24 Hours Of Le Mans: What Every Serious Gearhead Should Know About the Iconic Endurance Race

You've heard about the racing competition called Le Mans but do you know the exact details of what this race entails, apart from the fact that it lasts 24 hours. For starters, let's get one thing out of the way - multiple drivers drive throughout the day, so yes, you can stop worrying about bathroom breaks. If you've watched the recently released film, Ford vs. Ferrari, you probably have a better idea of the race than others. But today, we're going to tell you 7 facts about the race that you ought to know in order to start following the competition the next time it comes around.

World's oldest race

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24 Hours of Le Mans happens to be the world's oldest active endurance racing event. It started in 1923 and since then, its motto has been to crown the car that covers the greatest distance in 24 hours without any mechanical failure as the winner.

Pitstop rules

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You should know that a regular car racing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans competition does at least 25 pitstops during the race. These pitstops are meant not just for tyre changes and fuel top-ups but also for swapping drivers. Current regulations mandate that three drivers share each competing vehicle.

Start of Le Mans

Every year, the 24 Hours of Le Mans race starts with a wave of the French flag. Traditionally, drivers would have to run across the track, get into their cars and start racing. This became known as the Le Mans start but it was incredibly dangerous and is hence not practised anymore. A rolling start that is preceded by a warm-up lap is how the race starts now.

Circuit and distance

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The 24 Hours of Le Mans race takes place at the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France. This circuit is 13.626kms long and over the course of the 24-hour race, cars cover over 5,000kms of it. That's around 18 Formula 1 races rolled into one. The longest distance ever covered is 5,410kms, which was in 2010.

Multi-class race

Not all cars on the Le Mans track are of the same class and hence all of them are not competing against each other. There are two prototype classes (LMP1 and LMP2) and two Grand Touring classes (GTEPro and GTEAm), with each having different rules.

Winning amount

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By David Merrett from Daventry, England - GT's Climbing up the hill to the Dunlop Bridge, CC BY 2.0

This is a bit of a disappointment since the winner of this race gets only €40,000. The second-place prize is €25,000, while the third-place prize is €20,000. That said, each classified driver receives €7,000 for attendance, and winners in the different racing classes get €10,000.

The endurance Triple Crown

The 24 Hours of Le Mans race is part of what's called the endurance Triple Crown that also includes the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring races. Most drivers strive to win all three to achieve the ultimate glory.

These days simulated Le Mans races are also becoming very popular. Recently, reigning Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen appeared in one such race but crashed out midway.