Misplaced Pages

#556443

85-448: The Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans , also known as Circuit de la Sarthe (after the 1906 French Grand Prix triangle circuit) located in Le Mans , Sarthe , France , is a semi-permanent motorsport race course , chiefly known as the venue for the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race . Comprising private, race-specific sections of track in addition to public roads which remain accessible most of

170-537: A chain drive system for transmission; the rest used drive shafts . All entries were fitted with four-cylinder engines; engine displacement ranged from 7,433 cubic centimetres (454 cu in) for the Grégoire to 18,279 cubic centimetres (1,115 cu in) for the Panhard. Exhaust pipes were directed upwards to limit the dust kicked up off the roads. Teams were allowed to change drivers and equipment, but only at

255-412: A magneto or dynamo to be used for ignition . Regulations limited fuel consumption to 30 litres per 100 kilometres (9.4 mpg ‑imp ; 7.8 mpg ‑US ). Every team opted for a magneto system; all used a low-tension system except Clément-Bayard, Panhard, Hotchkiss, Gobron-Brillié, and Renault, which used high-tension. Mercedes, Brasier, Clément-Bayard, FIAT and Gobron-Brillié used

340-484: A 2.8-litre turbocharged Peugeot PRV V6 engine , which sacrificed reliability for power. As a result, the car was out after just 53 laps (or approximately 4 hours) with turbo, cooling and electrical failures. It was measured by radar travelling at an all-time race record speed of 405 km/h (252 mph). There were several fatal high-speed accidents on the Mulsanne Straight in the 1980s. Jean-Louis Lafosse

425-505: A combined race distance of 1,238.16 kilometres (769.36 mi). Lasting for more than 12 hours overall, the race was won by Ferenc Szisz driving for the Renault team. FIAT driver Felice Nazzaro finished second, and Albert Clément was third in a Clément-Bayard . Paul Baras of Brasier set the fastest lap of the race on his first lap. He held on to the lead until the third lap, when Szisz took over first position, defending it to

510-483: A poor replacement for the Gordon Bennett races. In part, this had been because the race was too long, and the system of starting the race—with each car leaving at 90-second intervals—had meant that there had been very little interaction between the competitors, simply cars driving their own races to time. The ACF decided that too much pressure had been put on drivers and riding mechanics by forbidding others to work on

595-409: A speed of 400 km/h (250 mph) on the famous straight), although the official team entry was named WM Secateva. Roger Dorchy and Claude Haldi would be the drivers of car 51 while Pascal Pessiot and Jean-Daniel Raulet would drive the team's other car (#52). The latter lasted only 22 laps, and car 51 went into the pits around 17:00 in the afternoon with engine problems. After spending 3.5 hours in

680-647: A total field of thirty-four entries. No British or American manufacturers entered the Grand Prix. The British were suspicious that the event was designed as propaganda for the French automobile industry; British magazine The Motor quoted French daily newspaper Le Petit Parisien as evidence of this supposed lack of sportsmanship . The ACF imposed a maximum weight limit—excluding tools, upholstery , wings , lights and light fittings—of 1,000 kilograms (2,205 lb), with an additional 7 kilograms (15 lb) allowed for

765-466: A triangle. It started outside the village of Montfort , and headed south-west towards Le Mans. Competitors then took the Fourche hairpin , which turned sharply left and slowed the cars to around 50 kilometres per hour (31 mph), and then an essentially straight road through Bouloire south-east towards Saint-Calais . The town was bypassed with a temporary wooden plank road , as the track headed north on

850-619: A weather station in Le Mans, which exhibits an oceanic climate ( Köppen Cfb ). With both the 24-hour races and the French MotoGP round being run before the peak of summer, high-profile races often have cool temperatures both in terms of ambient and track conditions with rainfall being a potential factor. Although nights cool off, sometimes into the single-digits, during the 24-hour car race, air frosts have never been recorded in June. The weather station

