Circuit de la Sarthe
Encyclopedia
- For the French road bicycle racing stage race, see Circuit de la Sarthe (cycling)Circuit de la Sarthe (cycling)The Circuit de la Sarthe-Pays de la Loire is an early-season short road bicycle racing stage race held annually in Sarthe, Pays de la Loire, France. Since 2005, it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour....
The Circuit des 24 Heures, also known as Circuit de la Sarthe, located near Le Mans
Le Mans
Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, is a semi-permanent race course most famous as the venue for the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
auto race. The track uses local roads that remain open to the public most of the year. The circuit, in its present configuration, is 13.629 km (8.469 mi) long, making it one of the longest circuits in the world.
Le Mans is a race where up to 85% of the time is spent on full throttle, meaning immense stress on engine and drivetrain components. However, the times spent reaching maximum speed also mean tremendous wear on the brakes and suspension as cars must slow from over 200 mph (322 km/h) to around 65 mph (105 km/h) for the end of Mulsanne
Mulsanne
Mulsanne is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire in north-western France.-Motor racing:The Circuit de la Sarthe, which is used in the sports car endurance race 24 Hours of Le Mans, features the long straight Ligne Droite des Hunaudières leading to Mulsanne, making a...
in a short distance. Downforce in the era of Group C
Group C
Group C was a category of motorsport, introduced by the FIA in 1982 for sports car racing, along with Group A for touring cars and Group B for GTs....
cars helped braking to some degree but presently cars are tending towards low downforce to seek higher speeds in the face of power limiting regulations.
Track modifications
The track, which basically was a triangle from Le Mans down south to MulsanneMulsanne
Mulsanne is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire in north-western France.-Motor racing:The Circuit de la Sarthe, which is used in the sports car endurance race 24 Hours of Le Mans, features the long straight Ligne Droite des Hunaudières leading to Mulsanne, making a...
, northwest to Arnage
Arnage, Sarthe
Arnage is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire in north-western France....
, and back north to Le Mans, has undergone many modifications over the years, with CIRCUIT N° 14 being in use since 2007.
In the 1920s, the cars drove from the present pits on Rue de Laigné straight into the city, and after a tight right-hander near the river Sarthe
Sarthe
Sarthe is a French department, named after the Sarthe River.- History :The department was created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790, pursuant to the law of December 22, 1789, starting from a part of the province of Maine which was divided into two departments, Sarthe to the east and...
Pontlieu bridge, left the city again on the rather straight street now named Avenue Georges Durand after the race's founder. Then 17.261 kilometres (10.7 mi) long and unpaved, a bypass within the city shortened the track in 1929, but only in 1932 the city was bypassed when the section from the pits via the Dunlop Bridge
Dunlop Bridge
The Dunlop Bridge is a footbridge situated at a number of racing circuits.The bridge is considered to be one of the most significant landmarks in a motorsport venue particularly the Circuit de la Sarthe and Donington Park., although the latter was removed during renovations for the failed attempt...
and the Esses to Tertre Rouge was added. This classic configuration was 8.369 miles (13.5 km) long and remained almost unaltered even after the 1955 tragedy
1955 Le Mans disaster
The 1955 Le Mans disaster occurred during the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race, when a crash caused large parts of racing car debris to fly into the crowd. The driver was killed, as were 83 spectators. A further 120 people were injured...
. Its frighteningly narrow pit straight was narrowed off to make room for the pits and was part of the road itself, without the road becoming wider just for the pits. The pit straight was about 12 feet wide (the pit straight was widened in 1956) and the race track and pits were not separated for another 15 years. The pit area was modified at a cost of 300 million francs
French franc
The franc was a currency of France. Along with the Spanish peseta, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra . Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amount of money...
, the signalling area was even moved to the exit of the slow Mulsanne corner, and the track was resurfaced.
