Track Length: 8.467 miles (13.626 km)
Number of Turns: 38
Circuit Type: Semi-permanent (mix of public roads and permanent sections)
FIA Grade: Grade Two
Direction: Clockwise
Top Speed Potential: Up to 227 mph (366 km/h), formerly 253 mph (407 km/h)
Primary Use: Endurance Racing – 24 Hours of Le Mans (FIA WEC)
The Circuit de la Sarthe is the ultimate test of machine endurance, driver stamina, and engineering balance. Spanning nearly 8.5 miles, the track flows through a mix of public roads and permanent racing sections, including high-speed straights, technical esses, and iconic corners. The Mulsanne Straight, once a speed-lover’s paradise, has been broken up by two chicanes to cap top speeds—but cars still flirt with 210+ mph before heavy braking into Mulsanne Corner.
The Dunlop Curve and Dunlop Bridge begin the lap with fast, uphill sweepers leading into the Forest Esses, where maintaining rhythm is vital. Tertre Rouge marks a high-speed corner that funnels onto the Mulsanne—one of the most critical exits on the lap.
Late in the lap, drivers face the deceptive Indianapolis—a banked left-hander leading directly into a braking zone for the tight Arnage Corner, which remains one of the slowest and most punishing corners on the circuit. Grip levels here fluctuate throughout the race as marbles, oil, and changing temps accumulate.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans, run annually since 1923, is the world’s oldest and most iconic endurance race. Held near Le Mans, France, on the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe, it is the centerpiece of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and a cornerstone of the Triple Crown of Motorsport, alongside the Indy 500 and Monaco Grand Prix.
Le Mans is a race against time, not just distance—the winner is the car that covers the greatest distance in 24 hours, not the first across the line. This format has forged legends, innovations, and heartbreaks, where engineering reliability is as vital as outright speed.
Historically, the track allowed absurdly high speeds—up to 253 mph on the Mulsanne in 1988—before chicanes were added in 1990 for safety. It’s a venue that birthed legends like the Ford GT40, Porsche 917, Audi R8, and Toyota GR010 Hybrid, and stories of titanic rivalries and heroic comebacks. The race’s blend of night racing, multi-class traffic, and changeable weather cements its status as one of the most complete tests in motorsport.
Le Mans isn’t just a race—it’s an endurance symphony.
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