to use three drivers.[11][12]

In 2017, the driving time rules were further changed. If necessary, officials may require a drive time limit of
80 minutes of consecutive time behind the wheel and a minimum 30-minute rest break. The rule applies
only if the air temperature is at least 32 Celsius (89.6 F).[13]

Traditions and unique rules

Although it has been a part of the World Sportscar Championship
for most of its existence, the race has had different regulations for
safety and competition reasons partly due to its length. For many
decades, cars had to run at least an hour into the race before they
could refill fluids for the car, such as oil or coolant, except for fuel.
This was an attempt by the ACO to help increase efficiency and
reliability. Those who could not last the first hour without replacing
lost fluids risked disqualification.
Fly-over with the tricolor of France
Another rule unique to Le Mans is that cars must be switched off
while refueling in the pits. Not only is this safer and less of a fire
hazard, but it is also another test of reliability, as cars with the
guaranteed ability to restart many times under race conditions are
harder to make. Another element of this rule is that mechanics are
not allowed to work on the car while it is being refuelled (other
than helping a driver in or out of the car), which has led teams to
adapt innovative ways to decrease the time of these lengthy pit
stops. Drivers can get out of the car and be replaced by another
driver during refuelling. Those rules are also applied in the FIA
World Endurance Championship. Marshals waving safety flags to
congratulate Audi in 2010 race
There are various long-standing traditions at Le Mans, including
the waving of the French tricolor to start the race. This is usually
followed by a fly-over featuring jets trailing blue, white, and red smoke. A similar flag tradition is track
marshals waving safety flags during the race's final lap, congratulating the winners and other finishers.

Le Mans was the venue for the first televised instance of a winning driver celebrating by spraying
champagne instead of drinking it.[14] When Dan Gurney won the 1967 race with co-driver A. J. Foyt, the
two drivers mounted the victory podium, and Gurney was handed a magnum of champagne. Looking
down, he saw Ford CEO Henry Ford II, team owner Carroll Shelby and their wives, as well as several
journalists who had predicted disaster for the high-profile duo. Gurney shook the bottle and sprayed
everyone nearby. Gurney autographed and gave the bottle of champagne to Life photographer Flip
Schulke, who used it as a lamp for years before returning it to Gurney.[15][16]

Schedule

The first race was held on 26–27 May 1923 and has since been run
annually in June with exceptions in 1956, when the race was held
in July; 1968, when it was held in September due to nationwide
political turmoil in May; 2020, when it was moved to 19–20
September due to the COVID-19 outbreak & 2021, when it was
moved to 21–22 August. The race has been cancelled ten times—in
1936 (a labour strike during the Great Depression) and between
1940 and 1948 (World War II).
Driver parade in Le Mans in 2018
The race usually takes place on the second weekend of June, with
qualifying and practice taking place on the Wednesday and
Thursday before the race, following a car inspection on Monday and Tuesday. Currently, these sessions are
held in the evening, with two separate two-hour sessions held each night. Friday serves as a day of rest, and
a parade of all the drivers through Le Mans is held.
Test days held at the end of April or beginning of May served as a pre-qualification weeding out the
slowest cars. However, in 2005 the exorbitant cost of transporting cars to and from Le Mans led organizers
to move the test day to the first weekend of June. Pre-qualification was eliminated in 2000, meaning that all
competitors invited to the test would be allowed into the race.

Since 2001 the Le Mans Legend races have also been part of the schedule, usually running exhibition races
during qualifying days, a few hours prior to the sessions for the Le Mans entrants.

Until 2008, the race started at 16:00 on Saturday (though in 1968, the race started at 14:00 due to the
lateness of the race on the calendar). In 1984 and 2007, the start time was moved ahead to 15:00 due to the
conflicting election). In 2006, the ACO scheduled a 17:00 start time on Saturday, 17 June, to maximise
television coverage between the World Cup games. Fourteen years later, the race began at 14:30 because of
the race being in September. The next year saw the race move to mid-August and began at 16:00. From
2009, when the race took place from 13 to 14 June, to 2019 & resuming in 2022, it starts at 15:00 local
time (CEST, 13:00 UT).

Classification

Initially, the car that covered the greatest distance from its starting position was the winner. This is known to
have caught out the Ford team in 1966. With a dominant 1–2 lead, the two cars slowed to allow for a photo
opportunity at the finish line, with Ken Miles slightly ahead of Bruce McLaren. However, since McLaren's
car had started much farther back on the grid than Miles's, McLaren's car had covered the greatest distance
over the 24 hours. With the margin of victory determined to be eight metres, McLaren and his co-driver,
Chris Amon, were declared the winners. The decision cost Miles and Denny Hulme a victory. Miles had
already won the other two endurance races at Sebring and Daytona. With a win at Le Mans, he would have
become the first man to win all three and the first to win them all in the same year.

