More and more distance covered at Le Mans
The technological achievements of different manufacturers have allowed for the improvement of cars, making them increasingly faster. All these feats have led to breaking distance records, although safety regulations have been implemented to slow down participants.
It’s a race for speed. But also for reliability. For the past 100 years, manufacturers have been challenging and pushing the limits of physics. Their research has allowed for improved performance, but also for making cars more reliable.
Motor racing is an open-air laboratory. Many innovations that are found in everyday vehicles today were first tested on race cars.
From 2,200 to 5,400 km
This race for performance is evident in the statistics of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. When analyzing the distance covered by the winner in the Sarthe since the creation of the event, the number of laps completed has skyrocketed. However, the organizers have indeed tried to slow them down.
The layout of the 24-hour race has changed several times for safety reasons. First in 1929, where the original hairpin was transformed into a double right turn. Despite this modification, the winner of the 1929 edition completed nearly 200 kilometers more than the previous year.
Disputes
The ACO’s other attempts to slow down drivers by modifying the track did not last. In the 60s, 70s, and 80s, with each change, the winner continued to complete more and more laps. The 5,000-kilometer mark was passed for the first time in 1967 thanks to the Ford GT40. This represents over twice the distance as in 1923. Four years later, Porsche increased the mark, despite new modifications to secure the site.
Subsequently, the organizers continued to find solutions to slow down the cars, but the manufacturers continue to drive at high speeds. So, chicanes are added to the straight line of the Hunaudières, where the maximum speed of 407 km/h was reached in 1988 (by the Peugeot-powered WR). They were added in 1990 and the winner lost about 400 kilometers compared to the 1989 record.
With this modification, the drivers are taking longer to surpass the 5,000 km mark. Audi only shattered the record for the distance covered in 2010, with 5,410 km. Since then, no other car has managed to surpass it, but with this race for performance, it could be beaten in the coming years.