935-480: Is located at the local airport just a few hundred metres from the main grandstand and pit lane of the circuit. 1906 French Grand Prix The 1906 Grand Prix de l'Automobile Club de France , commonly known as the 1906 French Grand Prix , was a motor race held on 26 and 27 June 1906, on closed public roads outside the city of Le Mans . The Grand Prix was organised by the Automobile Club de France (ACF) at

SECTION 10

#1733115769557

1020-577: The 24 Hours of Le Mans motorcycle race , and a round of the MotoGP Championship . The circuit also holds French motor club races and in the past has hosted rounds of the International Formula 3000 Championship and DTM (German Touring Car series). In addition to motor racing, it is the venue for the 24 rollers , a 24h race on inline skates or quads. The Bugatti Circuit was used for the 1967 French Grand Prix , though it would prove to be

1105-567: The Grand Prix), and is commonly known as "the first Grand Prix". Ligne Droite des Hunaudi%C3%A8res When races are not taking place, the Mulsanne Straight is part of the national road system of France. It is called the Ligne Droite des Hunaudières , a part of the route départementale RD 338 (formerly Route Nationale RN 138 ) in the Sarthe department . The Hunaudières leads to

1190-703: The Mulsanne Straight before the 1990 race to limit the maximum achievable speed. The chicanes were also added because the FIA decreed it would no longer sanction a circuit which had a straight longer than 2 km (1.2 mi), which is roughly the length of the Döttinger Höhe straight at the Nürburgring Nordschleife . The fastest qualifying lap average speed though only dropped from 249.826 to 243.329 km/h (155.235 to 151.198 mph) in 1992. In 1994,

1275-651: The Sarthe département ) D338 (formerly Route Nationale N138 ). 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 from or to Arnage. After exiting the Tertre Rouge corner, cars spent almost half of the lap at full throttle, before braking for Mulsanne Corner. The Porsche 917 long tail , used from 1969 to 1971, had reached 362 km/h (225 mph). After engine size

1360-501: The Tertre Rouge corner, cars would spend almost half of the lap at full throttle, before braking for the right-hand Mulsanne Corner. The Porsche 917 longtail with its 4.9-litre flat-12 engine , used from 1969 to 1971, had reached 362 km/h (225 mph). After this, engine size was limited and top speeds dropped until powerful turbocharged engines, pioneered at Le Mans by manufacturers Renault and Porsche , were allowed, as in

1445-464: The pit lane on the other side of the track, where the teams were based and could work on the cars. A tunnel under the track connected the grandstand and the pit lane. The road surface was little more than compacted dust and sharp stones which could be easily kicked up by the cars, and to limit the resulting problem of impaired visibility and punctures the ACF sealed the entire length of the track with tar. More

1530-399: The 1904 race for the French manufacturer Richard-Brasier , the French automobile industry proposed to the ACF that they modify the format of the 1905 Gordon Bennett race and run it simultaneously with an event which did not limit entries by nation. The ACF accepted the proposal, but decided that instead of removing limits to entries by nation, the limits would remain but would be determined by

1615-448: The 1960s, pushing the limits of the "classic circuit" and sparking criticism of the track as being unsafe after several trials related fatalities occurred. In 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 full "Le Mans" circuit. For the 1968 race, the Ford chicane was added before

1700-458: The 1978 Porsche 935 which was clocked at 367 km/h (228 mph). Speeds on the straight by Group C prototypes reached over 400 km/h (250 mph) during the late 1980s. At the beginning of the 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans race, Paris garage owner Roger Dorchy drove for Welter Racing in a car dubbed the WM P88. The P88 belonged to a program known as "Project 400" and was powered by

1785-706: The Dunlop chicane was tightened. In 2002, the run to the Esses was reconfigured in the wake of renovations to 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 near

SECTION 20

#1733115769557

1870-738: The German automobile industry to organise the Kaiserpreis , the forerunner to the German Grand Prix , in 1907. The first French Grand Prix originated from the Gordon Bennett races , established by American millionaire James Gordon Bennett, Jr. in 1900. Intended to encourage automobile industries through sport, by 1903 the Gordon Bennett races had become some of the most prestigious in Europe; their formula of closed-road racing among similar cars replaced