The "greatest distance" rule was modified with the introduction of a rolling start in 1971. Now, the car that
completes the greatest distance as of the final lap's completion – where "greatest distance" is measured by
the start/finish line for all competitors – wins. When two cars finish the same number of laps, their finishing
order is determined by the faster overall completion time. This rule was used in the 2011 24 Hours of Le
Mans to determine the race winner. The top two finishers completed 355 laps, with only 13 seconds
difference between them.[17]

Although "greatest distance run" determines the provisional order of finishers, additional requirements must
be met for a car to be classified.[18]

A car must complete the last lap of the race and complete the entire circuit faster than a
prescribed maximum lap time. Ambiguity in this classification requirement has led to
dramatic scenes where damaged cars have waited in the pits or on the edge of the track
close to the finish line, restarted their engines, and crawled across the line to be listed
amongst classified finishers. The practice of intentionally "waiting for the final lap" in this
manner has been prohibited by rule in recent years.
Cars must complete 70 percent of the distance covered by the overall winner to be
classified. Even if it finishes the last lap of the race, a car failing to complete this number of
laps is not deemed worthy of classification because of poor reliability or speed.

All classification requirements hold except in exceptional circumstances, as determined by the race
stewards.[18]

Le Mans start
The race traditionally began with what became known as the Le
Mans start, in which cars were lined up along the length of the pits.
Until 1962, cars lined up by engine capacity. Beginning in 1963,
qualifying times determined the lineup. The starting drivers stood
on the opposite side of the front stretch. When the French flag
dropped to signify the start, the drivers ran across the track, entered
and started their cars without assistance, and drove away. This
became a safety issue in the late 1960s when some drivers ignored
their safety harnesses, then a recent invention. This led to drivers
running the first few laps either improperly harnessed due to The permanent pits and pit straight
attempting to do it while driving or sometimes not even harnessed for both the Circuit de la Sarthe and
at all, leading to several deaths when cars were involved in Bugatti Circuit
accidents due to the bunched field at the start.

This starting method inspired Porsche to locate the ignition key switch to the left of the steering wheel. In a
left-hand drive car, this allowed the driver to use his left hand to start the engine and his right hand to put
the transmission into gear, which in turn shaves off a few tenths of a second.

Stirling Moss developed another method for speeding up the start.

His car was waiting with first gear already engaged. He switched
the starter on when he jumped in without depressing the clutch.
The starter motor immediately jerked the car forward, but the
engine did not start due to low RPM. After a few seconds of
motion, he pushed the clutch down, allowing the engine to speed
up and start while the car was moving.

Feeling this type of start was unsafe, in the 1969 race, Jacky Ickx
Rolling start of the 2008 race
opposed it by walking across the track while his competitors ran.
Although he was nearly hit by a faster competitor's car while
walking, Ickx took the time to fasten his safety belts before pulling
away. Privateer John Woolfe died in an accident on the first lap of that race; Ickx won.

The traditional Le Mans start was changed for 1970. Cars were still lined up along the pit wall, but the
drivers were already inside and strapped in. At the dropping of the French tricolor, the drivers started their
engines and drove away.

Since 1971, when that method was done away with, a rolling start (sometimes known as an Indianapolis
start) begins the race. Cars do one formation lap behind the safety car; when that car returns to pits, the
starter waves the French flag to start the race.[19]

Circuit
The circuit on which the 24 Hours of Le Mans is run is named the Circuit de la Sarthe, after the department
that Le Mans is within. It consists of both permanent track and public roads temporarily closed for the race.
Since 1923, the track has been extensively modified, mostly for safety reasons, and now is 13.626  km
(8.467  mi) in length. Although it initially entered the town of Le Mans, the track was cut short to better
protect spectators. This led to the creation of the Dunlop Curve and Tertre Rouge corners before rejoining
the old circuit on the Mulsanne. Another major change was on the Mulsanne itself in 1990 when the FIA
decreed that it would no longer sanction any circuit that had a straight longer than 2  km (1.2  mi). To
comply with this, two chicanes were added to the 6-kilometre-long (3.7 mi) straight. The addition of the
chicanes was further influenced by the fact that the speed of WM P88-Peugeot French driver Roger
Dorchy had been timed at 405 km/h (252 mph) during the 1988 race.
Due to the shorter length of the straights, top speeds at Le Mans are
now generally around 330 km/h (205 mph).

The public sections of the track differ from the permanent circuit,
especially in comparison with the Bugatti Circuit which is inside
the Circuit de la Sarthe. Due to heavy traffic, the public roads are
not as smooth or well kept. They also offer less grip because of the
lack of soft-tyre rubber laid down from racing cars, though this
only affects the first few laps of the race. The roads are closed only
within a few hours of the practice sessions and the race before The Circuit de la Sarthe with the
being opened again almost as soon as the race is finished. Workers Bugatti Circuit (dashed line)
have to assemble and dismantle safety barriers every year for the
public sections.