With cars getting ever faster in the 1960s, criticism rose, especially when several drivers were killed, often in the testing session in April. Since 1965, a smaller but permanent Bugatti Circuit was added which shares the pit lane facilities and the first corner (including the famous Dunlop bridge) with the longer version. For the 1968 race, the Ford chicane was added before the pits to slow down the cars. The circuit was fitted with Armco for the 1969 race. The Maison Blanche kink was prone to criticism, a number of nasty accidents happened at the very fast kink over the years, such as John Woolfe being killed there in his Porsche 917 in 1969 and 3 Ferrari 512s (including 2 works cars) were involved in a pile-up there in 1970, with the latter shunt sealing the very fast classic circuit's fate. The circuit was modified 9 more times- in 1971 (a year where the prototypes were averaging 150+ mph (240+ km/h), which was also the last year the classic circuit was used) Armco was added to the pit straight to separate the track from the pits, and in 1972, the last part of the race track was revamped considerably- with the quick Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
curves bypassing Maison Blanche and part of the first straight and all of the second straight between the pits and Maison Blanche. One of the Porsche Curves was affectionately named "Maison Blanche" and a short straight with a slight kink and 2 chicanes before the pits named the Ford chicanes were all added.
In 1979, due to the construction of a new public road, the profile of Tertre Rouge had to be changed. This redesign led to a faster double-apex corner as well as requiring the removal of the second Dunlop Bridge. In 1986, because of construction of a new roundabout at the Mulsanne corner, a new portion of track had to be built in order to avoid the roundabout. This created a right hand kink prior to Mulsanne corner. In 1987, a chicane was added to the very fast Dunlop curve where cars would go under the Dunlop bridge at 180 mph, now they would be slowed to 110 mph.
In 1990, two chicanes were added onto the Mulsanne straight (explained in more detail below), and in 1994, the Dunlop chicane was tightened, in 2002, the run to the Esses was revamped because of a reconstruction of the Bugatti Circuit. The Le Mans circuit was changed between the Dunlop Bridge and Esses, with the straight now becoming a set of fast sweeping turns. This layout allowed for a better transition from the Le Mans circuit to the Bugatti circuit. This layout change would also require the track's infamous carnival to be relocated because the area it had once occupied became runoff. The carnival was relocated to the Porsche curves, and in 2006, the ACO redeveloped the area around the Dunlop Curve and Dunlop Chicane, moving the Dunlop Curve in tighter to create more run-off area, while also turning the Dunlop Chicane into a larger set of turns. As part of the development, a new extended pit lane exit was created for motorcycles running the Bugatti Circuit. This second pit exit re-enters the track just beyond the Dunlop Chicane and before the Dunlop Bridge.
Le Mans was most famous for its 6 km (3.7 mi) long straight, called Ligne Droite des Hunaudières, a part of the route départementale (for the Sarthe
Sarthe
Sarthe is a French department, named after the Sarthe River.- History :The department was created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790, pursuant to the law of December 22, 1789, starting from a part of the province of Maine which was divided into two departments, Sarthe to the east and...
département) D338 (formerly Route Nationale
Route nationale (France)
A route nationale, or simply nationale, is a trunk road in France. Trunk roads are in France are important roads which cross broad portions of the French territory, as opposed to secondary or communal roads who only serve local areas....
N138). The Targa Florio
Targa Florio
The Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973...
featured the even longer Buonfornello straight along the coast, though. As the Hunaudières leads to the village of Mulsanne, it is often called the Mulsanne Straight in English, even though the proper Route du Mulsanne is the one to Arnage. The Porsche 917 long tail had reached 380 km/h, but after engine size was limited, the top speed dropped until the Group C allowed powerful turbo engines. Speeds on the straight by the prototypes reached over 400 km/h (250 mph) during the late 1980s, and the combination of high speed and high downforce caused tyre and engine failures, as this circuit was extremely hard on both tyres and engines before 1990, less so in 1990 and beyond. Due to safety concerns after the extremely high speeds reached at the end of the straight and a number of hideously violent, sometimes fatal accidents in the 1980's (Jean-Louis Lafosse in 1981 and Jo Gartner
Jo Gartner
Jo Gartner was a Formula One and sports car endurance driver from Austria. After a successful junior formula career, including wins in Formula 2. He participated in eight Formula One Grands Prix for Osella, debuting on 6 May 1984, scoring no points...
in 1986) two roughly equally spaced chicane
Chicane
A chicane is an artificial feature creating extra turns in a road, used in motor racing and on city streets to slow cars to lower speeds.- Motor Racing :...
s were consequently added to the straight before the 1990 race to limit the achievable maximum speed. The chicanes were added in 1990 also because the FIA decreed it would no longer sanction a circuit which had a straight longer than 2 km. These were named after sponsors PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
and Michelin
Michelin
Michelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...
