Analysis: drivers first lined up alongside their machines for the initial Le Mans endurance race in 1923
Such is the popular appeal of the Le Mans 24 Heures that it is often referred to as the Glastonbury of motor racing, although the world's most famous endurance race predates the music festival by almost 50 years. The Le Mans race celebrates its centenary next weekend with tickets long sold-out. This 24-hour marathon has become synonymous with the industrial town situated just a couple of hours west of Paris. As host of the world's first Grand Prix in 1906, the town holds a singular place in motor sport history.
From FIA World Endurance Championship, highlights of the Le Mans 2023 qualifying session
The Le Mans 24 heures was the brainchild of Georges Durand, general secretary of the Automobile Club de la Sarthe. Durand held a meeting during the Salon de l'Automobile of 1922 with newspaperman Charles Faroux and Émile Coquille from well-known wheel manufacturers Rudge-Whitworth.
They decided motor racing needed both to be simplified and made more accessible in order to maintain its public relevance. Crucially, race cars were moving ever further from road vehicles, meaning that technical advances were no longer of direct benefit to the everyday driver.
Coquille believed that lights and starters were particularly behind the times and that, to promote car safety, a high-profile night race was needed. Durand suggested a 24-hour race instead, as this would put the lights to the test, while pushing driver and machine to the limit. It was agreed that the new challenge for 'tourism cars’ would take place in mid-June, making for maximum daylight, and running from 4pm to 4pm.
The distinctive Le Mans start was an initiative introduced to test the cars’ starters. This involved the drivers lining up on one side of the road and, once the French flag dropped at 4pm, they would run across the road, jump into their vehicles, start them up and drive off. The advent of modern racing harnesses did nothing to stop this practice, which became increasingly futile as starter reliability improved. In 1969, Jacky Ickx made a point of strolling across the track, belting up carefully, driving off and winning the race. The following year would see the race begin with a conventional start.
The Le Mans 24 heures has continued to be used as a testing ground for new technologies, with aerodynamics improving immensely over the early years in response to the long straights on the circuit. Indeed, the Mulsanne Straight (Ligne Droite des Hunaudières) was the longest straight section of any racetrack in the world until two chicanes were added to it in 1990 to reduce speeds.
Disc brakes were first used at Le Mans in 1953. Alternative fuel sources have also been tested here, from ethanol, used on a class-winning Porsche in 1980, to a diesel-powered Audi that won three successive races from 2006 to 2008. More recently, hybrid-engine cars have been successful with Toyota to the fore.
From WTF1, thre 7 crazies stories in Le Mans' 100 year history
Le Mans was also the site of the single most devastating accident in motor sport, which had severe repercussions in France and throughout the world. In 1955, just seven hours into the race, French driver Pierre Levegh, driving a Mercedes, was forced to swerve violently by another competitor. He lost control of his car and crashed into a packed stand. Levegh died instantly, along with 82 spectators.
Race co-founder Faroux, who had remained as race director since its inception back in 1923, took the decision to continue the race to allow emergency services access to the circuit, as stopping the race would have flooded the roads with huge crowds of departing spectators. Later in the race, Mercedes withdrew its two remaining cars and retired entirely from competitive racing for three decades.
Le Mans 1955 by director Quentin Baillieux
When the curtain fell on the 1955 event, it led to the cancellation of many races throughout the world, including that year's French Grand Prix. It also brought about a complete ban on circuit racing in Switzerland, a ruling which was not reversed until 2022.
The Le Mans race has developed a mythical quality over time. Every year, over 250,000 spectators attend the race, many of them camping inside the circuit itself. This enduring popularity has much to do with the fact that the event is one of the very few motor races left in the world that use public roads. In Le Mans, the Bugatti Circuit (named in honour of Ettore Bugatti, the famous French car manufacturer of Italian extraction) joins up with the national road network for one weekend of the year to form the 13km track, which is covered on average 250 times over the 24 hours.
The century-long fascination with seeing spectacular cars race on local highways closed to normal traffic highlights the deep-rooted tradition of motor sport in the Sarthe area of France. Le Mans also has the dubious honour of claiming the origins of spraying champagne on the podium. After winning the 1950 French Grand Prix at the Reims-Gueux circuit, Juan-Manuel Fangio was the first driver to be presented with a bottle of champagne from local producer Moët et Chandon. However, it was not until 1967 that Ford driver Dan Gurney (played by his son, Alex, in the 2019 film Ford v Ferrari , called Le Mans '66 in Europe) sprayed a bottle of champagne on the Le Mans podium after the race for the first time.
Trailer for 2019's Ford v Ferrari
The 24-hour race has also attracted interest in celebrity circles. The 1971 film Le Mans stars Steve McQueen, who originally intended to take part in the race proper alongside Jackie Stewart. Former French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez and actor Paul Newman have both participated in the race. More recently, Michael Fassbender's series Road to Le Mans followed four years of motor racing preparation, culminating in him driving a Porsche in the 2022 edition of the race. The Kerryman will be competing there once again this year.
From its beginnings in motor sport, through the early days of Grand Prix racing, right up to its current pre-eminence, Le Mans has remained at the forefront of motor racing in France. The endurance event continues to gather ever larger viewing and attendance figures, at a time when all forms of motor sport are coming under increasing pressure to survive. The industrial town's legacy is one of innovation and perseverance, much like the 24 hour race for which it is famous.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