History

1923–1939

The 24 Hours of Le Mans was first run on 26 and 27 May 1923,

through public roads around Le Mans. Originally planned to be a
three-year event awarded the Rudge-Whitworth Triennial Cup,
with a winner being declared by the car which could go the farthest
distance over three consecutive 24-hour races, this idea was
abandoned in 1928. Overall winners were declared for every year
depending on who covered the farthest distance by the time 24
hours were up. The early races were dominated by French, British,
A poster for the 1923 24 Hours of Le
and Italian drivers, teams, and cars, with Bugatti, Bentley, and Alfa
Mans
Romeo being the top brands. Innovations in car design began
appearing at the track in the late 1930s, with Bugatti and Alfa
Romeo running highly aerodynamic bodywork to run down the
Mulsanne Straight at faster speeds. The race was cancelled in 1936 due to general strikes in France, and the
outbreak of World War II in 1939 resulted in a ten-year hiatus.

1949–1969

Following the reconstruction of circuit facilities, the race was

resumed in 1949[19] with renewed interest from major automobile
manufacturers. 1949 was also Ferrari's first victory, the 166MM of
Luigi Chinetti and Peter Mitchell-Thomson.[19] After the formation
of the World Sportscar Championship in 1953, of which Le Mans
was a part, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and
many others began sending multiple cars backed by their respective
factories to compete for overall wins against their competitors. This
competitiveness sometimes resulted in tragedy, as in the 1955 Le
Jaguar D-Type in 1956 Mans disaster during the 1955 race in which Pierre Levegh's car
crashed into a crowd of spectators, killing more than 80  people.
The incident led to the widespread introduction of safety measures,
not only at the circuit but elsewhere in the motorsport world. The entire pit complex was razed and rebuilt
further back following the accident, allowing the pit straight to be widened. However, there was still no
barrier between the track and the pit lane. Safety standards improved, but the cars got faster. The move
from open-cockpit roadsters to closed-cockpit coupés resulted in speeds of over 320 km/h (200 mph) on the
Mulsanne. Ford entered the picture with the GT40, finally ending Ferrari's dominance with four straight
wins (1966–1969) before the 1960s ended and the cars and the race changed substantially.

1970–1980

For the new decade, the race took a turn towards more extreme
speeds and automotive designs. These extreme speeds led to the
replacement of the typical standing Le Mans start with a rolling
Indianapolis start. Although production-based cars still raced, they
were now in the lower classes while purpose-built sportscars
became the norm. The Porsche 917, 935, and 936 were dominant
throughout the decade, but a resurgence by French manufacturers
Renault Alpine A443 from 1978
Matra-Simca and Renault saw the first victories for the nation since
the 1950 race. This decade is also remembered for strong
performances from many privateer constructors, with two scoring
the only victories for a privateer in the decade. John Wyer's Mirage won in 1975, while Jean Rondeau's
self-titled chassis took 1980.

1981–1993

The rest of the 1980s was known for the dominance by Porsche
under the new Group C race car formula that encouraged fuel
efficiency. Originally running the effective 956, it was later
replaced by the 962. Both chassis were affordable enough for
privateers to purchase them en masse, leading to the two model
types winning six years in a row. Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz
returned to sports car racing, with Jaguar being the first to break
Porsche's dominance with victories in 1988 and 1990 (with the
Group C Porsche 962 from 1988
XJR-9 and Jaguar XJR-12 respectively). Mercedes-Benz won in
1989, with what was seen as the latest incarnation of the elegant
"Silver Arrows", the Sauber C9, while an influx of Japanese
manufacturer interest saw prototypes from Nissan and Toyota. In 1988 too, a WM Peugeot set up a new
record speeding at 405 km/h (252 mph) in the Ligne Droite des Hunaudières, famous for its 6 km (3.7 mi)
long straight.[20] Mazda would be the first Japanese manufacturer to succeed, with their unique rotary-
powered 787B winning in 1991.

In 1992 and 1993, Peugeot dominated the race with its Peugeot
905 as the Group C formula and World Sportscar Championship
were fading in participation.