. The fastest qualifying lap average speed dropped only from 249 to 243 km/h in 1993, and it rose up to 247 in 2008, not far from the all time best of 250 and 251 set by the Porsche 917 and 956. Regarding the lap record in the race itself, 2008
2008 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 76th Grand Prix of Endurance, taking place on 14–15 June 2008 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . The test day was on June 1. The race was attended by 258,000 spectators...
saw the fastest ever.
| Years | Record year | Distance record | Average race speed | Lap record (in race) | Driver – car | Lap record (qualifying) | Driver – car | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Circuit N°1 – 17.262 km | ||||||||||
| 1923–1928 | 1928 1928 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1928 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 6th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 16 and 17 1928.-Official results:-Did Not Finish:-Statistics:* Fastest Lap - #3 Bentley Motors Ltd... |
2,669.27 km Bentley Bentley Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later... |
111.219 km/h | 8:07 (127.604 km/h) in 1928 |
H.Birkin Henry Birkin Sir Henry Ralph Stanley "Tim" Birkin, 3rd Baronet was a British racing driver, one of the "Bentley Boys" of the 1920s.-Background and family:... Bentley |
|||||
| Circuit N°2 – 16.340 km | ||||||||||
| 1929–1931 | 1931 1931 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1931 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 9th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 13 and 14 1931.-Official results:-Disqualified:* #31 failed to complete the final lap of the race in under 30 minutes and was disqualified.... |
3,017.654 km Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars... |
125.735 km/h | 6:48 (144.362 km/h) in 1930 1930 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1930 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 8th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 21 and 22 June 1930. The pairing of Odette Siko and Marguerite Mareuse would go in history as the first women to compete and finish in the race.-Official results:... |
H.Birkin Henry Birkin Sir Henry Ralph Stanley "Tim" Birkin, 3rd Baronet was a British racing driver, one of the "Bentley Boys" of the 1920s.-Background and family:... Bentley Bentley Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later... |
|||||
| Circuit N°3 – 13.492 km | ||||||||||
| 1932–1955 | 1955 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 23rd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 11 and 12, 1955. It was also the fourth round of the World Sportscar Championship.... |
4,135.38 km Jaguar D Jaguar D-type The Jaguar D-Type, like its predecessor the C-Type, was a factory-built race car. Although it shared the basic straight-6 XK engine design with the C-Type, the majority of the car was radically different... |
172.308 km/h | 4:06.6 (196.963 km/h) in 1955 |
M.Hawthorn Mike Hawthorn John Michael Hawthorn was a racing driver, born in Mexborough, Yorkshire, England, and educated at Ardingly College, West Sussex.-Racing career:... Jaguar D |
|||||
| Circuit N°4 – 13.461 km | ||||||||||
| 1956–1967 | 1967 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 35th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 10 and 11 1967. It was also the seventh round of the World Sportscar Championship.... |
5,232.90 km Ford Mk IV Ford GT40 The Ford GT40 was a high performance sports car and winner of the 24 hours of Le Mans four times in a row, from 1966 to 1969... |
218.038 km/h | 3:23.6 (238.014 km/h) in 1967 |
M.Andretti Mario Andretti Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR... & D.Hulme Denny Hulme Denis Clive "Denny" Hulme, OBE was a New Zealand racing driver, the 1967 Formula One World Champion for the Brabham team.... Ford Mk IV |
3:24.04 (236.082 km/h) in 1967 |
B.McLaren Bruce McLaren Bruce Leslie McLaren , born in Auckland, New Zealand, was a race-car designer, driver, engineer and inventor.... Ford Mk IV |
|||
| Circuit N°5 – 13.469 km | ||||||||||
| 1968–1971 | 1971 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 39th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 12 and 13 June 1971. It was the ninth round of the World Sportscar Championship.-Pre-race:... |
5,335.31 km Porsche 917 Porsche 917 The Porsche 917 is a racecar that gave Porsche its first overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 and 1971. Powered by the Type 912 flat-12 engine of 4.5, 4.9, or 5 litres, the 917/30 variant was capable of a 0- time of 2.3 seconds, 0– in 5.3 seconds, and a top speed of over .There are 6... |