1955-412: The Grand Prix de l'Automobile Club de France. A combined offer from the city council of Le Mans and local hoteliers to contribute funding to the Grand Prix persuaded the ACF to hold the race on the outskirts of the city, where the Automobile Club de la Sarthe devised a 103.18-kilometre (64.11 mi) circuit. Running through farmlands and forests, the track, like most circuits of the time, formed

2040-494: The Grand Prix: Clément-Bayard , Hotchkiss , Gobron-Brillié , Darracq , Vulpes , Brasier (the successor to Richard-Brasier), Panhard , Grégoire , Lorraine-Dietrich and Renault . Two teams came from Italy ( FIAT and Itala ) and one ( Mercedes ) from Germany. With the exceptions of Gobron-Brillié and Vulpes, which each entered one car, and Grégoire, which entered two cars, each team entered three cars, to make

2125-655: The Porsche curves, and in 2006, the ACO redeveloped the area between the Dunlop Curve and Tertre Rouge, moving the Dunlop Chicane in even tighter to create more run-off area, while also turning the area after the Dunlop Chicane into an even larger set of fast, sweeping turns, known as the Esses en route to Tertre Rouge. As part of the development, a new extended pit lane exit was created for the Bugatti Circuit. This second pit exit re-enters

2210-533: The car during the race, hence carrying the detachable rims could save time and confer a large advantage. The conventional method of changing a tyre, which involved slicing off the old tyre with a knife, and forcing the new tyre onto the rim, generally took around fifteen minutes; replacing Michelin's rims took less than four. The FIATs each used a full set, while the Renaults and two of the Clément-Bayards used them on

2295-425: The cars during the race. It was also felt that the outcome of the race had been too dependent on the use of Michelin's detachable rims. Clément had driven the only Clément-Bayard to not have the rims, and it was thought that this contributed to Nazzaro passing him on the second day as he stopped to change tyres. Despite this, the ACF decided to run the Grand Prix again the following year . The publicity generated by

2380-412: The cars that were competing the next day were moved into parc fermé , a floodlit area guarded overnight by members of the ACF, to prevent teams and drivers from working on them until the following morning. The time each car set on the first day determined the time they set off on the second day, hence Szisz's first-day time of 5 hours and 45 minutes meant he started at 5:45 am. Following

2465-480: The circuit in 1929), before exiting the city again on the rather straight section now named Avenue Georges Durand after the race's founder. Then 17.261 km (10.725 mi) long and unpaved, a bypass within the city shortened the track in 1929, but the city was only bypassed completely in 1932, when the section from the pits via the Dunlop Bridge and the Esses to Tertre Rouge was added. This classic configuration

2550-441: The circuit twelve times over two days, six times on each day, a total distance of 1,238.16 kilometres (769.36 mi). To address concerns about previous races, during which spectators crowding too close to the track had been killed or injured by cars, the ACF erected 65 kilometres (40 mi) of palisade fencing around the circuit, concentrated around towns and villages, and at the ends of lanes, footpaths and roads intersecting

2635-422: The company, from around 1,600 cars in 1906 to more than 3,000 a year later, and increasing to more than 4,600 in 1908. But the race had not proven the superiority of the French motorcar; an Italian car had finished second and only seven of the twenty-three French cars that had started the race finished it. Reflections on the race by the organisers and the media generally concluded that the Grand Prix had been

Circuit de la Sarthe - Misplaced Pages Continue

2720-421: The eighth lap, he ran off the wooden planking at Saint-Calais but was able to resume; a wheel failure later in the lap caused him to run into a bank of earth and forced him to retire. Panhard driver Georges Teste crashed early in the day and retired, as did Claude Richez of Renault; the sole Gobron-Brillié of Rigolly suffered radiator damage on lap seven and was forced out of the race. After two laps' running on

