Circuit de la Sarthe

The 24 Hours of Le Mans (24 Heures du Mans) is a famous sports car endurance race held annually since 1923 near the town of Le Mans, Sarthe, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance, it is organised by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) and run on a circuit containing closed public roads that are meant not only to test a car and driver’s ability to be quick, but also to last over a 24 hour period.

The Circuit de la Sarthe, located near Le Mans, France, is a non-permanent track most famous for hosting the annual 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race. The track uses local roads that remain open to the public most of the year. The circuit, in its present configuration, is 13.650 km (8.482 mi) long, making it one of the longest circuits in the world. Over the years, several purpose built sections have replaced the normal roads, especially in 1972, when the Porsche Curves section bypassed the dangerous former Maison Blanche section between buildings. 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.

Drivers frequently refer to Le Mans as 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 to around 65 for the end of Mulsanne in a short distance. Downforce in the era of Group C 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 has undergone many modifications over the years. It was most famous for its 6km 3.7ml long straight, known locally as Ligne Droite des Hunaudières or in English as the Mulsanne Straight, a part of the Route Nationale 138 road. Speeds on the Mulsanne Straight reached over 400 km/h (250 mph) and, as could be expected, it was not entirely safe. Two chicanes on the Mulsanne Straight were consequently put in place before the 1990 race to lower speeds.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

Why not add your own photos?

Circuit de la Sarthe website
Circuit de la Sarthe wikipedia entry

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]