During the 24 Hours of Le Mans: an edition to remember

Date:

It is like an amusement park of the motorsports world. A cathedral for motor lovers. A place of pilgrimage where every motorsport fan should come once in a lifetime. This is the only way to understand the magnitude of an event where this course is more important becomes 100. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a total party.

MD soon remembered this when they arrived at the track on Friday afternoon. In the center of the city, the pilots took a shower during the previous parade. And a few kilometers away, in the middle of the myth La Sarthe, fans are already starting to celebrate the start of a weekend to remember. The classic cars from 24 Hours delighted the ears and eyes of fans with their roar and elegance. In the central fan area, the closest to the paddock, on the terraces of the bars there is no room for a pin and you can already smell the fuel in the dozens of tents where the manufacturers present some of their jewels, such as of the Ferrari Hypercar. , NASCAR cars, the first Le Mans winner in 1923 and many others. The queues at the official shops are already long and the inner streets of the enclosure are spectacularly colorful. Thousands of team and brand caps, with fans coming from all over the world, some of them taking advantage of the occasion to celebrate their bachelor party.

Before, at the gates of the enclosure, it was remarkable to see thousands of people walking towards the entrance. And above all, the high-end and classic cars for privileged pockets that rolled. It’s strange not to see a Ferrari, a historic Jaguar or any other gem. In fact, there are even more ‘Cavallino’ cars and luxury cars of all kinds within the campsite., next to the caravans of their owners. Go camping with a Ferrari, that only happens at Le Mans. The question of millions.

Millionaire auction across the circuit

But for money, one who moved to an auction conducted by the prestigious house RM Sotheby’s in the heart of the track. Inside that tent, several dozen people answered the phone nervously and tensely, waiting for a yes on the other end of the line to raise the bid. The stakes are high: up to 21 cars participated in Le Mans during a century of racing. “This is the most important selling competition car ever offered”, said the auction house. And there, despite the fact that cars that did not win were sold, incredible prices were reached. For example, one of the six specimens that exist in the world of The Porsche 962 C was sold for 5.5 million euros, in eight minutes, for an initial stake of 3 million euros.

Although for the madness, that of the public. Fellow journalists who lived ‘in situ’ for 17 or 18 editions are clear: “I’ve never seen so many people. It’s crazy.” Around 9:00 pm, the queue to enter the circuit was kilometer long. The party has just started. The night before will be long. And the next day, those who prefer to postpone their purchase of ‘merchandising’ souvenirs, are lamenting.. Meters and meters of queues maintained even at night. And the centennial edition cap, sold out.

LeBron ‘King’ James, Tom Brady and an incredible crowd

On Saturday, the day of the race, the number of spectators increased. 350,000 people are expected at the French track, and in the absence of official numbers, it can be said that it will be completely full from the first hour. The centennial edition was noticed. Also the inclusion of big brands in the new premier Hypercar class. There was no room for anyone on the starting grid and access to the cars was a matter of elbows. And after that, the previous show, by the hand of NBA star LeBron James. He wasn’t the only star who wanted to attend. In addition to the top management of Ferrari, the head of the F1 team, Frederic Vasseur and the pilot charles leclerca great racing enthusiast also passed through Le Mans, the best player in NFL history, Tom Brady. “Start your engines,” LeBron James intoned in French after the Marseillaise was played. Without a seat, it’s almost impossible to see the track at start time. Yes listen to its wonderful sound. The real celebration has begun and there are 24 hours to go.

The night, a total party

To understand what Le Mans is, it is necessary to postpone the moment of sleep. We boarded a small press bus in the area with the most history of the route, the one that runs along the road. We moved to the Playstation chicane, the first hard braking on the mythical straight of hunaudières. To get there, around 11:00 pm, it was crowded. Thousands and thousands of people, with camping chairs on their shoulders, entire families with children and strollers, move from one curve to another to experience the magic of the night of Le Mans. It can be done on foot to the nearest points, but above all, by buses for fans that will take motor lovers to the most mythical places. The logistics are amazing. It’s there when you seem to be in a city with a life of its own, among fields, old roads, traffic signs and places with a unique charm.

To get to our destination, we first had to cross an area with thousands of fans enjoying a great concert on a part of the circuit used for motorcycles. There, she stopped dancing and singing for a few moments to see a light show in the middle of the night with hundreds of drones drawing the shape of a car, the Le Mans logo and many other objects in the sky.

There were also some fireworks displays. And there, between the booths made a killing seller Crepes, coffee or fresh fried potatoespeople followed their party with big smiles.

After 10 minutes, we arrived at the Playstation chicane. There, a bar in the middle of nowhere filled with posters of the historic edition of Le Mans welcomes its guests on a special terrace, located right next to the asphalt. A few meters away, the darkness of the road is interrupted every few seconds by the impressive light of car headlights. The noise was heavenly music to those present. The passing of fireballs on that road, a work of art.

The night was long for many. There were cries of lamentation at 3am when they saw how the local car, the Peugeot, crashed into the wall, bidding farewell to their chances of winning. But that doesn’t stop the party that this event is. A place of worship. A fixture for locals, but also for motorcycle enthusiasts from around the world. Le Mans is like the best of music festivals. A place to see the cars on a bend lost in the countryside, to mingle with the historical tradition of a magical date, to enjoy the paddock, the offer of all kinds in the fan zone, go to the Ferris wheel and the attractions located in it’s off the main straight, spend a good night by the campfire with friends or have a drink in one of the many bars scattered along the track, there’s always a monitor by your side reminding you that there’s a race at stake, as well as the roar of engines in the background.

Le Mans is a place to lose yourself in over 13 kilometers of its track. An event attended by motorcycle enthusiasts and also by people who really don’t care about the sport of four wheels, but will never dare to miss such a wonderful and important event in their life. You can spend a whole day in Le Mans and not repeat the location. A motoring amusement park. A celebration like no other. Passion, history, tradition. World heritage.

Source: La Verdad

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Share post:

Subscribe

Popular

More like this
Related