2805-459: The end of the first day's running, not while the race was in progress. Michelin , Dunlop and Continental supplied tyres for the race. In the Grand Prix's one major technical innovation, Michelin introduced the jante amovible : a detachable rim with a tyre already affixed, which could be quickly swapped onto the car in the event of a puncture. Unlike in the Gordon Bennett races, only the driver and his riding mechanic were allowed to work on

2890-452: The exit of the slow Mulsanne corner, and the track being resurfaced. 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 and saw the removal of the second Dunlop Bridge. In 1986, construction of a new roundabout at the Mulsanne corner demanded the addition a new portion of track in order to avoid

2975-824: The fastest lap of the day with a time of 53:16.4, had retired on lap ten after a long series of punctures. Of the other retirements, Hémery, René Hanriot (riding mechanic Jean Chassagne ) and Louis Wagner of Darracq suffered engine problems; the radiators on the cars of Rigolly of Gobron-Brillié, Xavier Civelli de Bosch of Grégoire and Cagno of Itala failed; Pierre de Caters of Itala, Shepard and Hubert Le Blon of Hotchkiss, A. Villemain of Clément-Bayard and Vincenzo Florio of Mercedes withdrew after wheel failures; Gabriel of Lorraine-Dietrich, "de la Touloubre" of Clément-Bayard and Henri Tart of Panhard retired because of other mechanical problems; and Fabry of Itala, Weilschott of FIAT, Teste of Panhard, Richez of Renault and Jacques Salleron of Hotchkiss suffered crash damage. Edmond of Renault

3060-454: The fastest official race lap records at the Circuit de la Sarthe for different classes are listed as: In 1988 , Team WM Peugeot were well aware of their slim chance of winning the 24-hour endurance race outright, but they knew that their Welter Racing designed car had exceptional straight line aerodynamics. Thus they nicknamed their 1988 entry "Project 400" (aiming to be the first car to achieve

3145-429: The finish. Hot conditions melted the road tar, which the cars kicked up into the faces of the drivers, blinding them and making the racing treacherous. Punctures were common; tyre manufacturer Michelin introduced a detachable rim with a tyre already affixed, which could be quickly swapped onto a car after a puncture, saving a significant amount of time over manually replacing the tyre. This helped Nazzaro pass Clément on

3230-444: The first day just before noon in a time of 5 hours, 45 minutes and 30.4 seconds (5:45:30.4), 26 minutes ahead of Albert Clément of Clément-Bayard. Despite a slow start, FIAT driver Felice Nazzaro moved up to third position, 15 minutes behind Clément. Seventeen cars completed the first day; Henri Rougier's Lorraine-Dietrich finished last with a time of 8:15:55.0, 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 hours behind Szisz. All

3315-433: The full distance of the lap Brasier's Baras was the quickest; his lap time of 52 minutes and 25.4 seconds (52:25.4) moved him up to third position on the road and into the lead overall. A mechanical problem caused Gabriel to lose control of his car at Saint-Calais; he regained control in time to avoid a serious accident but was forced to retire. Baras maintained his lead after the second lap, but fell back to second

3400-411: The goggles at a pit stop were rejected by officials on the grounds that equipment could not be replaced mid-race. Nor could another driver be substituted; he continued for two more laps before retiring. FIAT driver Aldo Weilschott climbed from fourteenth on lap three to third on lap five, before his car rolled off the planks outside Vibraye. Szisz maintained the lead he had gained on lap three to finish

3485-524: 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 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

Circuit de la Sarthe - Misplaced Pages Continue

3570-430: The left continue onto the Circuit des 24 Heures, toward Tertre Rouge and Mulsanne, vehicles turning to the right at La Chapelle will continue the Bugatti Circuit. The infield section features Garage Vert, a back straight, the 'S' du Garage Bleu, and Raccordement, which joins back at the Ford chicane. The track was home base for Pescarolo Sport , founded by famous French driver Henri Pescarolo . The circuit currently hosts

