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89-549: In 1998, when Audi announced its intention to enter the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans , the plan was to enter only an open-cockpit prototype, known as the Audi R8R . However, following the dominant performance of GT1-class cars in the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans , the race organizers, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), had faced a problem. The GT1 cars had transformed over the past few years from race versions of supercars, as

178-555: A break as all applications that year were deemed unfit by the ACO. Frederic Sausset, a quadruple amputee, drove a modified Morgan LMP2 in the 2016 race. Financial problems forced Welter Racing to cancel its 2017 Garage 56 run with the Green4U Panoz Racing GT-EV, a biomethane -fuel prototype featuring a 3-cylinder 1.2-liter engine fueled by biomethane stored in cryogenic tanks. Welter Racing went on to develop

267-452: A car inspection on Monday and Tuesday. Currently, these sessions are held in the evening, with two separate two-hour sessions held each night. Friday serves as a day of rest, and a parade of all the drivers through Le Mans is held. Test days held at the end of April or beginning of May served as a pre-qualification weeding out the slowest cars. However, in 2005 the exorbitant cost of transporting cars to and from Le Mans led organizers to move

356-512: A full lap. While the R8Rs managed the 8th and 11th fastest times, the R8Cs could only manage the 22nd and 28th fastest times. Many of the R8Cs' problems stemmed from aerodynamic instability, which, besides creating handling difficulties, was causing a build-up of air underneath the engine cover. This issue caused the R8Cs to lose their rear engine covers on several occasions while at speed. Audi Sport UK

445-607: A full testing program, the R8C was completed late and had very little test time prior to the 24 Hours of Le Mans group test in May. Consequently, the cars suffered numerous setbacks and lacked pace both compared to the R8Rs and overall. The R8Cs were capable of hitting speeds upward of 350 km/h (217 mph) on the Mulsanne Straight , but they lacked handling stability compared to other cars and hence lacked overall speed across

534-507: A higher top speed in combination with the lower drag. To compensate this advantage over the duration of a race, the LMGTPs were limited to smaller tyres and smaller fuel tanks. Following a period of testing, two R8Rs debuted at the 1999 12 Hours of Sebring . The BMW V12 LMR won, which was a strong sign towards the race in France. The already tested open-top Audi R8R, entered by Joest Racing,

623-565: A hybrid electric car based on the DeltaWing's design, took the Garage 56 slot in 2014. Despite an early retirement from the race after only 23 minutes due to a gearbox issue, the ZEOD RC achieved its goals of hitting a top speed of 300 km/h (186.41 mph), and completing the first ever lap of Le Mans using exclusively electric power at racing speed. In 2015, the Garage 56 program took

712-536: A place for the previous GT1 cars, but, under prototype rules now, also freed from certain "production car" restrictions that they had been under in the GT1 category. Under these new rules, LMGTP closed-cockpit cars, with better aerodynamics than open LMP cars, and freed of the GT1 restrictions, had the very real potential of dominating the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans. Toyota and Mercedes both committed to either modifying existing cars or building brand new cars to take advantage of

801-736: A racing track. The 24 Hours of Le Mans was frequently part of the World Sportscar Championship from 1953 until that series' final season in 1992 . In 2011 , it was a part of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup . Since 2012 , the race has been a part of the FIA World Endurance Championship . In the World Endurance Championship's super-season of May 2018 to June 2019, the 24 Hours of Le Mans

890-554: A redevelopment of their Audi R8R (open-top LMP ) and Audi R8C (closed-top LMGTP) used in 1999. In its class, it is one of the most successful racing sports cars having won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005, five of the six years it competed in total. Its streak of Le Mans victories between 2000 and 2005 was broken only in 2003 by the Bentley Speed 8 , another race car fielded that year by Volkswagen Group . The petrol-powered Audi R8 race car

979-429: A relief driver can take over during a pit stop while eating and resting. Current regulations mandate that three drivers share each competing vehicle. Competing teams race in groups called "classes", or cars of similar specification, while competing simultaneously for outright placing amongst all classes. Originally, the race showcased cars as they were sold to the general public, then called "Sports Cars", in contrast with

