She will be at post 5 Forest Esses.
Look out for my friend, Rachel. She is currently at Mulsanne waiting for a supermarche to open.
She'll be marshalling on her own this year...
Le Mans to Berlin and a bit beyond
- Thread starter Wapping
- Start date
A good spot to view from too, as they come down from the crest of the hill, under the Dunlop Bridge.
We’ll probably (possibly) go there mid-morning on Sunday.
PS For the first time in Le Mans’ long history, the iconic Dunlop Bridge is no more…. Goodyear!
Goodyear have full control of the Dunlop brand in Europe now. Having unwound the deal with Sumitomo. They also took over Avon and closed the Wiltshire factory. Avon bike tyres are now made alongside Dunlop bike tyres in the Goodyear factory in Montlucon.
The action on track starts today at 08:00 for 45 minutes free practice for the Ligier European series, which will probably feature a bunch of drivers trying to break into endurance or GT racing:
09:15 to 09:35 Ligier European series, qualifying
10:00 to 13:00 24-hours of Le Mans, free practice cession 1
14:00 to 15:00 an hour long race for the Ligier European series cars
15:30 to 18:30 24-hours of Le Mans, free practice cession 2
On a track that’s an smidge over 13.6 km (8.5 miles) long, it wouldn’t take much of a mistake in the Ligier European series practice or qualifying to see you out of the race. Likewise, with 62 cars scheduled to start the 24-hour race and therefore involved in practice, two three hour cessions are in reality not that long for the teams to get their data and the three drivers for each car settled in. One significant off (which will happen at some point) will see the three-hour window dwindling away quite rapidly. The changeable weather won’t help either.
On the weather front, the man with the seaweed and fircone, is predicting this for the practice / qualifying week ahead:
Whilst the weather will be, what the weather will be, the possibly interesting thing is that the temperature is predicted to ramp up for next weekend’s full 24-hour race. This means that the teams’ data and set-up’s may well have been gathered under very different conditions from those that they might well race under. With such tight margins within the lap times of the cars within their classes, a wrong call on the set-up might spell disaster.
Talking of lap times, the blue ribbon Hypercars will lap the 8.5 miles in something under three-and-a-half minutes or an average speed of a bit above 145 mph, lap after lap after lap for 24 hours. Even the ‘slowest’ (it’s a relative term) GT cars will lap at about 128 mph. But, you don’t have to be a mathematical genius to work out the fastest cars will quickly lap the slowest in somewhere between seven to eight laps or, say within roughly 22 minutes or about three times in each hour. Throw in different pit stops and it doesn’t take long before the classes are mixed up on the track, which just adds to the spectacle. Bring a pocket radio / earphone and listen to Radio Le Mans’ excellent and full coverage of each and every minute in English, or you’ll never know quite what is going on. It’s probably what makes Le Mans, the one they all want to win….. and indeed why even very successful F1 drivers want to have a go at standing on the winner’s rostrum; there is nothing else really like it.
09:15 to 09:35 Ligier European series, qualifying
10:00 to 13:00 24-hours of Le Mans, free practice cession 1
14:00 to 15:00 an hour long race for the Ligier European series cars
15:30 to 18:30 24-hours of Le Mans, free practice cession 2
On a track that’s an smidge over 13.6 km (8.5 miles) long, it wouldn’t take much of a mistake in the Ligier European series practice or qualifying to see you out of the race. Likewise, with 62 cars scheduled to start the 24-hour race and therefore involved in practice, two three hour cessions are in reality not that long for the teams to get their data and the three drivers for each car settled in. One significant off (which will happen at some point) will see the three-hour window dwindling away quite rapidly. The changeable weather won’t help either.
On the weather front, the man with the seaweed and fircone, is predicting this for the practice / qualifying week ahead:
Whilst the weather will be, what the weather will be, the possibly interesting thing is that the temperature is predicted to ramp up for next weekend’s full 24-hour race. This means that the teams’ data and set-up’s may well have been gathered under very different conditions from those that they might well race under. With such tight margins within the lap times of the cars within their classes, a wrong call on the set-up might spell disaster.
Talking of lap times, the blue ribbon Hypercars will lap the 8.5 miles in something under three-and-a-half minutes or an average speed of a bit above 145 mph, lap after lap after lap for 24 hours. Even the ‘slowest’ (it’s a relative term) GT cars will lap at about 128 mph. But, you don’t have to be a mathematical genius to work out the fastest cars will quickly lap the slowest in somewhere between seven to eight laps or, say within roughly 22 minutes or about three times in each hour. Throw in different pit stops and it doesn’t take long before the classes are mixed up on the track, which just adds to the spectacle. Bring a pocket radio / earphone and listen to Radio Le Mans’ excellent and full coverage of each and every minute in English, or you’ll never know quite what is going on. It’s probably what makes Le Mans, the one they all want to win….. and indeed why even very successful F1 drivers want to have a go at standing on the winner’s rostrum; there is nothing else really like it.
Last edited:
Sun’s up and they are off….
Told you it wouldn’t take long. 16 minutes in and the first full course yellow is called:
Four minutes later and the debris is cleared from somewhere on the track and practice is back on.
Four minutes later and the debris is cleared from somewhere on the track and practice is back on.