3655-524: The line and could not restart his car before the FIAT of Vincenzo Lancia , who was next in line, drove away. Renault's lead driver, the Hungarian Ferenc Szisz , started next, and behind him Victor Hémery of Darracq, Paul Baras of Brasier, Camille Jenatzy of Mercedes, Louis Rigolly of Gobron-Brillié and Alessandro Cagno of Itala. Philippe Tavenaux of Grégoire, scheduled next, was unable to start;

3740-407: The new record as "405". This has led to many people mistakenly stating the record as only 405 km/h (252 mph), but Dorchy's best run down the Mulsanne straight was clocked at 407 km/h (253 mph). Bugatti Circuit is a 4.185 km (2.600 mi) permanent race track located within Circuit des 24 Heures, constructed in 1965 and named after Ettore Bugatti . The circuit uses a part of

3825-435: The next lap as Szisz took over the lead. As the day grew hotter the tar began to melt, which proved to be a greater problem than the dust; it was kicked up by the cars into the faces of the drivers and their mechanics, seeping past their goggles and inflaming their eyes. The Renault driver, J. Edmond, was particularly affected: his broken goggles allowed more tar to seep past and rendered him nearly blind. His attempts to change

3910-425: The next leg of the triangle. Another plank road through a forest to a minor road allowed the track to bypass most of the town of Vibraye , before it again headed north to the outskirts of La Ferté-Bernard . A series of left-hand turns took competitors back south-west towards Montfort on the last leg of the triangle, a straight broken by a more technical winding section, near the town of Connerré . Competitors lapped

3995-467: The only other non-starter was the sole Vulpes of Marius Barriaux, which was withdrawn before the race when it was found to be over the weight limit. The last of the thirty-two starters—the Clément-Bayard of "de la Touloubre", numbered "13C"—left the start line at 6:49:30 am. Itala driver Maurice Fabry started the fastest of the competitors; he covered the first kilometre in 43.4 seconds. Over

4080-680: The only time the Formula One World Championship would use the circuit, and is the current host of the French motorcycle Grand Prix . It also forms the final round of the FIA European Truck Racing Championship , and was part of the World Series by Renault and 1988 Superbike World Championship seasons . As of May 2024, the fastest official race lap records at the Bugatti Circuit are listed as: Météo France runs

4165-404: The other. Cars assigned the letter "C" were the last away; they formed a single line at the side of the track so that any cars which had completed their first circuit of the track would be able to pass. Cars were dispatched at 90-second intervals, beginning at 6 am. Lorraine-Dietrich driver Fernand Gabriel (numbered "1A") was scheduled to be the first competitor to start, but he stalled on

4250-452: The pits to slow down the cars. The circuit was fitted with Armco barriers for the 1969 race. The "Maison Blanche" kink was particularly harrowing, claiming many cars over the years (including three Ferrari 512 variants) and several lives, including the legendary John Woolfe in 1969 behind the wheel of a Porsche 917 . The circuit has been modified ten more times — 1971, a year when prototypes were averaging over 240 km/h (150 mph),

4335-458: The pits, the team had the car back on the track and they decided to go for it. The plan worked: with Roger Dorchy behind the wheel the WM P87 achieved the speed of 407 km/h (253 mph). The Peugeot retired shortly after that (on lap 59) with an overheating engine. By then it had outlasted two other Group C1 entrants. Since Peugeot had just launched its new model 405, the team agreed to advertise

SECTION 50

#1733115769557

4420-527: The predecessor of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile ), the body responsible for regulating international motorsport. Although a smaller race held in 1901 had awarded the " Grand Prix de Pau ", the 1906 race outside Le Mans was the first genuinely international race to carry the label "Grand Prix". Until the First World War it was the only annual race to be called a Grand Prix (often,

4505-440: The previous model of unregulated vehicles racing between distant towns, over open roads. Entries into the Gordon Bennett races were by country, and the winning country earned the right to organise the next race. Entries were limited to three per country, which meant that although the nascent motor industry in Europe was dominated by French manufacturers, they were denied the opportunity to fully demonstrate their superiority. Instead,