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1068-405: A standard 4.2-litre Gibson V8 engine. LMP1 teams are subject to no such restrictions. Their extra power, lower weight, and more complex aerodynamics result in much quicker lap times; LMP1 cars also may use hybrid technology. The next class is LMGT3 , which are similar to production-based sports cars. Concept cars intended to test new automotive technologies may participate in the race under

1157-460: Is 2010's 5,410 km (3,360 mi), six times the length of the Indianapolis 500 , or about 18 times longer than a Formula One Grand Prix . Drivers and racing teams strive for speed and avoiding mechanical damage, as well as managing the cars' consumables, primarily fuel , tires , and braking materials. It also tests endurance, with drivers frequently racing for over two hours before

1246-587: Is more than the Lola-Aston Martin's best at 373 laps. † - Season partially run by the Audi R10 In response to the new level of competition, Audi developed a successor known as the Audi R10 TDI . The V12 engined turbodiesel won at its race debut at the 2006 12 Hours of Sebring with both cars starting on the front row. However, the pole-sitting R10 had to start from the pit lane due to

1335-631: Is powered by a 3.6 L Audi V8 with Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI), which is a variation on the concept of gasoline direct injection developed by VW; it maximizes both power and fuel economy at the same time. FSI technology can be found in products available to the public, across all brands in the Volkswagen Group . The power supplied by the R8, officially listed at about 610 hp (455 kW) in 2000, 2001, and 2002, 550 hp (410.1 kW) in 2003 and 2004, and 520 hp (388 kW) in 2005,

1424-486: Is sent to the rear wheels via a Ricardo six-speed sequential transmission with an electropneumatic paddle shift. Unofficially, the works team Audi R8 for Le Mans (2000, 2001, and 2002) is said to have had around 670 hp (500 kW) instead of the quoted 610 hp. The numbers were quoted at speed, and were due to the car making 50 extra horsepower due to twin ram-air intakes at speeds over 150 mph (240 km/h). Official torque numbers were quoted for this version of

1513-451: Is that cars must be switched off while refueling in the pits. Not only is this safer and less of a fire hazard, but it is also another test of reliability, demanding a guaranteed ability to restart many times under race conditions. Another element of this rule is that mechanics are not allowed to work on the car while it is being refuelled (other than helping a driver in or out of the car), which has led teams to adapt innovative ways to decrease

1602-560: Is track marshals waving safety flags during the race's final lap, congratulating the winners and other finishers. Le Mans was the venue for the first televised instance of a winning driver celebrating by spraying champagne instead of drinking it. When Dan Gurney won the 1967 race with co-driver A. J. Foyt , the two drivers mounted the victory podium, and Gurney was handed a magnum of champagne. Looking down, he saw Ford CEO Henry Ford II , team owner Carroll Shelby and their wives, as well as several journalists who had predicted disaster for

1691-459: The 1969 race, Jacky Ickx opposed it by walking across the track while his competitors ran. Although he was nearly hit by a faster competitor's car while walking, Ickx took the time to fasten his safety belts before pulling away. Privateer John Woolfe died in an accident on the first lap of that race; Ickx won. Audi R8 (race car) The Audi R8 is a Le Mans Prototype sports-prototype race car introduced in 2000 for sports car racing as

1780-474: The 24 Hours Nürburgring . This left only Porsche as a major possible challenger for 2000; however, the Porsche LMP project was scrapped before it had a chance to race. Rumours at that time said that Ferdinand Piech himself made them stay away, using his influence as a co-owner of Porsche, as well as his management role at Volkswagen , which would develop the upcoming SUV VW Touareg in cooperation with

1869-674: The Bentley EXP Speed 8 in 2001, winning the race with the Bentley Speed 8 in 2003. After the 1999 Le Mans shame, Mercedes retired from GTs to focus on the return of the DTM touring cars in 2000, as well as on F1. Toyota and BMW also went to F1, with BMW at least continuing to race for two years in the ALMS , where the open roadster of Bill Auberlen also suffered a "back flip" during the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in 2000, as

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1958-633: The Mercedes-Benz CLR and leading cars of Toyota and BMW crashing out, the Audi R8Rs took third and fourth behind the surviving #15 BMW V12 LMR and the Japanese-driven Toyota. Based on the experiences, Audi decided to regroup for 2000, and built a new R8 spyder together with Joest and Dallara. The British-built R8C coupe was retired, but Audi-owned Bentley developed the concept of the R8C closed-cockpit LMGTP and entered

