Explainer: What is the 24 Hours of Le Mans?

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the most prestigious and storied endurance race in the world. Held annually since 1923 near the town of Le Mans in north-western France, it challenges drivers, teams and manufacturers to complete as many laps as possible over a full day and night of racing. Combining sheer speed with strategic depth and mechanical endurance, it remains the ultimate test in motorsport.

A century of racing: The history of Le Mans

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is more than a race. It’s a living chronicle of motorsport. Since 1923, this gruelling event has been the ultimate test of endurance, courage and innovation, producing moments of triumph, tragedy, and transformation that shaped the global racing landscape.

1923–1954: Beginnings and British dominance

In the 1920s, Bentley became the first true icon of Le Mans. The British marque’s ‘Bentley Boys’ — wealthy, charismatic gentleman racers — won five times in the race’s first decade, establishing Le Mans as a proving ground for automotive excellence. The interwar years and early post-war period saw the rise of Jaguar, whose aerodynamic C- and D-Types ushered in a new era of design and speed in the 1950s.

1955–1961: Tragedy and transformation

But that golden decade came to a devastating halt in 1955, when a horrific accident involving Pierre Levegh’s Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR killed the driver and over 80 spectators. The tragedy shook the world. It was not just the worst crash in Le Mans history, but the deadliest disaster in motorsport. Governments across Europe temporarily banned racing, and Mercedes-Benz immediately withdrew from motorsport, not to return for decades. The catastrophe led to sweeping safety reforms in circuit design, car construction, and crowd protection that reshaped the entire sport.

1962–1969: Rivalry on the world stage

Even as Le Mans recovered, it never lost its mystique. The 1960s brought the Ferrari–Ford war, a corporate clash that became legend. After Ferrari spurned a buyout from Henry Ford II, the American manufacturer unleashed its GT40 programme. In 1966, Ford finally conquered Le Mans with a dominant 1-2-3 finish, a story immortalised in the film Ford v Ferrari.

1970–1993: Porsche takes over

Porsche soon emerged as the race’s most enduring force. With its nimble prototypes and relentless development, the German marque claimed a record 19 overall victories. Its rise began in the 1970s with the fearsome 917 and continued through the 1980s with the 956 and 962. Le Mans became Porsche territory and cemented Porsche’s reputation as Le Mans royalty.

Yet from the late 1980s into the early 1990s, Porsche’s grip on Le Mans began to loosen. In 1988, Jaguar claimed a popular victory with the XJR-9, breaking Porsche’s seven-year winning streak. The following year, Sauber-Mercedes triumphed with the C9, marking Mercedes’ return to the top for the first time since their withdrawal in 1955. Jaguar struck again in 1990, before Mazda made history in 1991 by becoming the first Japanese manufacturer to win Le Mans, doing so with the rotary-powered 787B. Peugeot then added back-to-back wins in 1992 and 1993 with its ferocious 905. These years proved that dominance at Le Mans is never permanent and that new challengers can rise just as quickly as legends fall.

1994–1999: Speed and spectacle

The 1990s brought experimentation and spectacle. The GT1 era saw road-going supercars transformed into monsters of engineering. McLaren stunned the field in 1995, winning with the F1 GTR in its Le Mans debut. Porsche, Mercedes, Toyota, Jaguar and others followed with increasingly exotic homologation specials. But as manufacturers pushed the limits, and the budget, the era ended abruptly in 1999 after a series of terrifying airborne incidents, most infamously when Mercedes’ CLR launched into the air three times and again forced the marque to step away from Le Mans.

Want to learn more about what GT1 was? We have a GT explainer covering the GT classes that raced at Le Mans since the 90s up to today’s GT3 machines.

Or how about the story of the later, non-Le Mans racing Maserati MC12 GT1, told by Andrea Bertolini?

2000–2020: LMP1 and the age of innovation

From the ashes of GT1, the LMP1 era took hold. With sleek, purpose-built prototypes like the Audi R8 LMP, this new generation of endurance machines pushed the boundaries of speed and innovation. Audi led the charge, dominating the 2000s with diesel and later hybrid technology, while rivals like Peugeot, Toyota, and Porsche joined the fight with equally ambitious machinery.