The circuit would also undergo one of its most notable changes in
1990, when the 5  km long Mulsanne was modified[19] to include
two chicanes in order to stop speeds of more than 400  km/h
(250  mph) from being reached. This began the ACO's trend to
slow the cars on various portions of the track. However, speeds Peugeot 905 from 1993
over 320  km/h (200  mph) are still regularly reached at various
points on a lap.
1994–1999

Following the demise of the World Sportscar Championship, Le

Mans saw a resurgence of production-based grand tourer cars.
Thanks to a loophole in the rules, Porsche succeeded in convincing
the ACO that a Dauer 962 Le Mans supercar was a production car,
allowing Porsche to race their Porsche 962 for one final time,
dominating the field. Although the ACO attempted to close the
loophole for 1995, newcomer McLaren would win the race in their
supercar's first appearance thanks to the reliability of the BMW
Ferrari F40 in 1995 race V12 powered F1 GTR, beating faster yet more trouble-prone
prototypes. The trend would continue through the 1990s as more
exotic supercars were built in order to skirt the ACO's rules
regarding production-based race cars, leading to Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Nissan, Panoz, and
Lotus entering the GT categories. This culminated in the 1999 event, in which these GT cars were faced
with the Le Mans Prototypes of BMW, Audi, Toyota and Ferrari. BMW would survive with the victory,
their first and only overall Le Mans win to date. At the same time, Mercedes left sportscar racing
indefinitely following three catastrophic though non-fatal crashes stemming from severe aerodynamic flaws
with their CLR.

This strong manufacturer influence led the ACO to lend the Le Mans name to a sports car series in the
United States in 1999, known as the American Le Mans Series, which ran until the end of the 2013 season
after which it merged with Grand-Am to form the United SportsCar Championship.

2000–2005

Many major automobile

manufacturers withdrew
from sports car racing after
1999 due to the high cost.
Only Cadillac and Audi
remained, and Audi easily
dominated with the R8.
Cadillac pulled out three
Bentley Speed 8 Audi R8
years later, and attempts by
Panoz, Chrysler, and MG
to beat Audi all fell short. After three victories in a row, Audi provided engine, team staff, and drivers to
Bentley, a corporate partner, which had returned in 2001. In 2003, the factory Bentley Speed 8s beat
privateer Audis. The Chevrolet Corvette Racing Team and their C5-R won several times in the GTS class,
finishing 1st and 2nd in 2001, 2002, and 2004. They finished 2nd and 3rd in 2003 behind Ferrari.

2006–2013

At the end of 2005, after five overall victories for the R8, and six to its V8 turbo engine, Audi took on a
new challenge by introducing a diesel engined prototype known as the R10 TDI. Although not the first
diesel to race, it was the first to win at Le Mans. This era saw other alternative fuel sources used, including
bio-ethanol. At the same time, Peugeot decided to follow Audi's lead and pursue a diesel entry in 2007 with
their 908 HDi FAP.
 In the 2008 race between the Audi R10 TDI and the Peugeot 908
HDi FAP, the Audi won by a margin of fewer than 10 minutes. For
the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans, Peugeot introduced a new energy-
recovery system similar to the KERS used in Formula One.[21]
Aston Martin entered the LMP1 category, but still raced in GT1
with private teams. Audi returned with the new R15 TDI, but
Peugeot prevailed in its first overall win since 1993.
A diesel-powered Audi R10 TDI
The 2010 running reaffirmed the race as a test of endurance and
reliability. Peugeot chose
overall speed in adjusting
their cars and engines to
adhere to the 2010
regulations, while Audi
chose reliability. All four
Peugeots had retired at the
end of the race, three due to
engine failure, while Audi Peugeot 908 HDi FAP
finished 1–2–3.
Audi R15 TDI

The 2011 and 2012 races were marred by a series of accidents. In

2011, the Audi driven by Allan McNish crashed heavily in the first
hour, barrel rolling into a tire wall shortly after the Dunlop Bridge. At night, the defending race-winning
Audi driven by Mike Rockenfeller crashed similarly between the Mulsanne and Indianapolis corners.
Neither driver was injured, nor were any spectators. The third Audi entry was driven by Marcel Fässler,
André Lotterer, and Benoît Tréluyer won the race. The 2012 race saw two factory Toyotas replace
Peugeot, which had withdrawn earlier, but one flipped at Mulsanne Corner. Driver Anthony Davidson
suffered two broken vertebrae but could exit the car himself. Shortly after sunset, the other Toyota retired
with mechanical difficulties, giving Audi another victory.

In 2011, the race became the premier round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, attempting to make a
world championship for endurance racing again. In 2012, the race became the centerpiece of the FIA
World Endurance Championship, the successor to the ILMC. The 2012 event was the first time the race
was won by a hybrid electric vehicle, which was the Audi R18 e-tron quattro.

2014–2020

Regulations were changed for 2014, notably with a requirement

that all LMP1 cars must be closed-cockpit, some changes to the
hybrid system, and the introduction of the slow zone system.[22]

Porsche returned to Le Mans in 2014 with a new factory LMP1

program, and Nissan returned to run an LMP1 program in 2015.
Audi withdrew from racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2016
and Nissan after only one attempt in 2015.
Porsche 919 Hybrid in the front of
Porsche won the race in 2015, 2016, and 2017 with its hybrid 919, Audi R18 in 2015
and remains the most successful manufacturer at Le Mans, with 19
overall victories, including seven straight from 1981 to 1987.

