Inside the 24 hours of Le Mans

For one week a year, the quiet French town of Le Mans, surrounded by the Loire countryside where the Sarthe meets the Huise, becomes the center of the automotive world for a race that represents the ultimate challenge on four wheels. On the long Circuit de la Sarthe, over 13 kilometers of curves and straight asphalt, cars of all kinds face off in a competition of speed, skill, and endurance that pushes drivers to their physical and mental limits. Invented when Grand Prix format was dominant in Europe, the 24 Hours of Le Mans offers a very different challenge to cars and their drivers, with a focus on endurance and reliability where the finish line seems to never arrive.

And even the 2024 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans did not disappoint the expectations of the many fans and enthusiasts who crowded the circuit and its surroundings, despite the relentless rain that fell on the race, especially at night. In the end, the Ferrari Endurance team, with car number #50 driven by Fuoco, Molina, and Nielsen, crossed the finish line after completing 311 laps in the traditional 24-hour race. A great confirmation for the Cavallino Rampante team, which had also triumphed in the previous edition, the Centennial for the French race. In second place was Toyota, while another Ferrari took the last step of the podium.

The role of the WEC

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is perhaps the most recognizable, at least for the European audience, among the races of the FIA World Endurance Championship, along with the Qatar 1812 km, the 6 Hours of Imola, the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the 6 Hours of São Paulo, the 6 Hours of Fuji, the Lone Star Le Mans in Austin, and the 8 Hours of Bahrain. This league began in 2010 and brings together all the car races, turning individual races into a real championship that follows the entire seasonal calendar, creating tension and anticipation until the last curve of the last circuit. Thanks to them, we were able to access the Le Mans circuit from a new perspective, aboard a helicopter. Discover the rest of our reportage directly from the 24 Hours of Le Mans.