222.304 km/h | 3:18.4 (244.387 km/h) in 1971 |
J.Oliver Jackie Oliver Keith Jack Oliver, better known as Jackie Oliver, is a British former Formula One driver and team-owner from England... Porsche 917 |
3:13.6 (250.457 km/h) in 1971 (practice) |
J.Oliver Porsche 917 |
|||
| Circuit N°6 – 13.640 km | ||||||||||
| 1972–1978 | 1978 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 46th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 10 and 11 1978.-Race:In 1978, the Renault V6 turbo, which had lost in 1976 and 1977 to the Porsche 936, finally managed to beat the German cars. Each company had brought no less than four cars, which after... |
5,044.53 km Alpine-Renault A442 B Renault Alpine A442 The Renault Alpine A442 is a sports prototype racing car, designed and built by Alpine, but funded and powered by Alpine's owners Renault, specifically to contest the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Variants were entered for the event in 1976, 1977 and 1978. An A442B finally won the race on the third... |
210.189 km/h | 3:34.2 (229.244 km/h) in 1978 |
J.P.Jabouille Jean-Pierre Jabouille Jean-Pierre Alain Jabouille is a former racing driver from France.-Biography:A native of Paris, Jabouille was one of the last of a breed of Formula One drivers who were also engineers.... Alpine-Renault A443 Renault Alpine A442 The Renault Alpine A442 is a sports prototype racing car, designed and built by Alpine, but funded and powered by Alpine's owners Renault, specifically to contest the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Variants were entered for the event in 1976, 1977 and 1978. An A442B finally won the race on the third... |
3:27.6 (236.531 km/h) in 1978 |
J.Ickx Jacky Ickx Jacques Bernard "Jacky" Ickx is a Belgian former racing driver who achieved 25 podium finishes in Formula One and six wins in the 24 hours of Le Mans.- Racing career :... Porsche 936 Porsche 936 The Porsche 936 was a racing car introduced in 1976 by Porsche as a delayed successor to the Porsche 908, a three litre sportscar prototype which was retired by the factory after 1971... |
|||
| Circuit N°7 – 13.626 km | ||||||||||
| 1979–1985 | 1985 1985 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1985 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 53rd Grand Prix of Endurance as well as the fourth round of the 1985 World Endurance Championship. It took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe, France, on June 15 and 16 1985.... |
5,088.51 km Porsche 956 Porsche 956 The Porsche 956 was a Group C sports-prototype racing car designed by Norbert Singer and built by Porsche in 1982 for the FIA World Sportscar Championship... |
212.021 km/h | 3:25.1 (239.169 km/h) in 1985 |
J.Ickx Jacky Ickx Jacques Bernard "Jacky" Ickx is a Belgian former racing driver who achieved 25 podium finishes in Formula One and six wins in the 24 hours of Le Mans.- Racing career :... Porsche 962 Porsche 962 The Porsche 962 was a sports-prototype racing car built by Porsche as a replacement for the 956 and designed mainly to comply with IMSA's GTP regulations, although it would later compete in the European Group C formula as the 956 had... |
3:14.80 (251.815 km/h) in 1985 |
H.Stuck Porsche 962 |
|||
| Circuit N°8 – 13.528 km | ||||||||||
| 1986 | 1986 1986 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1986 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 54th Grand Prix of Endurance as well as the third round of the 1986 World Sports-Prototype Championship. It took place on May 31 and June 1, 1986.-Pre-race:... |
4,972.73 km Porsche 962 Porsche 962 The Porsche 962 was a sports-prototype racing car built by Porsche as a replacement for the 956 and designed mainly to comply with IMSA's GTP regulations, although it would later compete in the European Group C formula as the 956 had... C |
207.197 km/h | 3:23.3 (239.551 km/h) in 1986 |
K.Ludwig Klaus Ludwig Klaus Ludwig is a German race driver.- Biography :Unlike Hans-Joachim Stuck, Rolf Stommelen, Harald Ertl, Hans Heyer and Jochen Mass, he has never raced in single seaters... Porsche 956 |
3:15.99 (243.486 km/h) in 1986 |
J.Mass Jochen Mass Jochen Richard Mass is a former race car driver from Germany.He participated in 114 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on July 14, 1973 at the British Grand Prix... Porsche 962 C |
|||
| Circuit N°9 – 13.535 km | ||||||||||