In 2017, changes were made to the LMP2 regulations on cockpit and chassis, meaning all prototype cars
must be closed-cockpit.
In 2018, Toyota won their first Le Mans with Fernando Alonso, Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima
driving. Toyota won the race again in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

2020 also saw the race held behind closed doors for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021 onwards

2021 saw the introduction of the brand new Hypercar class, replacing the old LMP1 machines. The 2021
race was also postponed for the 2nd year running and saw Toyota, Glickenhaus, and Alpine hypercar
entries. 2022 will see Peugeot return to Le Mans after a 12-year hiatus. In 2023, the LMDh division from
the IMSA SportsCar Championship will begin, with entries currently confirmed by Porsche, Audi, BMW,
and Acura. In the lone prototype category, the current LMP2 rules have been extended to the end of 2023.
[23]

Innovations
Le Mans has seen many innovations in automotive design to counteract the circuit's difficulties. These have
either been dictated by rules or have been attempts by manufacturers to outwit the competition. Some
innovations were incorporated into the everyday automobile.

Aerodynamics

One of the keys to Le Mans is top speed due to the long straights
that dominate the circuit. This has meant cars have attempted to
achieve the maximum speeds possible instead of relying on
downforce for the turns. While early competitors' cars were street
cars with their bodywork removed to reduce weight, innovators
like Bugatti developed cars that saw the beginnings of
aerodynamics. Nicknamed tanks due to their similarity to military
tanks in World War I, these cars used simple curves to cover all the A 1969 Porsche 908 Langheck
car's mechanical elements and increase top speed. Once Le Mans
returned after World War II, most manufacturers would adopt
closed bodies streamlined for better aerodynamics. A notable
example of the changes brought about by aerodynamics are the
1950 entries by Briggs Cunningham. Cunningham entered two
1950 Cadillac Coupe de Villes, one nearly stock and the other
completely rebodied in a streamlined aluminum shape developed
by Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation that looked so
unusual that it was nicknamed "Le Monstre" by the French press.
The smoothing of body shapes and fairing-in of various parts of the
The 1950 Cadillac Le Monstre
machine brought about by the continual search for reduction of
aerodynamic drag led to a separation from Grand Prix cars, which
rarely had large bodywork.

As the years went on, bodywork became all-enveloping, while at the same time lighter. The larger
bodywork with spoilers was able to provide more downforce for the turns without increasing the drag,
allowing cars to maintain high speeds. Extended bodywork would usually concentrate on the car's rear,
usually being termed long tail. The bodywork also began to cover the cockpit for less drag. However, open
cockpits would come and go over the years as rules varied. Aerodynamics reached its peak in 1989 before
the Mulsanne Straight was modified. During the 1988 race, the crew of a Peugeot powered WM prototype
taped over the engine openings, allowing Roger Dorchy to set a recorded speed of 405  km/h (252  mph)
down the Mulsanne in a publicity stunt. However, the car was almost undrivable elsewhere on the circuit.
The engine was soon destroyed from a lack of cooling. However, for the 1989 event, the Mercedes-Benz
C9 reached 400 km/h (249 mph) under qualifying conditions.[24]

Engines

A wide variety of engines have competed at Le Mans in attempts to

achieve greater speed and have better fuel economy and spend less
time in the pits. Engine sizes have also varied greatly, with the
smallest engines being a mere 569 cc (Simca Cinq) and the largest
upwards of 8,000 cc (SRT Viper GTS-R). Supercharging was an
early innovation for increasing output, first being raced in 1929,
while turbocharging would not appear until 1974.

The first car to enter without an engine run by pistons would be in

1963, when Rover partnered with British Racing Motors to run a
A 1929 supercharged Bentley gas turbine with mixed success, repeating in 1965. The American
Howmet Corporation would attempt to rerun a turbine in 1968 with
even less success. Although the engines offered great power, they
were hot and not fuel-efficient.

Another non-piston engine that would appear would be a Wankel

engine, otherwise known as the rotary engine. Run entirely by
Mazda since its introduction in 1970, the compact engine would
also suffer from fuel economy problems like the turbine had, yet
would see the success that the turbine lacked. After many years of
development, Mazda finally succeeded in being the only winner of
1991 Mazda 787B, the only Le Mans the race not to have a piston-powered engine, taking the 1991 event
winner with Wankel engine with the 787B. Rotary engines were banned by the ACO following
Mazda's win.