2047-668: The Porsche Cayenne . The Porsche V10 racer was turned into the Porsche Carrera GT instead. The Audi R8 is a sports- racing car prepared for the LMP900 class at Le Mans and in the American Le Mans Series . The car was developed by Audi Motorsport and Joest Racing, and debuted in 2000, winning the 12 Hours of Sebring. The R8 won Le Mans five times ( 2000 , 2001 , 2002 , 2004 , and 2005 ) and

2136-525: The Rolex Sports Car Series ' 24 Hours of Daytona ) held all four major American endurance classics in preparation for teams to race at Le Mans . The race has approximately 60 competitors. Each car was required to have at least two seats. However, recently cars only need to have space to accommodate a second seat in the cockpit rather than the seat itself. Two doors are allowed; open cockpit cars do not require doors. Since 2014, all cars in

2225-618: The Triple Crown of Motorsport , and is also one of the races alongside the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring that make up the informal Triple Crown of endurance racing . Run since 1923, it is the oldest active endurance racing event in the world. Unlike fixed-distance races whose winner is determined by minimum time, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is won by the car that covers the greatest distance in 24 hours. The cars on this track are able to achieve speeds of 366 km/h (227 mph), and reached 407 km/h (253 mph) on

2314-478: The "Garage 56" banner. Such entries are classified in the race results, though are not expected to be competitive as their sole focus is to demonstrate experimental features. The program debuted in 2012 with the DeltaWing , an unusual rocket-shaped car fielded by All-American Racers and supported by Nissan. The DeltaWing concept showed promise, delivering nearly LMP2-level performance while only consuming 48% of

2403-508: The ACO deeming none of the applications sufficiently mature. 2020 saw Frederic Sausset attempting to return to Garage 56 under the SRT41 banner by fielding a specially modified Oreca 07 LMP2 car with a lineup of three disabled drivers; however, the attempt was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The SRT41 program was delayed to 2021, which saw Garage 56 successfully making a return for

2492-520: The ACO. The car, the R18 , would win the race. 24 Hours of Le Mans The 24 Hours of Le Mans (French: 24 Heures du Mans ) is an endurance-focused sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans , France . It is widely considered to be one of the world's most prestigious races, and is one of the races—along with the Monaco Grand Prix and Indianapolis 500 —that form

2581-563: The Audi R8 - the direct evolution of the Audi R8R - at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Only two R8Cs were ever built, chassis No. 101 (car no. 10) and No. 102 (car no. 9). Both were raced by Richard Lloyd 's Audi Sport UK. The 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans was the only competition in which the R8Cs were entered . Audi would return to a closed-cockpit LMP1 car for 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans in order to best take advantage of new regulations provided by

2670-744: The LMGTP class in 2001 with the Bentley EXP Speed 8 . Although similar visually to the R8C, the Bentley EXP Speed 8 was a fresh design other than the Audi engine which powered it and the aerodynamic lessons learned from the R8C. In 2003, the Bentley Speed 8, the evolution of the EXP Speed 8, and, somewhat the spiritual successor of the R8C, won Le Mans. This made the Speed 8 the only car to beat

2759-577: The LMP cars in order to off-set the better aerodynamic efficiency, and thus higher top speeds, of the LMGTP cars. Additionally, using a styling feature borrowed from the Toyota GT-One , the inside of the front wheel arches of the R8C are open, so that air does not build up in the wheel wells, and to benefit brake cooling. Like most, if not all other LMGTPs of the time, the cockpit is long, gradually sloping to maximise aerodynamic efficiency. Uniquely, though,

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2848-455: The LMP category as rules have been changed to their benefit and to further push efficiency. The race is held in mid June, meaning the shortest night and very hot conditions for drivers, particularly in closed vehicles with poor ventilation. Rainy weather is common. The race begins in mid-afternoon and finishes the following day at the same hour the race started the previous day. Modern competitors often cover well over 5,000 km. The record

2937-536: The Mulsanne Straight in 1988  – instigating the addition of more chicanes to the track to reduce speed reached. Racing teams must balance the demands of speed with the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without mechanical failure. The race is organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). It is held on the Circuit de la Sarthe , composed of closed public roads and dedicated sections of