4590-430: The prize was worth 13 kg of gold. Roads around the track were closed to the public at 5 am on the morning of the race. A draw took place among the thirteen teams to determine the starting order, and assign each team a number. Each of a team's three entries was assigned a letter, one of "A", "B", or "C". Two lines of cars formed behind the start line at Montfort: cars marked "A" in one line and cars marked "B" in

4675-557: The prompting of the French automobile industry as an alternative to the Gordon Bennett races , which limited each competing country's number of entries regardless of the size of its industry. France had the largest automobile industry in Europe at the time, and in an attempt to better reflect this the Grand Prix had no limit to the number of entries by any particular country. The ACF chose a 103.18-kilometre (64.11 mi) circuit, composed primarily of dust roads sealed with tar , which would be lapped six times on both days by each competitor,

4760-457: The race and be relieved by their reserve drivers. As planned, "Burton" took over Jenatzy's car, but Lancia was forced to resume in his street clothes when his replacement driver could not be found when the car was due to start. Hotchkiss driver Elliott Shepard , who finished the first day in fourth, less than four minutes behind Nazzaro, spent half-an-hour working on his car at the start of the second day, fitting new tyres and changing liquids. On

4845-482: The race prompted the German governing body to organise a similar event that favoured their own industry. The forerunner to the German Grand Prix , the Kaiserpreis ( Kaiser's Prize) was raced in 1907. The conference held in 1904 to consider the French proposal for a change in formula to the Gordon Bennett races led to the formation of the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR;

4930-477: The race. The highest speed on the Straight since 1990 was achieved by a Nissan R90CK driven by Mark Blundell , which reached 366 km/h (226.9 mph) during qualifying when the twin-turbo system's wastegate was stuck shut, leading the engine to produce well over its regular output of 800 bhp. The exact power increase remains unknown. In the past, spectators could obtain magnificent views of cars racing along

5015-402: The rear bodywork and flipping the car into the air "up above the trees". The wreckage finally came to a halt 600 metres down the road. Although the vehicle was almost obliterated, Percy somehow walked away from the crash with nothing more than a badly battered helmet. The 6km (3.7 mi) Mulsanne Straight caused tyre and engine failures, as cars reached over 320km/h (200mph) before braking hard for

5100-423: The rear wheels of their cars. As carrying each rim added 9 kilograms (20 lb) to the weight of the car over conventional wheels and tyres, some teams—such as Itala and Panhard—could not carry them without exceeding the weight limit. The Grand Prix name ("Great Prize") referred to the prize of 45,000 French francs to the race winner. The franc was pegged to the gold at 0.290 grams per franc, which meant that

5185-423: 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 (290 km/h). Now they would be slowed to 110 mph (180 km/h). 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

SECTION 60

#1733115769557

5270-496: The rule put them on a numerical level footing with countries such as Switzerland, with only one manufacturer, and allowed Mercedes , which had factories in Germany and Austria, to field six entries: three from each country. The French governing body , the Automobile Club de France (ACF), held trials between its manufacturers before each race; in 1904 twenty-nine entries competed for the three positions on offer. When Léon Théry won

5355-411: The same principle, Clément began at 6:11 am and Nazzaro at 6:26 am. This method ensured that positions on the road directly reflected the race standings. A horse, which had been trained before the race to be accustomed to the loud noise of an engine starting, towed each competitor out of parc fermé to the start line. As neither driver nor mechanic could work on their car until they had been given

5440-517: The second day, as the FIAT—unlike the Clément-Bayard—made use of the rims. Renault's victory contributed to an increase in sales for the French manufacturer in the years following the race. Despite being the second to carry the title, the race has become known as the first Grand Prix. The success of the 1906 French Grand Prix prompted the ACF to run the Grand Prix again the following year , and

