Scheduled on August 21-22, the 89th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, round four of the FIA World Endurance Championship, will be preceded by a test day and four support races taking place over five days of intense track action.
On Friday, August 13, the pre-race scrutineering procedures will be conducted at the circuit. These checks will be valid both for the Test Day held on Sunday, August 15, and for the 24 Hours of Le Mans race itself.
Practice and qualifying sessions have also been revised in response to competitor requirements. The first practice session will take place at 14:00 on Wednesday, August 18 with the Hyperpole session scheduled for the following evening between 21:00 and 21:30. In this exciting session, 24 cars will battle for the best possible place on the grid, deploying their full speed around the 13.626-kilometre circuit during the sunset.
Racing fans will also be treated with an outstanding and diverse programme spanning several days. In addition to the usual curtain-raisers, Road to Le Mans (two races) and the Porsche Sprint Challenge France (one race), two Endurance Racing Legends races will feature Le Mans cars of the nineties and noughties.
On Friday, August 20, the five-hour Fun Cup will provide the opportunity for amateur drivers to test their endurance skills on the full circuit.
The highlight of the event, the 24 Hours of Le Mans will start at 16:00 on Saturday, August 21.
To allow for this remarkable programme, for the first time, the full circuit – which comprises public roads – will be closed off from 08:00 on Wednesday, August 18 until the evening of Sunday, August 21.
The new procedure has the backing of local authorities and communities who are conscious that the event contributes greatly to the local and regional economy. Access to the shops and services of the Cormier business park will still be possible on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
In the current climate, the ACO is setting out to host a safe event, with all necessary precautions in place to produce top-notch racing. More details on the schedule, ticketing and spectator access will be released in May.