Alternative fuel sources would also play a part in more normal engine designs, with the first non-gasoline
car appearing in 1949. The Delettrez Special would be powered by a diesel engine. In contrast, a second
diesel would appear in the form of the M.A.P. the following year. Although diesel would appear at other
times over the race existence, it would not be until 2006 when a prominent manufacturer, Audi, would
invest in diesel and finally succeed, with the R10 TDI.

Ethanol fuel appeared in 1980 in a modified Porsche 911, leading to a class win. Alternative biological fuel
sources returned again in 2004 with Team Nasamax's DM139-Judd.[25] In 2008, biofuels (10% ethanol for
petrol engines and biodiesel for diesel engines) were allowed. Audi was the first to use next-generation
10% BTL biodiesel developed by Shell and manufactured from biomass.[26]

Beginning in 2009, new regulations allowed hybrid vehicles with either KERS or TERS (Kinetic/Thermal
Energy Recovery System) setups. However, only electrical (i.e., batteries) energy storage was allowed,
ruling out flywheel-based energy recovery.[27] Cars with KERS were allowed to race in 2009 under
specific classification rules. Since 2010, they have competed for points and the championship. In 2012 the
first KERS-equipped car won; the Audi R18 e-tron with a flywheel hybrid system by Williams Hybrid
Power activated and drove the front wheels. This was only allowed in certain zones after the car had
accelerated to at least 120 km/h to cancel out the acceleration advantage that four-wheelers could gain out
of corners. In the same year, Toyota also started with a hybrid car, the TS030, which used KERS to power
its rear wheels, meaning its usage was not restricted.
Brakes

With increased speeds around the track, brakes become a key issue for teams attempting to safely bring
their cars down to a slow enough speed to make the Mulsanne Corner turn. Disc brakes were first seen in
1953 when the Jaguar C-Type raced at Le Mans. In 1955 the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR introduced the air
brake using a large opening hood on the rear of the car. Ford used a quick change brake rotor in 1966 to
achieve their first victory at Le Mans.[28]

In the 1980s, anti-lock braking systems became standard on most Group C cars as a safety measure,
making it less likely that cars lose control at high speeds. By the late 1990s, reinforced carbon-carbon
brakes were adopted for better stopping power.

Successful marques and drivers

Over the years, many
manufacturers have
managed to take the overall
win, while even more have
taken class wins. The most
successful marque in the
history of the race is
Porsche, which has taken
nineteen overall victories,
Tom Kristensen in the Walk of fame
including seven in a row
Le Mans-Winners 2013
from 1981 to 1987 and 107
class victories. Audi is next
with thirteen wins,[29][30]
and Ferrari follows with nine, also including six in a row from 1960
to 1965. Since 2000 Audi has dominated the event, winning 13
times in 15 years of participation.[31] Audi and Team Joest have
had two hat-tricks, the first being in 2000, 2001, and 2002. Jaguar
The most successful participant of has seven wins. In contrast, Bentley, Alfa Romeo, and Ford all
all time at Le Mans, Danish driver won four races in a row, with Bentley recording two additional
Tom Kristensen, has nine wins (7 victories in other years. In 2018, Toyota became only the second
with Audi), the latest in 2013. Japanese marque to win, following Mazda in 1991. Mazda is also
the only company to win with a rotary engine. After Porsche's total
of 107 class victories, Ferrari has 37, and Aston Martin, Audi, and
Chevrolet each have 14.

Three drivers stand apart for their number of victories. Initially, Jacky Ickx held the record at six, scoring
victories between 1969 and 1982, earning him honorary citizenship to the town of Le Mans. His frequent
racing partner, Derek Bell, trailing by a single win, with five. However, Dane Tom Kristensen has beaten
this record with nine wins between 1997 and 2013, including six in a row. Three-time winner Woolf
Barnato (1928 to 1930), American racing legend A. J. Foyt (1967), Nico Hülkenberg (2015), and
Fernando Alonso (2018-2019) are the only drivers to have won every Le Mans in which they participated.

Henri Pescarolo won the race four times, and holds the record for the most Le Mans appearances at 33.
Japan's Yojiro Terada was active as a driver until 2008, and holds the record for the most Le Mans starts
without an overall win. Claude Ballot-Léna holds the most class victories other than Kristensen with seven
wins in GT class cars between 1970 and 1986. Graham Hill is the only driver to win the so-called Triple
Crown of Motorsport, winning the Indianapolis 500 (1966), Monaco Grand Prix (1963, 1964, 1965, 1968,
1969), and the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1972).[32][33]

Accidents
Le Mans has seen many fatal accidents due partly to the very high-speed nature of all variants of the track
throughout history. The largest one was in 1955 when 83 spectators and driver Pierre Levegh were killed.
In the wake of the disaster, many races were cancelled, including the Grand Prix races in Germany, Spain,
and Switzerland (the latter as a part of a blanket ban on motorsport round-track races that was maintained
until 2018).[34] The accident led to safety regulations in all motorsports for both driver and spectator
protection.

