The 24 Hours of Le Mans - See it live!
The 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans has been held annually since 1923 near the town of Le Mans in France. It is the world's oldest active sports car race in the endurance racing category. The first race was held on May 26 and 27, 1923, and has run every year apart from 1936 and from 1940 to 1948 because of World War II.
The race is commonly named the "Grand Prix of Endurance." Although the 24-hour Le Mans is not just about having a fast car and a driver's ability, it is about being able to produce a car that can complete the race in its entirety without sustaining any mechanical damage while also keeping an eye on the car's tires, fuel, and brakes. The drivers are also put through their paces.
Initially, there were no rules surrounding how many drivers were in a team, with a few drivers in the race's history attempting to complete the race as the only driver. It wasn't until the 1990s that rules were introduced to require teams to have a minimum of three drivers per car, with even more rules introduced around the length of time one driver could be behind the wheel.
This is just a taste of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and its amazing history. To get a real-life experience of the race and take in the amazing atmosphere surrounding a race day, why not take a look at our Le Mans tour by coach and join in the 90th-anniversary celebrations?
Photo courtesy of Dave Hamster
