Whether we come for the atmosphere, the show, the revelry, the night racing or the people, we’re all spellbound by the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and we all love it for different reasons. Thousands of people return, race after race, to enjoy the ‘best week of the year’, capture images and create memories that will stay with them forever. Le Mans is part of their life story. Here are a few snapshots from lovers of the world’s greatest endurance race.
SAMMY, BADBOYVETTE
2003, THE BENTLEY ON THE MULSANNE STRAIGHT - I’ll never forget my first encounter with the Le Mans circuit. It all appeared so huge, enormous! In 2003, I got access to the Mulsanne Straight. What a memory! I can still see the Bentley Speed 8 rocketing past at mind-boggling speed. I’d started to make videos back then and I never managed to get a clear shot of it, given the speed at which it flew by!
2010, VANINA! - I was lucky enough to meet Vanina Ickx when she was driving the Lola Aston Martin LMP1 for Signature-Plus. I spent an hour chatting with her over a coffee. She was incredibly friendly. That was a memorable experience.
2015, CORVETTE POWER! - I’m a huge fan of Corvette Racing and really enjoyed their last LMGTE Pro victory. They crashed one of their cars during qualifying so were forced to take on the race with just one car: the sole defender of the Corvette cause! Things didn’t look good for them up against the fierce competition from Porsche, Ferrari and Aston Martin. But the Le Mans magic came up with the goods and a narrow victory for Corvette Racing!
NICOLAS, FACEBOOK ADDICT
A DREAM - You could say that the 24 Hours is part of my life, yes. I’d been following the race since I was a kid then, in 2011, my dad told me he was taking me to the 24 Hours of Le Mans the next year. I couldn’t believe it. Often, when you’ve been waiting for something extraordinary for so long, you end up disappointed because you’d set the bar so high. But that wasn’t the case at Le Mans. I still can’t find the words to describe my experience that weekend in June 2012. It was magic. That’s all I can say. I’ve even set up a Facebook page to share my passion.
THE NIGHT AND LAMMERS - I missed several races because I was sitting exams, but I returned in 2014 and 2017. My best memory is undoubtedly the night during the 2012 race. It was the first time that I’d visited the brightly lit pit straight at night-time. It’s a timeless experience. The atmosphere among the fans, the mood in the campsites... I really love all that. And you only find it at Le Mans. The fact that you can meet the drivers close-up is also fantastic. I remember chatting to Jan Lammers after the race in 2017. He’d just thanked and congratulated his mechanics. He’s an amazing guy. It was an impromptu encounter and I’ll never forget it.
IAN, THE PILGRIMAGE
STICKERS & JOTA - There is a large group of us who come to the race with friends from the UK, USA, France, Holland and Australia. The team has got in to the party spirit by joining in the fun with our stickered up cars and vans. And wandering around in team clothing just to add to the fun. We always stay at the track for the whole race week….and camp in Beauséjour every year, though we have now set up a second camp at Arnage corner.
We always do something different every trip, always try to visit or attend something we haven’t done before, and thus keep the excitement and ideas going so as not to lose the fun factor. This has ranged from helicopter rides, team visits, chatting to drivers and attending charity functions to watching the race from various places at various times. The best moment of all my trips was a visit to the Jota Sports pit in 2014 during the race to watch the team work.
LUCIE, MAD ABOUT TOYOTA
TEARS - I caught the bug from my family. They’ve been coming since 1965! What do I like most about it? Hanging around the paddocks where there’s an amazing atmosphere. You get a different view of the 24 Hours of Le Mans because you can see the huge amount of work put in by the teams as they chase the win. My most memorable moment was in 2016. I’m a Toyota fan and I remember being outside their garage waiting for the podium. Like the team, I was in tears. I was standing next to Mark Webber and a few cameramen. Mark looked at me and gave me a hug. At the time, I didn’t really realise what was going on but my father filmed it all. It was a moving experience that I’m not likely to forget. I’ve been lucky enough to meet various people involved in the race in the paddocks over the years, and I’ve often chatted with drivers and mechanics on social media. These special times make the whole 24 Hours of Le Mans experience even more extraordinary.
BENJAMIN, FOUR-RINGS FAN!
2011, NECK AND NECK - The 2011 race was a memorable one, with the 13-second gap between Audi and Peugeot. I think everyone all around the circuit was holding their breath! There’s one scene I remember from that year, when the Audi Sport mechanics lined up in front of the garage at the finish to personally thank any spectator wearing an Audi Sport emblem (on their t-shirt or flag, for example). That says a lot about the excitement of the race!
2013, TWEETING FOR ALLAN - When social media became a thing, I got the chance to work as community manager for none other than Allan McNish! It was a great experience handling the driver’s news all race week, then watching him step up to the top podium spot. I remember shedding a few tears as I felt an unprecedented sense of achievement and sheer joy.
PHILIPPE, THE 72 HOURS OF LE MANS
THE 72 HOURS OF LE MANS - You don’t go to Le Mans just to watch a race – you go on a pilgrimage, and for as long as I’m able to make the trip, I’ll keep going. The site should be listed on UNESCO’s heritage list! The race is a monument of motorsport! I did my national service in Germany in 1978. It was an interesting experience but it wasn’t easy making the trip to Le Mans from there. Luckily, I was allowed 72 hours’ leave for race weekend... but even with 72 hours, the problem was getting to Le Mans and back in such a short time!
The train journey was a bit of a hassle but I finally made it to Le Mans late on Saturday morning, after calling in on family in Paris. In Le Mans, I met up with my father, who had travelled from Clermont-Ferrand, and we had a quick lunch in the Blue car park before heading over to the mounds opposite the start line. After the race on Sunday, I had to get back to barracks as quickly as possible or I’d be rewarded with a few days in the cell! I went down to Auvergne with my dad, then carried on to Germany. In time for the squadron review on the Tuesday morning. “Cavalryman Bouillot present?”…..”Yes, sir!”
SARAH, ASTON FAN
THAT FEELING! - My husband Martyn and I had wanted to go to Le Mans 24 hours for many years with us being big fans of endurance racing and Aston Martin Racing in particular. We watch it every year via the live stream and listen to the expert commentary provided by the Radio Le Mans team of John Hindhaugh & co. After many months of saving up, planning, making arrangements and getting our passports, we finally set off to Le Mans early in the morning of Friday 17th June 2016. We were very excited when we came down for breakfast early on the Saturday morning (Race Day – 18th June) and couldn’t wait to be back on the coach and be heading off to Le Mans. Unfortunately due to being delayed leaving our hotel, we got stuck in the traffic going to the circuit and we arrived maybe 40 minutes before the start of the race!! It was exciting to see the road signs with all the iconic parts of the circuit on as we drove past them.
I remember feeling quite emotional when we walked through the ticket turnstile. It was fantastic to see the iconic Dunlop Bridge for the first time. Martyn and I enjoyed wandering round the circuit, exploring the nearby areas, and taking in the fantastic atmosphere – everyone was friendly, enjoying the buzz and vibrancy of a 24-hour race. It was amazing to witness for the first time. One of my favourite memories was when we walked and sat on the stone steps opposite the pits in the middle of the night. By sheer luck we witnessed one Aston Martin GTE-Am car & one of the Aston Martin Racing GTE-Pro cars have their pit stops.
Credits:
ACO