Check any racing-related thing, whether a book, movie, or whatever. One way or another, these will mention the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ask any professional driver, and they’ll say the same: ‘Omg, this is Le Mans!’ Moreover, each time a few months before the race, the motorsports starts to buzz, exciting people more and more. ‘Have you seen it?’ – it comes from every corner. ‘No’ – you say quietly, trying not to be embarrassed, but why? What is so special about the 24 Hours of Le Mans that to miss this race is like failing while watching it or even attending the event is the same as touching the royalty of sport? Frankly, there is no direct answer, but here are 5 facts to help any beginner get their own reason and feel confident anyway.

Fact#1: It Is Still The Original

Named simply after the French city of Le Mans, the event may seem straightforward. However, it’s just the tip of the iceberg, as the racing prestige began here with the first-ever 24 Hours of Le Mans at the Circuit de la Sarthe in 1923.

This makes it one of the oldest races in the world.

However, you may say. Other racing challenges started about 100 years ago with their traditions, such as the Monte Carlo Rally in 1911 or IndyCar in 1909. Yes, you’ll be correct, but here is the thing.

Le Mans has preserved its original spirit with unparalleled passion that time seems to have stood still.

What was Le Mans like over 100 years ago? 

It was like drive or die. 

The dangerous and grueling race on the 17.26-kilometer Sarthe has always had an unpredictable ending. That’s why it has cemented its reputation as the premier event that attracts the world’s most famous manufacturers and drivers to try if they’re lucky.

Yes, Le Mans has always been the home of the racing elite. 

A sense of eliteness responds through its traditions. Take the Le Mans Old Start, when drivers started from a standing position away from their cars, ran to them, and drove off. 

Have you ever wondered why winners spray champagne on the podium? It started at the 24 Hours of Le Mans when Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt celebrated their victory in 1967. 

Looking out at the proud Ford CEO Henry Ford II, team owner Carroll Shelby, and the journalists who had predicted disaster for them, Gurney was so happy that instead of drinking, he shook the bottle and sprayed everyone nearby.

This exuberant celebration has since spread to various motorsport series, including Formula 1, NASCAR, IndyCar, WRC, and MotoGP. 

What has changed? 

While IndyCar, WRC, Formula 1, and NASCAR have evolved significantly, adapting regulations and car designs, the 24 Hours of Le Mans has remained true to its roots.

Of course, racing at the Sarthe has become safer. 

Today, drivers start from inside their cars, while the waving French tricolor flag, accompanied by overflying jets spewing blue, white, and red smoke, signals the start of the race.

The Circuit de la Sarthe has also been shortened to 13.626 kilometers (8.5 miles), and the cars that race at Le Mans now have a modern look and specific equipment. 

However, the purpose and prestige of 24 Hours of Le Mans have remained constant.

You can still experience the historic spirit of the event at the Le Mans Classic, which retains the original distance and length but attracts more than 800 classic cars.

Moreover, as it was over 100 years ago, winning at Le Mans is a ticket to the Hall of Fame for anyone who lends a hand to the winning car.

The event completes the Triple Crown, unlike any other award in that a driver must win the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans to achieve it – a nearly impossible challenge.

The Only One to Win the Triple Crown

Throughout history, only Graham Hill has won the Triple Crown. He first won the Monaco Grand Prix in 1963, followed by the Indy 500 in 1966, and capped it off by winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1972. 

However, many drivers have attempted this prestigious feat, including Michael Schumacher, who debuted at Le Mans in 1991 with Karl Wendlinger and Fritz Kreutzpointner, although they finished 5th.

F1 driver Fernando Alonso was more successful. He won the Monaco Grand Prix in 2006 and 2007 and Le Mans in 2018 and 2019, but he still needed to win the Indy 500 to complete the coveted Triple Crown.

So, the 24 Hours of Le Mans remains the most challenging level of racing to test the world’s stars. That is where its historical roots lie.  

Fact #2: It’s All About The Circuit De La Sarthe

What has attracted the world’s racing stars to Le Mans for over a century?

Apart from the prestige, it’s the test of their skills on this race track.

Imagine, for safety reasons, the Circuit des 24 Heures, as it is called in French, has undergone so many redesigns that you can lose count.

The first big one came in the 1960s. Racing cars had become dramatically faster, leading to fatal crashes on the track, so ‘danger’ became the Sarthe’s second name. 

However, with the addition of the Bugatti Circuit in 1965, the Ford chicane in 1968, changes to Tertre Rouge in 1979, the removal of the second Dunlop bridge, and the redesign of the Mulsanne straight, Sarthe has retained its risky nature.

