Le Mans Circuit Guide

It’s time to go full throttle and celebrate the most famous endurance race in the world - 24 Hours of Le Mans. With Hertz Team JOTA in the running for what is race four of the FIA World Endurance Championship, we take a closer look at this legendary event, where Ford vs Ferrari thrilled the crowd in 1966. Read on for an overview of the circuit, plus all the facts and stats you need to know.

Ready to learn more? Hit the gas and let’s go.

Where is Le Mans?

Also known as ‘the City of Art and History’, Le Mans is found in north-western France on the Sarthe River. An endearingly beautiful city, with its Gothic cathedral and quaint streets, it has hosted the world’s oldest and most famous endurance race since 1923, with the 2024 edition offering something even more special.

The history of motor racing in Le Mans goes even further back – the first French Grand Prix took place here in 1906.

You can drive to the Le Mans 24-hour race in your rental car in 4.5 hours if you take a direct route from Calais via the A28. While you’re there, make sure you sample rillette – this shredded pork pate is the city’s signature dish.

Remember, although it’s named Le Mans, it’s the Circuit de la Sarthe where the race takes place. Don’t worry, it’s only 17 minutes by rental car from the Le Mans itself.

Le Mans Circuit de la Sarthe Overview

The Circuit de la Sarthe is one of the last remaining road courses that includes public roads that are usually open to standard traffic. The track has been extensively modified since 1923 for safety reasons and is currently around 13.6km (8.4 mi) long.

The Circuit de la Sarthe is one of the world’s most ruthlessly fast courses, drivers can reach speeds upwards of 200 mph (322 km/h) down the Mulsanne straight.

Two chicanes were added to this nearly 6 km (3.7 mi) long straight in 1990 to reduce overall speed and stress on cars, which were driven pedal-to-the-metal for a full minute.

There are two main grandstand areas:

• Grandstands T11 to T23 sit astern and before the start-finish straight.
• The other main spectator area runs from outside the first turn, through to the fifth. There are fantastic panoramic views of the opening sequence of corners from here.
• Want to learn more about viewing the race? Discover the best viewpoints in Le Mans with Hertz.
   

The Porsche curves are considered by some to be the most exciting and demanding corners. Speeds on this sweeping first right-hander are staggering and a true test of grip, aerodynamics, and nerve.

Sunset and sunrise are special times to witness the Le Mans 24-hour race, especially sitting just past Dunlop Bridge, up on the hill at Tertre Rouge or the Porsche Curves.

Le Mans facts and stats

First race year in WEC: 2012 (24 Hours of Le Mans first ran in 1923)

Total length:13.626 km (8.467 miles)

Number of turns: 38

Overall duration: 24 hours

Typical number of pitstops: 27

Most winners (in WEC): Since 2012, when the WEC began, Swiss driver Sebastien Buemi has won the Le Mans four times – from 2018 to 2022. The record for most Le Mans wins of all time belongs to Danish driver Tom Kristensen, who has won nine times – 1997, 2000-05, 2008 and 2013.

Fastest WEC race lap: 3:27.649 (current hypercar era) – Kamui Kobayashi (Japan), 3:17:297 (LMP1 era) – Mike Conway (Britain).

Top speed: 407 km/h, set by French driver Roger Dorchy in 1988, driving a WM-Peugeot.

Typical G force experienced: 3.5G