3026-507: The R10 TDI. During the 2005 season, its time at the front of the pack evidently was drawing to a close. Audi had made the development of the Audi R10 TDI diesel public, and cars from other manufacturers and teams started to catch up in terms of on-the-track speed. The ACO still felt that the R8 needed to be kept in check, so they reduced the restrictor size on the R8's engine, due to the car not meeting new hybrid regulations, and stipulated

3115-476: The World Championship. The race is also known as a leg of the informal Triple Crown of Motorsport which links Formula One , IndyCar , and Sports car racing to represent a career achievement for drivers. Additionally, it is seen as a leg of the Triple Crown of endurance racing , which links the three largest sports car races together, with 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Daytona forming

3204-599: The autumn of 1998, after the necessity of GT1 homologation was dropped in favour of LM-GTP prototypes, closed GT coupés like the Porsche 911 GT1 , Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR , and the Toyota GT-One proved successful. In response, Audi also ordered their newly acquired Norfolk-based Racing Technology Norfolk, led by Tony Southgate , to build a closed-cockpit car using the same drivetrain. The ACO rules for closed-top prototypes allowed cars to run with larger air restrictors, resulting in more power (about 600 hp), which resulted in

3293-399: The bunched field at the start. This starting method inspired Porsche to locate the ignition key switch to the left of the steering wheel. In a left-hand drive car, this allowed the driver to use his left hand to start the engine and his right hand to put the transmission into gear, which in turn shaves off a few tenths of a second. Stirling Moss developed another method for speeding up

3382-503: The car can be changed and changed quickly. During its campaign, the Joest pit crew was able to change the entire rear transaxle of a damaged R8 — a process which usually takes between one and three hours — in as low as three minutes and 16 seconds. The reason for this was that the transmission, rear suspension, and rear subframe were built as one unit. The car had numerous quick-connect hoses and easily removable bolts. The whole rear section of

3471-493: The car could be removed as a whole and a new back half installed with the help of a crane. The Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), organizers of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the American Le Mans Series, acted quickly to void this advantage by mandating the gearbox casing be the same item through the duration of the race, with only the internals being allowed to be changed. However, the R8 still had quicker access to

3560-543: The car shall carry ballast weight in an attempt to make the races more competitive. The R8 was restricted even further to only 520 bhp. At the 2005 Le Mans, the Audis failed to qualify on pole position; the fastest R8 started the race in third position. However, the car was able to outlast all other competitors to eventually take its fifth checkered flag at the Circuit de la Sarthe and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This victory

3649-496: The car with hopes of entering the car in 2018 and 2019, but ultimately did not compete due to complex issues with the car in 2018, and due to Don Panoz 's death suspending the program in 2019. The 2019 slot was also eyed by UK-based constructor Perrinn with the Project 424, an LMP1-based electric-powered car with an autonomous driving mode; however, this did not come to pass, and Garage 56 was left empty in both 2018 and 2019 due to

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3738-427: The car. The car marked NASCAR's 75th anniversary, which coincided with the race's centenary. Chad Knaus , Johnson's crew chief during each of his Cup Series championships, was project manager, while the car bore #24 in honor of Hendrick vice chairman and former driver Jeff Gordon . Initially, there were no rules on the number of car drivers or how long they could drive. Although almost all teams used two drivers in

3827-747: The closed-cockpit Porsche of Yannick Dalmas had done in 1998. Despite the BMW V12 LMR not receiving further development, the German team Schnitzer Motorsport was almost as effective as Joest. Still, the BMW V12 LMR could not match the Audi R8's might in the championship and lost almost every race against it. BMW quit the top class to race the BMW M3 in the GT class since, dominating in the ALMS and in WTCC , as well as at

3916-405: The early decades, some Le Mans drivers such as Pierre Levegh and Eddie Hall attempted to run the race solo, hoping to save time by not having to change drivers. This practice was later banned. Until the 1980s, there were teams in which only two drivers competed, but by the end of the decade, the rules were changed to stipulate that at least three drivers must drive each car. By the 1990s, due to

4005-415: The engine at 516 lb⋅ft (700 N⋅m) at 6500 rpm. The equation for horsepower (torque divided by 5250, multiplied by rpm) for these numbers produces a horsepower rating of 638 horsepower (476 kW) at the same 6500 rpm (516/5250*6500=638). The Audi R8's structure was designed from the beginning to expedite parts changes during the race. The car's chassis has been likened to a Lego model — anything on