Ooops! A big lock up, a rapid pendulum right and left and what sounded like a sudden full stall coming into the fast and banked left turn at Indianapolis:
He got it going again and avoided the sea of gravel.
He got it going again and avoided the sea of gravel.
Less lucky and beached.
The first official practice for the 62 cars is underway, bang on time at 10:00 in (I am happy to say) bright sun and only fluffy white clouds:
The Hypercars (like their LMP1 prototype predecessors) are so fast entering Indianapolis, with the grandfathered LMP2’s not much slower. You can also see how fast the ‘little’ Porsche and Ferrari GT cars really are.
The great thing about the Hypercars is that they all sound different…. But not yet close to the Panoz ‘Batmobile’ from several years ago and streets ahead of the all but silent (and all conquering) Audi LMP1’s.
One big thing is the change in noise of the Porsche GT cars. They used to be painfully loud but are now much quieter. I don’t know what changed?
The best noise so far? The rapidly improving Aston Martin and the Cadillac, but very early days.
PS The yellow car is last year’s winning Ferrari satellite team.
The Hypercars (like their LMP1 prototype predecessors) are so fast entering Indianapolis, with the grandfathered LMP2’s not much slower. You can also see how fast the ‘little’ Porsche and Ferrari GT cars really are.
The great thing about the Hypercars is that they all sound different…. But not yet close to the Panoz ‘Batmobile’ from several years ago and streets ahead of the all but silent (and all conquering) Audi LMP1’s.
One big thing is the change in noise of the Porsche GT cars. They used to be painfully loud but are now much quieter. I don’t know what changed?
The best noise so far? The rapidly improving Aston Martin and the Cadillac, but very early days.
PS The yellow car is last year’s winning Ferrari satellite team.
Last edited:
An hour and a half into the three hour practice, the ACO are running their usual practice of the safety cars, when race cars are on the track.
With such a long circuit, they sometimes need intervention from three safety cars and for the organisation / practice of gathering the fiend of possibly 62 cars up. Then there’s the rules which allow pass by so ‘winning’ cars within their classes are not disadvantaged.
With such a long circuit, they sometimes need intervention from three safety cars and for the organisation / practice of gathering the fiend of possibly 62 cars up. Then there’s the rules which allow pass by so ‘winning’ cars within their classes are not disadvantaged.
Last edited:
I would imagine that Eduardo is just rehearsing for the main race...
I can understand why it's a must do for even the most successful of F1 drivers because i see the TT in the same way;; special kind of riders and drivers;
I can understand why it's a must do for even the most successful of F1 drivers because i see the TT in the same way;; special kind of riders and drivers;
The ultimate ‘Triple Crown’ for any F1 driver is to win, in the course of their career ‘just’ three races: Monaco, Le Mans and Indianapolis. Only one driver has ever achieved it, Graham Hill. Alonso has had a go and won two, being Monaco and Le Mans. He failed in his attempt at Indianapolis. There is though still time for him, but with the F1 season getting longer and longer, it’s harder….. but it’s never been easy!
Lunchtime for drivers, teams and officials.
This afternoon, I’ll probably pedal along to Mulsanne Corner, to watch something from there.
This afternoon, I’ll probably pedal along to Mulsanne Corner, to watch something from there.
That's the pull of street circuits and the big endurance test of the Indie 500 i presume; i did'nt know that about Graham Hill; cheers wappers;
The draw of Monaco is that it’s the most romantic and ‘rich list’ or whatever the word is. Le Mans, because it’s 24 hours of nonstop racing, by far the world’s oldest endurance race * and Indianapolis because it’s high speed, different, bloody dangerous and you are pitched against a load of very fast drivers who have grown up on oval circuits. None of them are easy to win. Of the three, Monaco probably wouldn’t get an F1 licence today, but nobody is going to take it off the calendar any time soon.
* Nowadays, it’s really a sprint, from when the flag drops. The cars are, in the main, now very reliable. But, nothing is ever certain. There’s an old saying that nobody ever wins Le Mans. Rather, the racetrack lets you win. It’s a bit trite, but there is a grain of truth in it, too.
* Nowadays, it’s really a sprint, from when the flag drops. The cars are, in the main, now very reliable. But, nothing is ever certain. There’s an old saying that nobody ever wins Le Mans. Rather, the racetrack lets you win. It’s a bit trite, but there is a grain of truth in it, too.
Last edited:
By bicycle to the normally unassuming village of Mulsanne:
They love a bicycle in France:
Much more strict searching of bags than in past years,
Mulsanne Corner, waiting for the start of free practice two:
It’s quite a good photograph spot:
But not least a chance to check out that the Euro fizz is as acidic as ever and to get a Le Mans 2026 cup, to go with the many I have already:
EUR 8 plus EUR 2 for the refundable cup for a pint.
They love a bicycle in France:
Much more strict searching of bags than in past years,
Mulsanne Corner, waiting for the start of free practice two:
It’s quite a good photograph spot:
But not least a chance to check out that the Euro fizz is as acidic as ever and to get a Le Mans 2026 cup, to go with the many I have already:
EUR 8 plus EUR 2 for the refundable cup for a pint.
Some snaps from my iPhone, all at Mulsanne Corner:
Similar threads