| 1987–1989 | 1988 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 56th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 11 and 12 1988. It was also the fifth round of the World Sports-Prototype Championship season.-Race:... |
5,332.79 km Jaguar XJR9 |
221.665 km/h | 3:21.27 (242.093 km/h) in 1989 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 57th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 10 and 11 1989.-Race:The race was the last time the 24 Hours of Le Mans ran without the two chicanes on the Mulsanne Straight; for the interest of safety to reduce speeds after speeds reaching in the previous... |
A.Ferté Alain Ferté Alain Ferté is a professional racing driver. He is the elder brother of Michel Ferté, who is also a professional racing driver.Alain Ferté competed five seasons in Formula 3000 1985-1989... Jaguar XJR9 |
3:15.04 (249.826 km/h) in 1989 |
J.L.Schlesser Jean-Louis Schlesser Jean-Louis Schlesser is a French racing driver with experience in circuit racing and cross-country rallying. He is known for his successful wins of many different competitions... Sauber Mercedes C9 |
|||
| Circuit N°10 – 13.600 km | ||||||||||
| 1990–1996 | 1993 1993 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1993 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 61st Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 19 and 20 1993.A class for Grand Touring style cars was included for the first time since the 1985 race.-Official results:... |
5,100.00 km Peugeot 905 Peugeot 905 The Peugeot 905 is a Sports-prototype racing car introduced for Sportscar racing.The car was initially unveiled in February 1990 and was developed throughout 1990 before making its race debut in the final two races of the 1990 World Sportscar Championship season .The car won the 24 Hours of Le Mans... |
213.358 km/h | 3:27.47 (235.986 km/h) in 1993 |
E.Irvine Eddie Irvine Edmund "Eddie" Irvine, Jr. is a former racing driver from Northern Ireland. He grew up in Conlig, County Down, and was influenced by his parents, who were also involved in motor racing... Toyota TS010 Toyota TS010 The Toyota TS010 was a Group C racing car built by Toyota for the Sportscar World Championship, All Japan Sports Prototype Championship, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.-History:... |
3:21.209 (243.329 km/h) in 1992 1992 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1992 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 60th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 20 and 21 1992. It was also the third round of the Sportscar World Championship... |
Ph.Alliot Philippe Alliot Philippe Alliot is a former racing driver who participated in Formula One from to and from to . He raced for RAM, Ligier, Larrousse and McLaren.... Peugeot 905 |
|||
| Circuit N°11 – 13.605 km | ||||||||||
| 1997–2001 | 2000 2000 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2000 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 68th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 17 and 18 2000.-Pre-race:After the 1999 race, most of the manufacturers in the top classes went in different directions. BMW and Toyota went into Formula One, while Mercedes-Benz left sportscars after the CLR... |
5,007.98 km Audi R8 |
208.666 km/h | 3:35.032 (227.771 km/h) in 1999 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 67th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 12 and 13, 1999.-Pre-race:1999 saw another increase in manufacturers involvement. Although Porsche did not send a team to contest, Toyota retained their three updated GT-Ones, now moved to the LMGTP class due... |
U.Katayama Ukyo Katayama is a Japanese racing driver, most notable for competing six years in Formula One. Despite struggling with under-funded teams throughout his career, Katayama's performances impressed on several occasions, and was popular in the F1 paddock for his unshakeably sunny disposition and self-deprecating... Toyota GT-One Toyota GT-One The Toyota GT-One was a racing car initially developed for grand touring style rules, but later adapted into a Le Mans prototype. It raced in the 1998 and 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans.-History:... |
3:29.930 (233.306 km/h) in 1999 |
M.Brundle Martin Brundle Martin John Brundle is a British racing driver from England, known as a Formula One driver and as an F1 commentator for ITV Sport from 1997 to 2008, the BBC from 2009 to 2011 and Sky Sports from 2012.... Toyota GT-One |
|||
| Circuit N°12 – 13.650 km | ||||||||||
