LE MANS
THE ULTIMATE TEST
24 HOURS
OF LE MANS
It sounds simple. 24 hours to drive around a 13.6 km circuit as many times as possible. The maths may be straightforward, but the race is anything but. Long heralded as the ultimate test of man and machine, the combination of driving skill and engineering excellence has made it the most iconic motor race in the world.
The low down on Le Mans
Everything you need to know about motorsport’s most famous test of endurance.
BUILD UP
Eurosport Documentaries
Eurosport are producing two documentaries this season, providing different insight into the WEC campaign and Le Mans in particular. The first documentary, watchable on Eurosport during the week of Le Mans, follows Goodyear with teams Jota Sport and United Autosport, taking fans inside the preparation for the toughest battle of the season. A second documentary, available later in the year, will follow the all-female Richard Mille Racing Team’s campaign.
RACE
TV
Motorsport fans across Europe will be able to follow the action at Le Mans on one of the biggest European sports television networks, Eurosport. Goodyear is a partner of the Discovery owned network as tyre supplier to Eurosport Events’ WTCR and PURE ETCR championships and the Goodyear advertising and branding will feature prominently in the TV coverage.
Live Streaming
Another way of tuning in to the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans race is to listen to the Radio Le Mans,
a station providing motorsport fans with real-time commentary during the race weekend.
Radio
Another way of tuning in to the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans race is to listen to the Radio Le Mans,
a station providing motorsport fans with real-time commentary during the race weekend.
Social Media
Following the race is engaging with series, drivers and teams’ official channels on different social media platforms. Many fans will be getting strategy information by second-screening on Twitter, where following #LeMans24 will allow you to be in the centre of action.
Official Website
Every fan can also follow the action day and night through the updates on the official website of Le Mans.
LIGHTS
OUT
The action begins on Sunday 15 August with testing and practice sessions continuing throughout the week, including Thursday’s Hyperpole session that decides the final starting order.
The race itself starts at 16:00 on Saturday 21 August. After 24 hours of continuous flat-out racing, the winner will take the chequered flag at 16:00 on Sunday, 22 August.
THE
DRIVERS
The 2021 entry list features 62 teams, each comprising 3 drivers as standard. Amongst this year’s line-up is ex-Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica who will be driving in LMP2 alongside teammates Louis Delétraz and Yifei Ye.
One of the most versatile drivers in the LMP2 field, Antonio Felix da Costa has raced touring cars, GTs, prototypes, open-wheel racers and more. He’s won championships in petrol powered and electric motorsport, and has been entrusted as a Formula 1 test driver.
But even with this wealth of experience, he says one race stands out above them all: the 24 Hours of Le Mans
Other celebrated ex-F1 stars competing include Juan Pablo Montoya for Dragonspeed USA, and Giancarlo Fisichella, driving an LMGTE for AF Corse.
Meanwhile, the Richard Mille Racing Team has an all-female lineup for the second year running, including 20-year-old rising star Sophia Floersch, and teammates Tatiana Calderon and Beitske Visser.
THE
CARS
At Le Mans 2021, racecars are split into four different classes: Hypercars, LMP2s, LMGTE Pros and LMGTE Ams. All cars compete simultaneously for overall and class honours.
This is the first year that Hypercars are competing in the race, which marks their debut as the new top class in the FIA World Endurance Championship. In 2021, the Hypercar class features five LMH vehicles – all built in line with Le Mans Hypercar specifications.
LMP2 (Le Mans Prototype 2) cars account for over a third of competing teams this year, and Goodyear is the exclusive tyre supplier for every car in the class. Purpose-built for racing, LMP2 cars are the second-fastest category out of the four classes present.
The two GT classes – LMGTE Pro and LMGTE Am – consist of modified road legal supercars from industry-leading brands like Aston Martin, Porsche and Ferrari.
THE
CIRCUIT
Since its creation in 1923, the race has taken place at Circuit de 24 Heures du Mans, also known as Circuit de la Sarthe.
This semi-permanent racetrack has undergone many modifications over the years, but currently comprises a 13.6km course near the city of Le Mans, in northwestern France.
The circuit is a combination of private sections of track – such as the Courbe Dunlop – and public roads like the Mulsanne Straight, which is a 6km stretch intersected by two chicanes. Out of season, Mulsanne remains part of France’s national road system, and is open for public use.
LE MANS &
GOODYEAR
After 14 historic wins at Le Mans, Goodyear returns in 2021 as the sole tyre supplier for the LMP2 class with a brand-new range of high-performance tyres.
For Le Mans week, over 5,000 tyres will be built with regulations allowing cars to use 14 slick sets for the race, seven sets for qualifying and practice, and one more set allowed for the fastest six runners that go through into the Hyperpole shoot-out for pole position.
In addition, teams typically use five to seven sets of tyres on test day and Goodyear will also build 14 sets of both intermediate and full wet tyres for each car.
This year a 60-strong Goodyear crew will be attending, with fitting and engineering experts, as well as trackside support staff.
