LeMans is ultimate automobile test
An endurance race — even for the spectators
B r e n da n M c Ale e r
All through the witching hours, they race. Off in the distance, the spinning disc of a glowing ferris wheel makes a stunning spectacle, but the drivers can’t lift their eyes from the road. Dotted lines blur with the speed and the patterned curbs seem to strobe in the headlights, giving the on-board cameras the look of footage cut from Tron.
But this is no video game. As the race leaders crest 300 km/h, they catch and try to pass the slower-moving GT cars, a dangerous manoeuvre in the dark.
This is a 24-hour sprint. This is the clash of armies on the darkling plain. This is Le Mans — and there are still 12 hours left to run.
This year marks 91 years of Le Mans, the première endurance race, and perhaps the most challenging form of motorsport in the world. Held at the Circuit de la Sarthe near the town of Le Mans in northwest France, it is a mix of dedicated circuit and public roads for a total length of 13.6 km. During the 24 hours of the race — a crucible of speed and g-forces — the leading competitors will cover a distance of up to 5,400 km, with speeds averaging 250 km/h.
Le Mans is the equivalent of seven Indy 500s and is crammed to the gills with drama. With three main competitors in the top-level LMP1 class, this year marks the best event seen in a decade and a half.
In the stone-paved squares of the town, crowds gather to watch a parade of Alfas, Lotuses, Ferraris, Morgans and even incongruously wide Corvettes.
Racedaydawnswithabuzz ofpalpableexcitement.Thousands have trekked here, and there are entire cities formed of close-packed tents. The teams have brought along hundreds of support staff and trailers.
There are three main classes in Le Mans racing: the LMP1 prototypes that lead the way; the LMP2 racers, many of which are still opencockpit; and the GT classes which include Aston Martins, Corvettes, 911s, and Ferraris.
This year, three manufacturers are competing for the overall win. Audi, a dominant force in past years, is running the R18 E-tron Quattro, a hybrid turbodiesel that produces over 1,000 hp in a car lighter than a Nissan Micra.
Porsche, returning to Le Mans racing for the first time since 1998, is also fielding a hybrid. Its 919 uses a smalldisplacement 500 hp V4 turbo,whichincludesagenerator placed in the exhaust flow to scavenge energy, a kind of electric turbocharger.
Then there’s Toyota, with its juggernaut of a hybrid. The TS040 racer uses a 513-hp screamer of a 3.7L V-8 and twin supercapacitor-powered electric engines front and rear for a total of 986 hp. During qualifying, driver Kazuke Nakajima puts the #7 Toyota in pole position for the race.
After a GT3 cup race, the main event begins to roll. Track marshals urge everyone out of the way as the cars take their traditional diagonal parking position trackside.
The starting flag is delivered by a parachutist for extra flair, and F1 driver Fernando Alonso stands ready to wave le tricolore as the cars set out behind the Audi R8 pace car for an Indianapolis-style rolling start. The order of the LMP1 cars runs Toyota-Porsche-Toyota,with the Audis farther back in the pack. As the flag waves and the Rolex time-clock starts counting down, they lunge forward. Battle is joined.
Passes are made, and the lines stretch out, but then there is a sudden downpour as the heavens empty.
The tarmac is now as slick as ice, and cars go spinning off into the guardrails. As quickly as it comes, the squall is past, and the track dries out. Just as the teams switch back to slicks to gain speed, another weather front blows through, and this time it’s the LMP1 cars that collide, with the #8 Toyota taking out the #3 Audi. The Audi’s race is over, but the Toyota somehow limps back to the pits.
Evening brings a low, dangerous light that blinds drivers and makes them miss apexes and lock up the tires. In a shorter race, those that are down by more than a few laps often pack up and go home, but because there’s such a distance to cover, nobody gives up. Two LMP2 cars collide, yet one crawls back to the pits on three wheels, grievously injured, but still in the race.
Night falls, and still they race. The Toyota has been leading for hours, and crew hopes are high — until it disappears. Something’s happened. It’s stopped somewhere on the track. The Toyota, once far out in the lead, is mortally stricken. Its race is over.
Just like that, in the small hours before dawn a little over the halfway mark, Audi is out in front, with Porsche in second.
Close to the end, it comes down to a battle between Porsche and Audi. In the fourth hour, both Audis are called for repair: a turbocharger swap.
For Porsche, the heartbreak comes with two hours left — a fatal engine failure has their #20 car limping home and eventually retiring.
Yes, once again, Audi won this race, first and second in their two turbodiesel spaceships. Toyota finished a strong third with a car they repaired after a wreck in the rain, and both Porsches faltered at the last gasp with drivetrain problems.
While it fits within the boundaries of a single day, Le Mans is larger than 24 hours.
For those who attempt to go the distance, it’s a test of heart, pride and spirit — even if you’re only watching from the sidelines.