| 2002–2005 | 2004 2004 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2004 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 72nd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 12 and 13 2004.-Race:With the end of the Bentley project, there were no official factory teams at this years race, theoretically leaving it open to anyone... |
5,169.97 km Audi R8 |
215.415 km/h | 3:33.483 (230.182 km/h) in 2002 2002 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2002 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 70th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 15 and 16 2002.-Pre-race:Following a reconstruction of the Bugatti Circuit, the Le Mans circuit was changed between the Dunlop Bridge and Esses, with the straight now becoming a set of fast sweeping turns... |
T.Kristensen Tom Kristensen Tom Kristensen is a Danish racing driver. He has won many championships in auto racing but his most famous achievement is being the only person to win the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans eight times, six of which were consecutive... Audi R8 |
3:29.905 (234.106 km/h) in 2002 |
R.Capello Rinaldo Capello Rinaldo Capello , also known as Dindo Capello, is an Italian endurance racing driver.Dindo started his racing career in 1976, driving go-karts, but didn't move into single-seaters until 1983, starting in Formula Fiat Abarth. 1990 saw Dindo's first major championship victory, winning the Italian... Audi R8 |
|||
| Circuit N°13 – 13.650 km | ||||||||||
| 2006 | 2006 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 74th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place over June 17–18, 2006.-Pre-race:Prior to this race the ACO redeveloped the area around the Dunlop Curve and Dunlop Chicane, moving the Dunlop Curve in tighter to create more run-off area, while also turning the Dunlop... |
5,187.00 km Audi R10 Audi R10 The Audi R10 TDI, usually abbreviated to R10, is a racing car from the German car manufacturer Audi. The car is a classic at Le Mans, winning every year since its introduction until it was replaced by the R15. It is designed and constructed for sports car racing in the Le Mans Prototype LMP1 class... TDI |
215.409 km/h | 3:31.211 (232.658 km/h) in 2006 |
T.Kristensen Tom Kristensen Tom Kristensen is a Danish racing driver. He has won many championships in auto racing but his most famous achievement is being the only person to win the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans eight times, six of which were consecutive... Audi R10 TDI |
3:30.466 (233,482) in 2006 |
R.Capello Rinaldo Capello Rinaldo Capello , also known as Dindo Capello, is an Italian endurance racing driver.Dindo started his racing career in 1976, driving go-karts, but didn't move into single-seaters until 1983, starting in Formula Fiat Abarth. 1990 saw Dindo's first major championship victory, winning the Italian... Audi R10 TDI |
|||
| Circuit N°14 – 13.629 km | ||||||||||
| Since 2007 | 2010 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 78th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, also known as the Grand Prix of Endurance. The race took place on 12–13 June 2010 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, and was organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . Fifty-six cars participated in the... |
5,410.71 km Audi R15 TDI Audi R15 TDI The Audi R15 TDI, commonly abbreviated to the R15, is a Le Mans Prototype racing car constructed by the German car manufacturer Audi AG. It is the successor to the Audi R10 TDI. Like its predecessor, the R15 TDI uses a turbocharged diesel engine, although the R15's V10 engine is physically... plus |
225.228 km/h | 3:19.074 (246.463 km/h) in 2010 |
L.Duval Loïc Duval Loïc Duval is a French race car driver.- Career :He began his career in karting and in 2002 was the French Formula Campus champion. In 2003 he was the French Formula Renault champion. In 2004 he placed eleventh with two podiums in the Formula Three Euroseries and tested for Renault F1... Peugeot 908 HDi FAP |
3:18.513 (247.160 km/h) in 2008 |
S.Sarrazin Stéphane Sarrazin Stéphane Sarrazin is a Peugeot factory racing driver from France. He participated in 1 Formula One Grand Prix for Minardi, debuting on April 11, 1999 at the Brazilian Grand Prix. He was a replacement for Luca Badoer, who had injured his wrist. He suffered a big spin in the race coming up to the... Peugeot 908 HDi FAP |
|||
Bugatti Circuit
Ettore Bugatti
right|thumb|Ettore Bugatti in 1932Ettore Arco Isidoro Bugatti was an Italian-born and French naturalized citizen automobile designer and manufacturer....