4094-405: The famous race as to claim victory for their commercial partners). The race was a part of the World Sportscar Championship in every season from its inception in 1953 until its demise in 1992 except the 1956 , 1975 – 1979 and 1989 – 1990 seasons , and since 2012 the race has been the part of the FIA World Endurance Championship . However, Le Mans has always had a stronger reputation than

4183-532: The first time in five years. Two of the drivers, paralyzed from the waist down, became the first disabled teammates to compete in the history of the race. In 2022, Garage 56 was once again empty. For 2023, a modified NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 stock car fielded by Hendrick Motorsports was the Garage 56 entry, with seven-times Cup champion Jimmie Johnson , 2009 Formula One world champion and NASCAR driver Jenson Button , and 2010 Le Mans overall and LMP1 winner Mike Rockenfeller driving

4272-440: The first to win them all in the same year. The "greatest distance" rule was modified with the introduction of a rolling start in 1971. Now, the car that completes the greatest distance as of the final lap's completion—where "greatest distance" is measured by the start/finish line for all competitors—wins. When two cars finish the same number of laps, their finishing order is determined by the faster overall completion time. This rule

4361-572: The fuel, but retired after a collision with an LMP1 car six hours into the race. In 2013, Garage 56 was given to the Swiss-designed hydrogen-fueled GreenGT H2, which was to be the first car without an internal combustion engine to compete at Le Mans. However, the car was pronounced unfit to take part in the race by the team a few days before the race. In 2016, the H2 went on to complete a single demonstration lap at Le Mans. The Nissan ZEOD RC ,

4450-402: The gearbox internals than any other car due to its quick-change construction . This was critical as the gearbox was the weak link in the car. The R8's structure and body are both composed of carbon fibre, a strong, lightweight polymer material. Performance from top speed to acceleration was, as in most race car cases, variable depending on the car's setup. The highest speed of the R8 at Le Mans

4539-423: The grid than Miles's, McLaren's car had covered the greatest distance over the 24 hours. With the margin of victory determined to be eight metres, McLaren and his co-driver, Chris Amon , were declared the winners. The decision cost Miles and Denny Hulme a victory. Miles had already won the other two endurance races at Sebring and Daytona. With a win at Le Mans, he would have become the first man to win all three and

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4628-628: The high-profile duo. Gurney shook the bottle and sprayed everyone nearby. Gurney autographed and gave the bottle of champagne to Life photographer Flip Schulke , who used it as a lamp for years before returning it to Gurney. The first race was held on 26–27 May 1923 and has since been run annually in June with exceptions in 1956, when the race was held in July; 1968, when it was held in September due to nationwide political turmoil in May ; 2020, when it

4717-703: The importance of reliability. The oil crisis in the early 1970s led organizers to adopt a fuel economy formula known as Group C that limited the amount of fuel each car was allowed. Although it was later abandoned, fuel economy remains important as new fuel sources reduce the time spent during pit stops. Such technological innovations have had a trickle-down effect and can be incorporated into consumer cars. This has also led to faster and more exotic supercars as manufacturers seek to develop faster road cars in order to develop them into even faster GT cars. Additionally, hybrid systems (flywheel, super-capacitor, battery coupled with both petrol and diesel) have been championed in

4806-452: The minimum roof height was achieved with the use of raised humps above the driver's position, so that there is a trough down the center of the roof to allow for more air to reach the rear wing. The rear of the car features a boxy, blunt tail that was developed from the improved R8R, however, it is longer in order to better maximize the R8C's aerodynamics. Unlike the R8R, which was able to complete

4895-630: The need to rectify heat exchanger issues. Emanuele Pirro, Frank Biela, and Marco Werner made history by becoming the first drivers to win the Le Mans 24-hour race in a diesel-powered car. The Audi R10 TDI completed a record 380 laps of the La Sarthe circuit, with Pirro at the wheel for the finish. French trio Sébastien Loeb , Éric Hélary , and Franck Montagny took second in the Pescarolo Judd No 17, four laps back. Scotsman Allan McNish