5525-406: The second day, second-placed Clément had established a 23-minute lead over Nazzaro, but this was reduced to three minutes on the following lap. Despite Nazzaro passing Clément on lap ten, a refuelling stop for the FIAT soon after put Clément back in front. Nazzaro passed again, and led Clément into the last lap of the race by less than a minute. Szisz's Renault suffered a broken rear suspension on

5610-577: The sharp right turn at its end. So two chicanes were added to the straight before the 1990 race to limit the achievable maximum speed and because the FIA decreed it would no longer sanction a circuit with a straight longer than 2 km (1.2 mi), which is roughly the length of the Döttinger Höhe straight on the Nürburgring Nordschleife . Since their installation, most leading cars have topped out around 330 km/h (205 mph) during qualifying and 320 km/h (199 mph) during

5695-407: The signal to start the day's running, Szisz and Clément began by heading directly to the pit lane to change tyres and service their cars. Clément completed his stop more quickly than Szisz, and Nazzaro did not stop at all, and so Clément closed his time gap to Szisz and Nazzaro closed on Clément. Jenatzy and Lancia, who were both experiencing eye problems from the first day, had intended to retire from

5780-470: The size of each country's industry. Under the ACF's proposal, France was allowed fifteen entries, Germany and Britain six, and the remaining countries—Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria and the United States—three cars each. The French proposal was met with strong opposition from governing bodies representing the other Gordon Bennett nations, and at the instigation of Germany a meeting of the bodies

5865-456: The straight during the Le Mans, including while dining at various restaurants—such as Restaurant de 24 Heures and Les Virages de L'Arche —located very close to the road. However, in 1990, the viewing experience obtained at both restaurants was diminished with the introduction of the chicanes. Today, due to safety concerns, spectators are kept well away from the edge of the straight by marshals and police, and while dining guests can still hear

5950-432: The tenth lap, but his lead was so great (more than 30 minutes) that he could afford to drive cautiously with the damage. He took the black flag of the winner at the finish line after a combined total from the two days of 12:12:07.0; he had also been quicker on the straight than any other driver, reaching a top speed of 154 kilometres per hour (96 mph). He finished 32 minutes ahead of second-placed Nazzaro, who

6035-414: The times spent reaching maximum speed also mean tremendous wear on the brakes and suspension as cars must slow from over 322 km/h (200 mph) to around 100 km/h (62 mph) for the sharp corner at the village of Mulsanne . The road racing track, which was a triangle from Le Mans down south to Mulsanne , northwest to Arnage , and back north to Le Mans, has undergone many modifications over

6120-422: The track just beyond the Dunlop Chicane and before the Dunlop Bridge. Following the fatal crash of Danish driver Allan Simonsen at the 2013 race at the exit of Tertre Rouge into D338, Tertre Rouge was re-profiled again. The radius was moved in approximately 200 m (220 yd) for safety reasons with new tyre barriers at the exit. The current version of the track has been in use since 2018. As of June 2024,

6205-406: The track. The planking used to avoid the towns of Saint-Calais and Vibraye was installed as an alternative to the system used in the Gordon Bennett races, where cars passing through towns would slow down to a set speed and were forbidden to overtake. Several footbridges were erected over the track, and a 2,000-seat canopied grandstand was built at the start and finish line at Montfort. This faced

6290-708: The village of Mulsanne , its English namesake (though the French Route de Mulsanne is the name for the road between Mulsanne and Arnage , with the Indianapolis corner in between). During the 1911 Grand Prix season , the Grand Prix de France used an early version of the Circuit de la Sarthe, which was 54 km in length, and used a longer version of the current straight, running from Ave George Durand at Le Tertre Rouge, to Écommoy , before heading towards Saint-Mars-d'Outillé , Les Jouanneries and Parigné-l'Évêque . The circuit (and straight) were shortened in 1921. After exiting

6375-449: The year, its present configuration is 13.626 km (8.467 mi) long, making it one of the longest circuits in the world. The capacity of the race stadium, where the short Bugatti Circuit is situated, is 100,000. The Musée des 24 Heures du Mans is a motorsport museum located at the main entrance of the venue. Up to 85% of the lap time is spent on full throttle, putting immense stress on engine and drivetrain components. Additionally,