. The circuit uses a part of the larger circuit and a separate, purpose-built section. The sections of track on the Bugatti Circuit that are on the Circuit des 24 Heures include the Ford Chicane at the end of the lap, the pit complex, and the straight where the Dunlop Tyres
Dunlop Tyres
Dunlop Tyres is a British company owned 75% by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and 25% by Sumitomo Rubber Industries, which bought the right to sell Dunlop-branded road tyres....
bridge is located. At this point in the overlapping section of the tracks there is a left right sweep that was added for motorcycle safety in 2002. Vehicles turning to the left continue onto the Circuit des 24 Heures, toward Tertre Rouge and Mulsanne, vehicles turning to the right will continue the Bugatti Circuit.
The track is home base for Pescarolo Sport
Pescarolo Sport
Pescarolo Sport is a motorsport team based in Le Mans, France and founded in 2000 by French racing driver Henri Pescarolo. They race in the Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In October 2007, Henri Pescarolo purchased Jacques Nicolet's Saulnier Racing and created Pescarolo Automobiles,...
, founded by famous French driver Henri Pescarolo
Henri Pescarolo
Henri Pescarolo is a former racing driver from France. He participated in 64 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 22 September 1968. He achieved one podium, and scored a total of 12 championship points...
. The circuit also hosts the 24 Hours of Le Mans motorcycle race, and a round of the MotoGP Championship
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP. The 125cc class uses a two-stroke engine while Moto2 and MotoGP use four-stroke engines. In 2010 the 250cc two-stroke was replaced...
. The circuit also holds French motor club races and in the past has hosted rounds of the International Formula 3000 Championship and DTM
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters is a touring car racing series based in Germany, but also with rounds elsewhere in Europe....
(German Touring Car series).
As well as motor racing it is the venue for the 24 rollers, a 24h race on inline skates or quads.
The track was used for the 1967 French Grand Prix
1967 French Grand Prix
The 1967 French Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Bugatti Circuit, Le Mans on July 2, 1967.- Race report :The new Bugatti circuit used the main pit straight at Le Mans, but then used an infield section comprising several second and third gear corners, which was universally unpopular...
.
Speed record
In 1988, Team WM Peugeot knew they had no chance of winning the 24 hour endurance race, but they also knew that their Welter RacingWelter Racing
Welter Racing is a French sports car maker that mainly enters in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, since 1990 under the name of Gérard Welter or Rachel Welter.Gerard Welter is well versed in endurance circuits, especially the 24 Hours of Le Mans...
designed car had very good aerodynamics. Thus they nicknamed their 1988 entry "Project 400" (aiming to be the first car to achieve a speed of 400 km/h on the famous straight), although the official team entry was named WM Secateva. Roger Dorchy, Claude Haldi and Jean-Daniel Raulet would be the three drivers that year.
The Peugeot 2.8L V6 turbo charged PRV engine
PRV engine
The PRV engine is an automobile petrol V6 engine that was developed jointly by Peugeot, Renault and Volvo Cars – and sold from 1974 to 1998. It was gradually replaced after 1994 by another joint PSA-Renault design, known as the ES engine at PSA and the L engine at Renault.-Corporate history:The...
had its air intakes taped over to improve aerodynamics, and they also equipped the car with special narrow Michelin tires. The plan worked: on June 11th 1988, with Roger Dorchy behind the wheel, the WM P87 achieved the speed of 405 km/h (251.7 mph).
Taping over the air intakes obviously impedes engine cooling and the Peugeot retired after 59 laps with an overheating engine (though it outlasted two other Group C1 entrants).