Almost all decades in which Le Mans has been run have seen their fair share of horrific accidents, such as
in 1972 when Swede Jo Bonnier was catapulted into a forest surrounding the circuit after hitting a privately
entered Ferrari near the Indianapolis section; Bonnier was killed instantly. The 1980s was a decade where
some of the race's worst-ever accidents occurred. Although Armco barriers had been installed along the
straight in 1969, there were still no chicanes on the Mulsanne Straight. In this place, almost all of the worst
accidents occurred during that time. The prototypes, most of which were equipped with very powerful
turbocharged engines in those days, were capable of doing more than 390–400  km/h (240–250  mph)
before reaching the kink and would still be doing the same kind of speeds at the end of the 5.8-kilometre
(3.6 mi) straight – and even through the kink, which was a flat-out bend for all the cars on the track. In
1981, Belgian Thierry Boutsen crashed horrifically on the Mulsanne Straight in his WM-Peugeot, killing a
marshal. In the same race, Frenchman Jean-Louis Lafosse was also killed on the Mulsanne Straight when
his Rondeau suffered a suspension failure, steered very suddenly to the right, and slammed into the Armco
barrier on the driver's side at extreme speeds. The 1984 race saw British privateer John Sheldon crashing at
more than 320 km/h (200 mph) at the Mulsanne Kink; his Aston Martin V8 powered Nimrod tore through
the Armco barriers into the trees. The resulting explosion was so violent that the woods next to the track
caught fire. Although Sheldon survived with severe burns, a track marshal was killed; two others were also
severely injured. Sheldon's teammate, American Drake Olson in the second Nimrod-Aston Martin, who
was following him down the straight, crashed heavily after running over Sheldon's bodywork; he went into
severe shock but survived with minor injuries. The field was under the safety car for over an hour while the
crash site was cleared, and the destroyed Armco barriers were replaced.

In 1985, a similar accident befell Briton Dudley Wood in a Porsche 962 during practice. The impact of the
car against the Armco, considering Wood was doing more than 370 km/h (230 mph), was so hard that it
cracked the engine block. Wood survived without injury. Also, in 1985, John Nielsen flipped his Sauber-
Mercedes while going over the Mulsanne hump at more than 350 km/h (220 mph). The car landed on its
roof and was destroyed, but Nielsen escaped without injury. In 1986, Jo Gartner drove a Porsche 962C into
the Mulsanne barriers and was killed instantly after the car rolled multiple times, vaulted some Armco
barriers, and knocked down a telegraph pole. Moreover, in 1987, American Price Cobb crashed a works
Porsche 962C after slipping on oil during Wednesday practice. The fuel tank exploded and the car burned
to the ground, but Cobb escaped without injury.

Gartner's fatal accident remained the most recent death in the race until Allan Simonsen's crash in 2013.
However, there was one fatality during a practice session in 1997 (Sebastien Enjolras).[35]

In 1999, the Mercedes-Benz CLRs suffered from aerodynamic instability leading to airborne cars. After
initially happening at the Le Mans test day, Mercedes claimed to have solved the problem, only for it to
occur again at warmup. Mark Webber was the unlucky driver whose car flipped on both occasions. The
last and most damaging accident occurred during the race itself when Peter Dumbreck's CLR became
airborne, flying over the safety fencing and landing in the woods several metres away. No drivers were
severely hurt in any of the three accidents. However, Mercedes-Benz withdrew its remaining entry and
ended its entire sportscar programme.

In 2011, two horrific accidents occurred to two of the three factory Audis in the LMP1 class. Near the end
of the first hour, the No. 3 car driven by Allan McNish collided with one of the Ferrari GT cars, resulting in
McNish's car smashing into the tyre wall and being thrown into the air at the Dunlop chicanes, resulting in
pieces of bodywork flying over and nearly hitting many photographers on the other side of the barrier. In
the eleventh hour of the race, another accident occurred to the No. 1 car driven by Mike Rockenfeller when
he had contact with another Ferrari GT car. In the runup to Indianapolis corner, Rockenfeller's Audi was
sent into the outside barrier at over 270  km/h (170  mph). Only the main cockpit safety cell of the car
remained, along with major damage being done to the barriers that needed to be repaired before the race
was resumed. Audi had switched to a closed-cockpit car starting in 2011, a decision credited for the fact
that neither driver was injured. The 2014 regulations required all cars to be closed-cockpit due to the 2011
accident.