So, neither modifications nor shortening of the track have been able to suppress its dangerous nature. 

What is its dangerous nature?

Firstly, the Sarthe circuit features a mixture of public roads and race track sections. Such a mix tests the drivers’ ability to adapt and challenges the tires and brakes of their cars.

Second, its layout includes long, high-speed straights paired with very technical corners, emphasizing the importance of endurance. 

Third, the unprecedented speed at which the drivers run for about 85% of the track. While maintaining over 200 km/h (124 mph), they can reach over 300 km/h (186 mph).

The Circuit de la Sarthe is a place of legends, where every corner has a story to tell, and Mulsanne has the loudest voice.

Mulsanne Straight (Hunaudières)

The Ligne Droite des Hunaudières, as the Mulsanne Straight is called in French, is epic. 

This 6 km (3.7 mile) stretch is the fastest part of the race track. How fast, you may ask? The drivers can reach 340 km/h (211 mph) here, but this isn’t the limit.

In the past, until two chicanes were added to limit the speed, Roger Dorchy drove his WM P88 to 407 km/h in 1988, once and for all.

Mark Blundell’s record is, therefore, more accurate. In 1990, he reached 366 km/h (226.9 mph) in a Nissan R90CK.

What’s more? Mulsanne doesn’t forgive mistakes. At speeds of over 320 km/h, the driver faces the challenge of braking hard to 100 km/h at the end of the straight. 

Tire punctures and engine failures are common. To understand this better, consider that former F1 driver Mark Webber flipped his car during a warm-up session on the Mulsanne Straight in 1999 – an incident featured in the Gran Turismo movie.

If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong on the Mulsanne Straight.

Fact#3: It’s just the other

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is 18 times longer than a Formula One Grand Prix and 6 times longer than the Indianapolis 500. It began as a distinctive event and continues to stand alone in motorsports.

Although its race format inspired the creation of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2012, the 24 Hours of Le Mans remains the flagship event. Why is that? In short, it’s the only 24-hour race held on the Circuit de la Sarthe.

While FIA WEC races typically last between 6 and 8 hours, there are other prestigious endurance races, such as the 24 Hours of Spa, 24 Hours of Daytona, 24 Hours of Nürburgring, and 24 Hours of Dubai. 

However, the Le Mans race set the standard for endurance events worldwide and earned its universal title as the ‘Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency’ in 2010.

The event features a special warm-up and practice with night sessions. Qualifying consists of several segments, including Hyperpole, where the fastest cars in each class compete for pole position in a 30-minute session. With different categories of participating cars and distinctive trophies, the 24 Hours of Le Mans presents unique challenges.

Fact#4: The Hardest Car Race In The World

Class A drivers past and present, such as Ayrton Senna, Jackie Stewart, Jean Alesi, Mario Andretti, Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber, and Jimmie Johnson, have all raced here at one time or another. 

They all say that Le Mans is the ultimate test, and those aren’t just words; they reflect the reality of this grueling race.

You might think Le Mans is difficult because the drivers race for 24 hours.

Well, yes and no. 

In the past, drivers would spend more than 10 hours behind the wheel, like in 1950 when Louis Rosier drove for 23 hours and 10 minutes before handing the car over to his son. They won that race. 

In the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the winner is the car that travels the most distance. Therefore, vehicles can drive more than 5,000 km, like in 2010 when the team did 397 laps!

Nowadays, however, the drivers don’t drive such long distances alone. They typically spend about 6 hours behind the wheel, alternating with teammates.  

And here is the thing. 

Depending on the strategy, drivers can do 3 to 5 stints, which is still the equivalent of 3 to 5 full races per day. So, the real challenge at Le Mans is for the drivers to maintain their stamina for 24 hours. After an intense race, athletes usually have time to relax, but Le Mans has a different set of rules.

What are these rules?

Drivers can eat and sleep in designated areas. However, they don’t sleep more than 30 minutes at a time – just one sleep cycle – and often don’t sleep more than 2-3 hours during the day. Fernando Alonso followed this demanding schedule in 2018.

In addition, the stress of racing means drivers often rely on high-energy snacks and drinks, as under- and overeating can negatively impact performance. 

Many drivers also listen to music to relax and recharge during their short breaks.

Add to this the challenges of day and night driving, changing weather conditions, and the complexity of the track, and it is easy to see why Le Mans is considered the toughest race in the world.