6460-517: The years, with CIRCUIT N°15 being in use since 2018. Even with the modifications put in place over the years, the Sarthe circuit is still known for being very fast, with prototype cars achieving average lap speeds in excess of 240 km/h (150 mph). In the 1920s, the cars drove from the present pits on Rue de Laigné straight into the city, and after a sharp right-hand corner near the river Huisne Pontlieue bridge (a hairpin permanently removed from

6545-499: Was 13.492 km (8.384 mi) long and remained almost unaltered even after the 1955 tragedy . Its frighteningly narrow pit straight was further narrowed to make room for the pits and was part of the road itself, without the road becoming wider around the pits, and no separation. The pit straight then was about 3.7 m (12 ft) wide, further widened in 1956 after the tragedy, but the race track and pits were not separated for another 15 years. Car speeds increased dramatically in

6630-439: Was added to the bends of the track after cars running on them during practice broke up the surface. If we win the Grand Prix we shall let the whole world know that French motorcars are the best. If we lose it shall merely be by accident, and our rivals should then be grateful to us for having been sufficiently sportsmanlike to allow them an appeal against the bad reputation of their cars. Ten French manufacturers entered cars in

6715-429: Was clocked by radar travelling at 407 km/h (253 mph). Jean-Louis Lafosse and Jo Gartner would ultimately suffer from fatal high speed accidents in 1981 and 1986, respectively, leading to concerns with the growing speeds on the 3.7 mi (6.0 km) straight. As the combination of high speed and high downforce caused tyre and engine failures, two roughly equally spaced chicanes were consequently added to

6800-463: Was in turn 3 minutes ahead of Clément. Jules Barillier's Brasier was fourth, ahead of Lancia and Panhard driver George Heath . Baras—whose first lap was the fastest of any car during the race—was seventh, ahead of Arthur Duray of Lorraine-Dietrich, "Pierry" of Brasier, and "Burton". The last finisher, the Mercedes driver "Mariaux", was eleventh, more than four hours behind Szisz. Rougier, who had set

6885-577: Was killed in 1981 , and Jo Gartner in 1986 ; in 1984 a French track marshal was killed in an accident at the Kink involving the two Aston Martin Nimrod NRA/C2s of British driver John Sheldon and his American teammate Drake Olson . One driver had an extremely lucky escape in 1986: a tyre on British driver Win Percy 's 7.0 litre V12 -powered Jaguar XJR-6 exploded at 386 km/h (240 mph), tearing off

6970-487: Was limited, the top speed dropped until powerful turbo engines were allowed, like in the 1978 Porsche 935 , which was clocked at 367 km/h (228 mph). Speeds on the straight by the Group C prototypes reached over 400 km/h (250 mph) during the late 1980s. At the beginning of the 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans race, Roger Dorchy driving for Welter Racing in a "Project 400" car, which sacrificed reliability for speed,

7055-408: Was organised to settle the dispute. Although the delegates rejected the French model for the 1905 race, to avoid deadlock they agreed to use the new system of limits for the 1906 race. But when Théry and Richard-Brasier won again in 1905, and the responsibility for organising the 1906 race fell once more to the ACF, the French ended the Gordon Bennett races and organised their own event as a replacement,

7140-403: Was the last year the classic circuit was used. That year, an Armco barrier was added to the pit straight to separate the track from the pits. In 1972, the race track was considerably revamped, at a cost of 300 million francs , with modification of the pit area and the first and final straights, the addition of the quick Porsche curves bypassing "Maison Blanche", the signalling area being moved to

7225-447: Was the only competitor whose retirement was the result of driver injury. The top three finishers were escorted to the grandstand to collect their trophies. In an interview after the race, Szisz reflected on the "anxiety" he had felt as he drove the final laps: "I feared something small which would take away victory at the moment when it had seemed to be won." The prestige Renault gained from Szisz's victory led to an increase in sales for

#556443