In 2012, Anthony Davidson, driving for the returning Toyota team in a Toyota TS030 Hybrid, collided
with a Ferrari 458 GT2 of Piergiuseppe Perazzini, and became airborne before crashing into the tyre barrier
of the Mulsanne Corner at high speed. The Ferrari also ended up in the barrier, flipping and coming to a
halt on its roof. Davidson suffered broken vertebrae.[36][37]

In 2013, Dane Allan Simonsen died after crashing into the barriers at Tertre Rouge.[38] When the car
collided with the guard rail, a mature tree had been touching the barrier, thereby preventing the guard rail
from performing its safety function.[39]

Coverage
Motors TV covered the Le
Mans 24 Hours in its
entirety in 2006 and 2007,
including coverage of the
scrutineering, qualifying,
driver parade, warmup, and
race. In the United States,
FOX owned SPEED
A helicopter that provided aerial Channel, followed by Fox An ACO host covering the 2016 race
coverage for 2019 race Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2
aired complete race
coverage live either on-air or online through a combination of
coverage from the French host broadcaster and its own pit reporting crew for several years. That deal ended
after the 2017 season. A United States television deal was not done for the 2018–19 WEC Super Season
because of a renegotiation of its European contract.

In 2008, Eurosport secured a multi-year deal to show the entire race, including the qualifying and the
motorcycle race. Every hour of the 2008 race was broadcast in segments on the main channel and
Eurosport 2. However, a couple of hours were missed in recent years due to scheduling clashes with other
sporting events.[40] In addition, Eurosport provided live streaming on its website to subscribers. Since
2009, Eurosport and Eurosport 2 have covered all the action, and beginning in 2018, Eurosport gained
United States broadcast rights for the World Endurance Championship for the race only on Motor Trend, a
channel also owned by Eurosport's parent company. Qualifying and practices aired on a direct-to-consumer
streaming platform from Motor Trend magazine. In Australia in 2012, Ten Sport showed the race live and
in full online.[41]

The race is also broadcast (in English) on the radio by Radio Le Mans.

Appearances in media

Vintage racing
Since 2001, the ACO has allowed the "Le Mans Legend" event to
participate on the full Circuit de la Sarthe. These exhibition races
involve classic cars that had previously run at Le Mans or are
similar to those. Each year, a particular era of cars may participate,
with the featured era changing from year to year. Though most
drivers in this event are amateurs, some noted professional drivers
have appeared to race cars they had previously run, such as Stirling
Moss and Derek Bell.
Ford GT40 alongside Chevrolet
Starting in 2002, the "Le Mans Classic" has been held as a biennial Corvette in 2015 Le Mans Legend
event on the full 13 km (8.1 mi) circuit in July. The races take place
over a full 24-hour day/night cycle, with starts on set times
allowing cars from the same era to compete simultaneously. A team
typically consists of a car in each class. The team with the most
points accumulated over five or six classes is declared the overall
winner. The classes are based on the era in which the cars would
have competed. The exact class requirements are re-evaluated for
every event since the age for the youngest entries is shifted by two
years for each event. In the first event, five classes ran more short
races; later events have featured six classes running fewer but
Le Mans Start at Le Mans Classic
longer races. Drivers are required to have an FIA International
2018
Competition license. This event also includes a large Concours
d'Elegance and auction.

See also
24 Hours of Le Mans (motorcycle race)
24 Hours of LeMons
Endurance racing
Le Mans 24 Hours video games
List of 24 Hours of Le Mans winners
List of 24 hours of Le Mans records
Triple Crown of Motorsport
Radio Le Mans

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38. "Driver killed during Le Mans 24-Hours" (http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/112151.ht
ml). En.espnf1.com. 22 June 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
39. "Race Car Driver Deaths: The Medical Causes of Racing Deaths w Examples" (http://blog.p
arathyroid.com/race-car-deaths-medical-causes-racing-deaths/). parathyroid.com. 23 June
2013. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
40. "Eurosport" (http://tv.eurosport.co.uk/tvschedule.shtml). Archived (https://web.archive.org/we
b/20101013122840/http://tv.eurosport.co.uk/tvschedule.shtml) from the original on 13
October 2010. Retrieved 11 October 2010.
41. "TEN to stream Le Mans online" (http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2012/06/ten-to-stream-le-mans
-online.html). TV Tonight. Retrieved 15 June 2011.

Additional references
"Le Mans 1965" in Automobile Historique, no. 48, May 2005 (in French).
"24 heures du Mans 1973" in Automobile Historique, no. 49, June/July 2005 (in French).

External links
Le Mans official website (http://www.24h-lemans.com/en/)
Racing Sports Cars (http://www.racingsportscars.com/photo_lemans.html) – historical
photos and results
Le Mans History (http://www.lemans-history.com) – The History of Le Mans 24 Hours race
24h of Le Mans History and database (http://www.les24heures.fr)
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