Circuit de la Sarthe

Lore & Background

The road racing track, which was a triangle from Le Mans down south to Mulsanne, northwest to Arnage, and back north to Le Mans, has undergone many modifications over the years, with circuit n°15 being in use since 2018. In the 1920s, the cars drove from the present pits on Rue de Laigné straight into the city, then took a sharp right-hand corner near the river Huisne Pontlieue bridge (a hairpin removed from the circuit in 1929). They left the city on the rather straight section now named Avenue Georges Durand after the race's founder. Then 17.261 km (10.725 mi) long and unpaved, a bypass within the city shortened the track in 1929. The city was bypassed completely in 1932 with the addition of the section from the pits via the Dunlop Bridge and the Esses to Tertre Rouge. This classic configuration was 13.492 km (8.384 mi) long and remained almost unaltered even after the 1955 tragedy. Its frighteningly narrow pit straight was part of the road itself, without the road becoming wider around the pits, and no separation. The pit straight then was approximately 7–8 meters wide before 1955, and was widened further in 1956 after the tragedy, but the race track and pits were not separated for another 15 years. Car speeds increased dramatically in the 1960s, pushing the limits of the 'classic circuit' and sparking criticism of the track as being unsafe after drivers died during trials. In 1965, a smaller Bugatti Circuit was added which shares the pit lane facilities and the first corner (including the famous Dunlop bridge) with the full 'Le Mans' circuit. For the 1968 race, the Ford chicane was added before the pits to slow down the cars. The circuit was fitted with Armco barriers for the 1969 race. The 'Maison Blanche' kink was particularly harrowing, claiming many cars over the years (including three Ferrari 512 variants) and several lives, including the legendary John Woolfe in 1969 behind the wheel of a Porsche 917. The circuit has been modified ten more times — 1971, a year when prototypes were averaging over 240 km/h (150 mph), was the last year the classic circuit was used. That year, an Armco barrier was added to the pit straight to separate the track from the pits. In 1972, the race track was considerably revamped, at a cost of 300 million francs, with modification of the pit area and the first and final strai

In Their Own Story

The sun dips below the horizon over the Mulsanne Straight, casting long shadows across the tarmac as night falls on the Circuit de la Sarthe. The air hums with a vibration that has persisted for nearly a century—the sound of engines pushing beyond their limits in the dark. A lone car crests the hill at Indianapolis, headlights cutting through the mist, its driver fighting fatigue while navigating the treacherous rhythm of the Porsche Curves. Around them, thousands of sleeping fans in tents await the dawn, knowing that tomorrow brings another chapter to this timeless saga.

Reader's Guide

Up to 85% of the 24 hour circuit lap time is spent on full throttle, putting immense stress on engine and drivetrain components. Additionally, the times spent reaching maximum speed also mean tremendous wear on the brakes and suspension as cars must slow from over 322 km/h (200 mph) to around 100 km/h (62 mph) for the sharp corner at the village of Mulsanne. Even with the modifications over the years, the Sarthe circuit remains very fast, with prototype cars achieving average lap speeds in excess of 240 km/h (150 mph).

Did You Know?

• In 1988, Roger Dorchy driving for Welter Racing in a 'Project 400' car was clocked at 407 km/h (253 mph) on the Mulsanne Straight.
• The pit straight in the classic configuration was only about 3.7 m (12 ft) wide, and was part of the road itself without separation from the pits.
• The city was bypassed completely in 1932 with the addition of the section from the pits via the Dunlop Bridge and the Esses to Tertre Rouge.
• Two chicanes were added to the Mulsanne Straight before the 1990 race because the FIA decreed it would no longer sanction a circuit with a straight longer than 2 km (1.2 mi).