Le Mans, 100 years of history
Translate: The Roaring 100th. The 24 Hours of Le Mans have, in a century, become an unmissable event in motor sports. Numerous records and events have helped shape the reputation of the race.
The race is anticipated by tens of thousands of people. In the Sarthe region, at the beginning of June, there is excitement. Already, in many towns, signs, shop windows, and decorations bear the 24 Hours of Le Mans logo.
And then, there’s the audience. On June 10th and 11th, the Le Mans circuit will be packed to the brim. All the seats were snapped up within a few minutes of being on sale. The record of 263,500 spectators will, logically, be broken.
Toyota soon at Porsche’s level?
Here is already an established brand in Sarthe for the 100th anniversary of the race. Others could follow in the next few days. But this time, done by the cars.
First, let’s talk about the distance covered by the winner of the Hypercar category. In 2022, Toyota completed a whopping 380 laps for a total of 5,177 kilometers. This year, it is possible that the brand might fall short. On the other hand, the record set by Audi in 2010 with 5,410 kilometers seems quite challenging to beat.
If victorious, Toyota could equal Bentley in terms of success in Le Mans. It would then be their sixth victory in the greatest endurance race in the world. The performance could be pushed even further. It could be the sixth consecutive time that the Japanese manufacturer triumphs here. This would place them in second position for the most consecutive victories, behind Porsche. The German team had won seven times in a row, between 1981 and 1987.
Who will dethrone Tom Kristensen?
On the other hand, certain records are likely to never be broken. Starting with the maximum speed achieved by a car. The mark of 400 km/h was crossed in 1988 by Roger Dorchy with a peak recorded at 405 km/h in the long straight line of the Hunaudières. He accomplished this feat with a WM P88 powered by a Peugeot engine.
The French will always keep this record. Barricades have been installed on this stretch, so no car will be able to reach such a speed now.
Tom Kristensen is also calm for a while. The Dane is the most victorious man at Le Mans. With nine successes, no one has done better yet. Even his success rate, 50%, makes him one of the strong men on this track. Sébastien Buémi (Toyota) is the closest active driver in the standings, with four victories.
Henri Pescarolo can also patiently wait for his achievement to be erased from the record books. The Frenchman is the driver who has participated the most times in the race. With 33 appearances at Le Mans, he has taken part in over a third of the races*. However, he has only won here four times.
Finally, how can we talk about records without mentioning the one who is nicknamed Mr. Le Mans, Jacky Ickx. The Belgian triumphed six times in Sarthe, including 1969 in a rather peculiar manner. As a driver for Ford at the time, the Formula 1 vice-world champion protested against the Le Mans-style start.
He found it too dangerous to cross the track running to reach his car. So he starts off, with his GT40 from the last position and manages to arrive in first place under the checkered flag 24 hours later. The gap with the second-place Porsche 908 is 120 meters, making it the second smallest gap ever recorded. The first being 20 meters in 1966 between two Fords.
If the race is 100 years old, only 91 editions have taken place.
