24 Hours of Le Mans

The Le Mans circuit, whose real name is 'Circuit de la Sarthe', is located near the city of Le Mans in the French county of Sarthe.

It is one of the longest tracks in the world. Most of the layout is made up of public roads normally open to traffic (the D338 and D139). Over 9 km of the existing 13.6-kilometre circuit remain closed to road traffic during the periods of racing. Since its 1923 inauguration, structural modifications have led to continual variations in the track length.

The landmark points on the circuit are the Dunlop, Esse de la Foret, Tertre Rouge, Mulsanne, Indianapolis and Arnage turns. Another renowned section is the Hunaudières straight: one of the stretches normally open to road traffic as part of the Route Nationale 158/D338, connecting Le Mans to the city of Tours. The 6.75-kilometre straight is the longest of any street circuit in the world.

The circuit is famous for holding the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the blue riband event of the World Endurance Championship, organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The single-day race gets underway at 15:00 on Saturday and concludes 24 hours later. The competition is open to prototypes and Grand Touring vehicles.

Until 1969 the 24 Hours got underway with what became known as the 'Le Mans start', with cars lined up on one side of the track and drivers on the other. At the stroke of three o’clock, with the French flag unfurled, drivers would dash across the track, board their cars and set off. This procedure became particularly hazardous and was eventually replaced in 1970 with a standing start. The following year, the rolling start was first introduced and remains to this day.