4984-457: The new rules. With these developments in mind, Audi decided that it should invest in this new LMGTP class along with the R8R LMP program, hence the appearance of the R8C project. Unlike the R8R, for which Audi had turned to Dallara , they instead looked to Racing Technology Norfolk (RTN) to design and develop the new R8C. RTN assigned Peter Elleray the task, while Tony Southgate consulted on

5073-474: The options of joining. With the upcoming American Le Mans Series also providing a stage for the US market, Audi announced plans in 1998 to compete in 1999, with the Audi R8R powered by a 550 hp (410 kW) V8 turbo. As it was considered the better choice for a whole race due to less weight and wider tires, Audi ordered an open-top roadster from Dallara to be developed and run by Joest Racing . Yet, during

5162-737: The other legs. Since 1998, the American Le Mans Series (now the IMSA Weathertech Sports Car Championship ) has held an endurance race, along with the 12 hours of Sebring, every year called " Petit Le Mans ", as a 10-hour American version. In 2014, the Weathertech Sports Car Championship (a merger of the races at Sebring; Petit Le Mans in Braselton , Georgia; the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen in Watkins Glen , New York; and

5251-471: The overall season championship in the American Le Mans Series six times in a row (from 2000 to 2005). The R8 won a hat trick at Le Mans in 2000–2002, campaigned by Audi Sport Infineon Team Joest and driven by Tom Kristensen , Emanuele Pirro , and Frank Biela . First time out in 2000, the team won a 1-2-3 finish. Since then, the Audi R8 has won numerous championships and races, including further wins for "privateer" teams at Le Mans in 2004 and 2005. The R8

5340-525: The pits as possible. At the same time, the layout of the track required cars with better aerodynamics and stability at high speeds. While this was shared with Grand Prix racing, few tracks in Europe had straights of a length comparable to the Mulsanne . Additionally, because the road is public and thus not as meticulously maintained as permanent racing circuits, racing puts more strain on the parts, increasing

5429-415: The power down to 550 bhp for anyone still racing with the R8, but the maximum torque hardly changed. Tom Kristensen , who won the previous three 24 Hours of Le Mans races in an R8, was assigned to drive the Bentley Speed 8, and helped guide the team to victory. (Kristensen went on to win the 2004 and 2005 races in an Audi R8). Some similarity exists between the Bentley Speed 8 and the Audi R8's successor,

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5518-410: The premier LMP1 category must have a roof due to safety concerns, with open-cockpit cars only permitted in the slightly slower LMP2 category. Since 2017, all prototype cars, LMP1 or LMP2, must have closed cockpits. Although all cars compete at the same time, as of 2021 there are separate classes. A prize is awarded to the winner of each class and the overall winner. The number of classes has varied over

5607-422: The project. The R8C and R8R both use the 600 hp (450 kW) 3.6-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine , but are radically different aerodynamically. While the R8R has a large number of vents placed on the nose, most of the intakes and air exits on the R8C are placed on the sides. The R8C also has thinner wheel arches, partially due to LMGTP rules, at the time, that stipulate the LMGTP cars use thinner tires than

5696-530: The public. These are further broken down into two sub-classes: constructors' prototypes, privateer prototypes, and two subclasses of GT cars. Competing teams have had a wide variety of organizations, ranging from competition departments of road car manufacturers (eager to prove the supremacy of their products) to professional motor racing teams (representing their commercial backers, some of which are also car manufacturers who want to win without paying for their own teams) to amateur teams (racing as much to compete in

5785-454: The race has had different regulations for safety and competition reasons partly due to its length. For many decades, cars had to run at least an hour into the race before they could refill fluids for the car, such as oil or coolant, except for fuel. This was an attempt by the ACO to help increase efficiency and reliability. Those who could not last the first hour without replacing lost fluids risked disqualification. Another rule unique to Le Mans

5874-555: The race returning to its original start time of 16:00 in 2021, 2023 and 2024 respectively. The only exceptions were as follows: Initially, the car that covered the greatest distance from its starting position was the winner. This is known to have caught out the Ford team in 1966 . With a dominant 1–2 lead, the two cars slowed to allow for a photo opportunity at the finish line, with Ken Miles slightly ahead of Bruce McLaren . However, since McLaren's car had started much farther back on

5963-511: The race stewards. The race traditionally began with what became known as the Le Mans start , in which cars were lined up along the length of the pits. Until 1962, cars lined up by engine capacity. Beginning in 1963, qualifying times determined the lineup. The starting drivers stood on the opposite side of the front stretch. When the French flag dropped to signify the start, the drivers ran across