But as the cars became faster and more complex, costs spiralled. By the late 2010s, the class had become an engineering arms race with shrinking grids. When Porsche and Audi withdrew, the LMP1 era collapsed.

2021–present: The new era

In its place came a new vision: the Hypercar class, launched in 2021 with simpler rules and cost-capped performance. It attracted old names and new challengers alike: Toyota, Ferrari, Peugeot, Cadillac, Lamborghini, Alpine, and Porsche, with more to come. The return of Ferrari in 2023 ended a 50-year absence from the top class and was crowned with a fairy-tale win on debut.

Below Hypercar, Le Mans embraced change in the GT ranks as well. After two decades of GTE machinery, the more accessible GT3 platform was adopted in 2024. With it came a fresh wave of competition from Aston Martin, Corvette, Lamborghini, Ford, and even Mercedes making a return, marking a new chapter in the race’s evolution.

Le Mans and the FIA World Endurance Championship

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the centrepiece of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). Founded in 2012, the WEC brought together a global calendar of long-distance races across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas, with Le Mans as its marquee event. Points scored at Le Mans count for double, reflecting the race’s difficulty and prestige.

But Le Mans’ championship pedigree goes back much further. It was a core round of the original World Sportscar Championship (1953–1992), and later part of the short-lived precursor to the modern WEC, the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (2010–2011). Throughout these eras, manufacturers like Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar, and Peugeot chased global titles by proving themselves at La Sarthe.

Today, a Le Mans win is not only the ultimate prize. It’s often decisive in the championship fight, making it both a standalone classic and a pivotal round in the world championship.

How Le Mans compares to other endurance classics

Le Mans forms part of endurance racing’s historic Triple Crown, alongside the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. These three iconic events were once part of the World Sportscar Championship and remain pillars of global endurance racing. Daytona brings 24 hours of multi-class action on a hybrid oval-road layout, often disrupted by Florida’s unpredictable weather. Sebring, with its 12-hour run on a former airfield, is renowned for its brutally bumpy surface and punishing twilight finishes.

But only Le Mans combines a 13.6km circuit of closed public roads and permanent racetrack, featuring speeds beyond 330 km/h and uninterrupted racing for a full day and night. While many legendary endurance races like the Targa Florio faded into history, Le Mans endured, evolving with the sport, technology, and safety, yet always remaining true to its original challenge.

The race is also part of the broader Triple Crown of Motorsport, which includes the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Only Graham Hill has won all three. Each leg of this crown tests a different form of excellence: Monaco demands precision and bravery on narrow city streets, Indy rewards mastery of high-speed oval racing, and Le Mans requires mechanical resilience, strategy, and human endurance. Together, they represent the highest achievement across three distinct worlds of motorsport.

The Circuit de la Sarthe

The Circuit de la Sarthe is a unique blend of high-speed straights and flowing corners. Since the first running in 1923, the circuit has evolved numerous times for safety and speed. Originally over 17 kilometres in length, the track has gradually been shortened and reprofiled. Major changes include the addition of chicanes to the Mulsanne Straight in 1990 to curb top speeds, and the relocation of pit facilities in the early 2000s to modernise the start/finish area.

Legendary sections include:

Mulsanne Straight – three-part straight where top speeds exceed 330 km/h
Tertre Rouge – critical corner leading onto Mulsanne
Porsche Curves – a daunting sequence of fast bends
Arnage and Indianapolis – heavy braking zones that catch out the best

Despite modernisation, the circuit retains its character: a thrilling, dangerous ribbon of tarmac winding through forests and countryside. Night racing here is unlike anywhere else. With glowing brake discs, screaming engines, and headlights carving through the darkness, it’s pure atmosphere.

Classes and cars

Le Mans features multiple classes racing at once, all sharing the same track. The 2025 grid sees an impressive 62 cars entered across three categories.