Despite these challenges, the Le Mans experience is unforgettable and draws drivers back year after year.  

Pushing the limits of the impossible

Take Henri Pescarolo, who entered his first 24-hour race in 1966 at 23. With 33 starts and 4 wins, he holds the record for most Le Mans starts. In his last race in 1999, at 57, Pescarolo finished 9th for his Pescarolo Promotion Racing team.

But one man stands out: Tom Kristensen earned the title of Mr. Le Mans by winning the race nine times.

Jacky Ickx follows with six wins.

Contrary to popular belief, Ken Miles never won at Le Mans. Despite his success at the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring, he finished second in 1966. Miles drove the iconic Ford GT40, which had 485 hp and could accelerate to 322 km/h (200 mph).

Fact#5: The Exceptional Cars of Le Mans

Each year, over 60 cars line up at the start, and based on their performance, specifications, and driver skill, Le Mans cars are divided into classes with specific regulations.

Let’s look at the slowest category to understand Le Mans car’s speed. 

The Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3 is the LMGT3 class that includes production-based cars modified for racing. 

Weighing around 1,240 kg (2,733 lbs) and around 500 hp from turbocharged or naturally aspirated engines, the Vantage GTE can reach almost 295 km/h (183 mph).

Next are the prototypes of the LMP2 category, such as the ORECA 07. Weighing around 950 kg (2,094 lbs) and powered by 600 hp naturally aspirated engines, these cars can accelerate to 320 km/h (199 mph).

Formerly known as LMP1, Hypercars are at the top of the heap. Cars like the Toyota GR010 Hybrid or the Ferrari 499P can reach 330 km/h (205 mph). They weigh around 1,100 kg (2,425 lbs) and are powered by hybrid powertrains that produce more than 680 hp.

But does this mean that Le Mans hypercars are faster than Formula 1 cars? 

In short, no. 

At over 350 km/h, Formula 1 cars are generally faster due to their lightweight design and advanced aerodynamics. Their overall lap times are quicker.

In theory, F1 cars can beat Sarthe’s lap record of 3:17.297, set by Mike Conway in a Toyota TS050 Hybrid in 2019, and even finish in about 3 minutes.

But this race will be a short run, no longer than 2 hours of the 24. Therefore, the main characteristic of Le Mans cars is not maximum speed but maintaining it throughout the 24 hours – an impossible feat of endurance for Formula 1 cars.

So, the dominants at Le Mans are different. The Audi R8 car won the race 5 times between 2000 and 2005, while the Porsche team has 19 victories. The legendary Ferrari has been winning 11 times.

The 24 Hours Of Le Mans: A Sacred Event

The 24 Hours of Le Mans embodies the spirit of racing and inspires motorsports worldwide. 

Although daytime is the standard for many competitions, Le Mans has pioneered night racing, influencing events such as the 24 Hours of Daytona.

Le Mans has also served as a proving ground for new technologies. No wonder the first hybrids, such as the Audi R18 e-tron Quattro and the Toyota TS030, debuted here in 2012.

The innovation spread to Formula 1 in 2014, which switched to turbocharged V6 engines paired with Energy Recovery Systems (ERS). The World Rally Championship (WRC) followed suit in 2022.

Moreover, Le Mans’ approach to fan engagement has inspired Formula 1 and NASCAR to expand their audiences through fan zones and interactive experiences during race weekends.

In addition, the Circuit de la Sarthe’s challenges influenced other tracks, such as Spa-Francorchamps.

After all, the 24 Hours of Le Mans has been making motorsport history since its first race.

Think of the 1955 Le Mans disaster, which redefined safety regulations in motorsport. 

Consider the turning point in motorsport – the iconic battle between Ford and Ferrari in 1966.

Again, Porsche’s dominance led to its eventual ban due to safety concerns in the 1970s, while the 787B’s victory in 1991 brought global fame to the first Japanese manufacturer to win at Le Mans.   

The Audi R18 e-tron Quattro became the first hybrid to win the race in 2012, while Toyota’s near-win in 2016 ended in heartbreak just minutes from the finish. 

The virtual Le Mans Grand Prix‘s launch in 2020 made headlines, as did Ferrari’s return to glory in 2023, when it won after a 56-year drought!

Ultimately, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is the place where history is made: its commitment to tradition, the grueling Circuit de la Sarthe, the independence of the event, the challenging conditions, and the exceptional cars combine to create a truly remarkable spectacle event that to miss it is like to fail, while to watch it or even attend the event,  is to touch the royalty of sport.