6052-464: The rules intended, into purpose-built closed cockpit prototypes where one car was modified to be a street legal "production" showcar as almost an after thought. Though these cars were within the GT1 rules, they were not at all what the ACO had intended for the category. Consequently, the ACO modified classification rules for 1999. In GT ranks, the GT1 category was replaced with the GTS category. The GTS class

6141-490: The specialised racing cars used in Grand Prix motor racing . Over time, the competing vehicles evolved away from their publicly available road car roots. Today, the race comprises two classes: the purpose-built Sports prototypes which are also known as Le Mans Prototypes (LMP) and are the highest level in sports car racing, and the production-based Grand Touring (GT) cars which are similar to sports cars sold to

6230-420: The speeds of the cars and the strain it puts on drivers, additional rules to reduce driver fatigue mandated that drivers could not drive for over 240 minutes (over 4 hours) and that no one driver could run for over 840 minutes (14 hours) total. With careful management of driver stints, this makes it possible to complete the race with only two drivers (as Jeroen Bleekemolen and Cooper MacNeil did in 2014), although

6319-408: The start. His car was waiting with first gear already engaged. He switched the starter on when he jumped in without depressing the clutch. The starter motor immediately jerked the car forward, but the engine did not start due to low RPM. After a few seconds of motion, he pushed the clutch down, allowing the engine to speed up and start while the car was moving. Feeling this type of start was unsafe, in

6408-615: The test day to the first weekend of June. Pre-qualification was eliminated in 2000, meaning that all competitors invited to the test would be allowed into the race. Since 2001 the Le Mans Legend races have also been part of the schedule, usually running exhibition races during qualifying days, a few hours prior to the sessions for the Le Mans entrants. From its inception, until 2008, the race started at 16:00 local time on Saturday, and consequently from 2009 to 2019, 2022 and come 2025 & hereafter it started at 15:00 local time, with

6497-482: The time of these lengthy pit stops. Drivers can get out of the car and be replaced by another driver during refuelling. Those rules are also applied in the FIA World Endurance Championship . There are various long-standing traditions at Le Mans, including the waving of the French tricolor to start the race. This is usually followed by a fly-over featuring jets trailing blue, white, and red smoke. A similar flag tradition

6586-423: The track, entered and started their cars without assistance, and drove away. This became a safety issue in the late 1960s when some drivers ignored their safety harnesses, then a recent invention. This led to drivers running the first few laps either improperly harnessed due to attempting to do it while driving or sometimes not even harnessed at all, leading to several deaths when cars were involved in accidents due to

6675-443: The vast majority of teams still continue to use three drivers. In 2017, the driving time rules were further changed. If necessary, officials may require a drive time limit of 80 minutes of consecutive time behind the wheel and a minimum 30-minute rest break. The rule applies only if the air temperature is at least 32 °C (89.6 °F). Although it has been a part of the World Sportscar Championship for most of its existence,

6764-478: The winning car respectively. After Le Mans, Audi decided it would concentrate on only one of the two projects going forward. The dismal performance of the R8C, combined with the exodus of all the other manufacturers from the LMGTP class, led Audi to focus on developing the R8R. This would lead to the Audi R8 (race car) , which would win Le Mans a total of 5 times between 2000 and 2005. However, Audi would return to

6853-620: The years, but there are now three: Hypercar, LMP2, and LMGT3. Successor to the Le Mans Prototype 1 (LMP1) is the custom-built Hypercar (LMH or LMDh) class. It is the top class and debuted in 2021. The new technical regulations are intended to prevent cost escalations while enabling greater variety in technical approaches and car aesthetics. This is followed by the LMP2 class where teams are obliged to run one of four approved chassis—ORECA, Ligier, Dallara, or Multimatic/Riley—mated with

6942-483: Was 338 km/h (210 mph) in the practice sessions of the 2002 Le Mans 24 Hours Race. A low downforce setup could reach about 350 km/h (217 mph). Audi Sport's program saw tragedy in 2001 when on April 25, popular ex-F1 driver Michele Alboreto died in an accident after suffering a high-speed tyre failure during an R8 test session at the Lausitzring in eastern Germany. The Bentley Speed 8 , which