Hypercar

The top class of the FIA World Endurance Championship features both LMH and LMDh prototypes. For 2025, 19 Hypercars are entered, including full-factory and customer efforts from:

Ferrari, with the #50 and defending race-winning #51 499P entries, plus the customer #83 run by AF Corse
Toyota, fielding the #7 and #8 GR010 Hybrids
Porsche, with three factory 963s (#4, #5, #6) and customer cars from Proton Competition and Jota
Cadillac, represented by Hertz Team Jota and entries from Action Express and WTR
Peugeot, returning with its updated 9X8 in #93 and #94
BMW, returning for their second Le Mans with the M Hybrid V8s fielded by Team WRT
Alpine, fielding the new A424 with a two-car team
Aston Martin, making its top-class return with two Valkyries under the Heart of Racing/THOR banner

LMGT3

Making its second appearance at Le Mans, the new GT3-based LMGT3 class features 23 entries in 2025. Manufacturers include:

Ferrari, with multiple 296 LMGT3s from AF Corse, Vista, and others
Porsche, entered by Proton Competition, Manthey, and Iron Dames
BMW, with WRT entries including Valentino Rossi in the #46
Corvette, through TF Sport and others
Aston Martin, Mercedes-AMG, McLaren, Ford, and Lexus also feature on the grid

This blend of professional and Pro-Am line-ups ensures a competitive and diverse field across both top-tier prototypes and GT machinery.

You can find the full entry list for the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans here.

Garage 56 and experimental entries

Since 2012, the ACO has reserved a single, unclassified slot at Le Mans for a car that showcases innovative technology or brings a unique story, known as Garage 56.

Some notable past entries include:

2012: The DeltaWing — a radical, arrow-shaped prototype developed by Ben Bowlby.
2016: Frédéric Sausset’s SRT41 car — adapted for a quadruple amputee driver.
2023: The NASCAR Garage 56 Camaro ZL1 — an eye-catching V8 stock car that became a fan favourite, run by Hendrick Motorsports with Jimmie Johnson, Mike Rockenfeller, and Jenson Button.

The 2025 Garage 56 slot is currently unfilled, but future projects may include hydrogen-powered cars or autonomous support vehicles. The initiative is about more than novelty. It’s about pushing the limits of what’s possible in endurance racing.

Race week schedule

Le Mans is more than just a weekend. It’s a full-week festival:

Scrutineering (Friday/Saturday before race week) – Public technical checks in Le Mans city centre
Test Day (Sunday before race week) – Official warm-up
Free Practice (Wednesday & Thursday)
Qualifying (Wednesday night) – Sets top 8 in each class
Hyperpole (Thursday night) – Shoot-out for pole position
Warm-up (Saturday)
Race Start: Saturday 16:00 (local)

Strategy and pit stops

Strategy is just as important as speed:

Fuel management and tyre degradation are constant concerns
Stints last roughly 45-60 minutes
Refuelling and tyre changes must be done separately
Tyres are often double or triple-stinted to save time in the pits

Pit stops are where races are won and lost. Teams also have to navigate:

Safety Cars (split by sectors)
Slow Zones (localised cautions)
Changing weather, especially at night

Every second counts over 24 hours. Mistakes multiply.

Key rules you should know

Drivers: Maximum 4 hours in any 6-hour period; no more than 14 hours total
Track Limits: Monitored electronically, with time penalties
Finish: Car must cross the line under its own power to be classified
Points: Double points awarded for WEC championship standings

Le Mans by the numbers

First held: 1923
Most wins by a driver: Tom Kristensen (9)
Most wins by a manufacturer: Porsche (19)
Most wins by a team: Joest Racing (15)
Longest consecutive winning streak (manufacturer): Audi, 5 in a row (2004–2008)
Most appearances by a driver: Henri Pescarolo (33 starts, from 1966 to 1999)
Total distance record: 5,410.713 km covered by the Audi R15 TDI Plus (Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas, Mike Rockenfeller) in 2010
Highest average speed over a single lap: 251.815 km/h (Porsche 962C, 1985 – Hans-Joachim Stuck)
Highest average speed by a winning car: 225.228 km/h (Audi R15+ TDI Plus, 2010 – Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas, Mike Rockenfeller)
Average speed of the winning car in 2024: 176.366 km/h
Number of cars on the 2025 entry list: 62

Why Le Mans matters

Le Mans is where automotive innovation meets endurance. From aerodynamics and hybrid systems to safety and lighting, many road car advancements were born here.

For fans, it’s a 24-hour spectacle of racing, resilience, and raw emotion. For drivers and teams, it’s the ultimate achievement.

If you win Le Mans, you write your name into the history of the sport.