7031-484: Was also notable since it was Tom Kristensen's sixth straight 24 Hours of Le Mans victory, and a record seventh overall, beating legendary driver Jacky Ickx 's previous record of six career 24 Hours of Le Mans victories. To date, the R8 remains one of the fastest petrol-powered LMPs, setting a 3:29 at Le Mans, which was beaten only by the Lola-Aston Martins. However, the R8's best finish was at 379 laps, which

7120-400: Was better able to cope with the issues on the R8Rs compared to Audi Sport UK with the R8Cs. Car no. 9 was forced to drop out of the race after just 55 laps with gearbox woes, while the car no. 10 succumbed to gearbox failure after the midpoint of the race, on lap 198. In contrast, both R8Rs finished the race despite their gearbox difficulties, finishing in 3rd and 4th place, 5 and 19 laps behind

7209-552: Was both the second and the last round of the season. Launched when Grand Prix motor racing was the dominant form of motorsport throughout Europe, Le Mans was designed to present a different test. Instead of focusing on the ability of a car company to build the fastest machines, the 24 Hours of Le Mans would concentrate on the ability of manufacturers to build sporty yet reliable cars. This encouraged innovation in producing reliable and fuel-efficient vehicles , because endurance racing requires cars that last and spend as little time in

7298-409: Was far more restrictive on modifications, appearance and meeting a set number of production cars than GT1, but still allowed manufacturers to race sportscars that may otherwise be uncompetitive without major modification. Additionally, in order to address advances and popularity of old GT1 class cars, the ACO created the LMGTP category. The LMGTP category would be for closed cockpit prototypes, which gave

7387-473: Was in 2006 replaced by the new Audi R10 TDI Diesel; however, the need to further develop the R10 meant that the R8 saw action in a few races leading up to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 1997, sports car racing and especially the Le Mans 24 Hours was popular among factories such as BMW , Mercedes-Benz , Porsche , Toyota , Nissan Motors , and others. At that time, Audi Sport boss Wolfgang Ullrich started to evaluate

7476-525: Was moved to 19–20 September due to the COVID-19 outbreak; and 2021, when it was moved to 21–22 August. The race has been cancelled ten times—in 1936 (a labour strike during the Great Depression ) and between 1940 and 1948 (World War II). The race usually takes place on the second weekend of June, with qualifying and practice taking place on the Wednesday and Thursday before the race, following

7565-421: Was not fast enough to challenge for a win, finishing third. After further tests and modifications, the Audis returned for Le Mans. The new debuting R8Cs lacked pace and unfortunately suffered mechanical gearbox woes. Lap times were 10 seconds down from the leading LMP and LMGTP competitors. Joest's R8Rs ran steady, yet still were too slow to run for pole position. After a race that had the spectacular flights of

7654-472: Was somewhat based on the R8 ran at Le Mans from 2001 to 2003, winning in 2003, used a heavily modified 4.0-L version of the V8 engine from the Audi R8 . The Bentley racing effort was campaigned by Team Bentley (Apex Motorsport) with assistance from longtime R8 competitor Joest Racing and Audi Sport UK. After 2002, the Joest factory team dropped its R8 campaign and left it to the privateers. Restrictor changes brought

7743-419: Was third in the other Audi, which came in 13 laps down after suffering mechanical problems. The R8 continued to campaign the American Le Mans Series through the first half of the 2006 season, and made its final US appearance on July 1, 2006, at Lime Rock Park , Connecticut , piloted by McNish and Capello. The R8 ended its career in style by winning the race, marking the 50th American Le Mans Series victory for

7832-443: Was unable to significantly improve the R8Cs in the month between the test and the actual race. Qualifying for the 24 Hours of Le Mans produced very similar results to the test in the case of the R8C. Car no. 10 only qualified 20th, while car no. 9 was even further behind in 23rd. Conversely, the R8Rs were able to qualify 9th and 11th. During the race, both the R8Rs and R8Cs suffered numerous gearbox difficulties, but Audi Sport Team Joest

7921-401: Was used in the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans to determine the race winner. The top two finishers completed 355 laps, with only 13 seconds difference between them. Although "greatest distance run" determines the provisional order of finishers, additional requirements must be met for a car to be classified. All classification requirements hold except in exceptional circumstances, as determined by

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