Le Mans 2016: Circuit, Start Time, TV Schedule and More
The 2016 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world's best-known endurance race, will take place on Saturday and Sunday. Once again, some of the greatest drivers in the sport will take to France's iconic Circuit de la Sarthe for the 84th running of the race.
Porsche finally broke Audi's streak of five straight wins in 2015, and after a victory at 6 Hours of Silverstone in April and a second-placed finish at Spa-Francorchamps the following month, the team again find themselves in an excellent position for victory at Le Mans.
Those two races are six-hour affairs, however, and Audi's superb track record in the longer races shouldn't be ignored.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
The race will start on Saturday at 2 p.m. BST (9 a.m. ET) and finish 24 hours later. Here's a look at the TV schedule for the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans:
| Saturday | Eurosport 1 (1:45 p.m. to midnight) | Fox Sports 1 (8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.) |
| Eurosport 2 (Between 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.) | Fox Sports 2 (2 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., with breaks) | |
| Sunday | Eurosport 1 (Midnight to 2:15 p.m. | Fox Sports 2 (10:30 p.m.to 2:30 a.m.) |
| Fox Sports 1 (2:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.) |
The Circuit
The Circuit de la Sarthe remains one of the most unique courses in the world. Since 2014, the track has been well over 13 kilometres long, with most of the distance covered at full throttle.
The famous Mulsanne Straight is one of the longest straights in the world, featuring just two turns to break up the pace of the cars, and it's but one of the many features that make the Circuit de la Sarthe one of the fastest on the FIA World Endurance Championship calendar.
Here's how Scottish racing driver Allan McNish sees the track (note: Tertre Rouge was re-profiled in 2014 after Allan Simonsen's fatal crash the year before):
The circuit is designed to push cars to their limits, as engines take a beating because of the high speeds. It's not easy on drivers either, however. The two chicanes in the Mulsanne Straight are difficult to see at night, and Arnage is a hard slow corner to take so soon after the long straight.
The fastest cars rarely win the Le Mans 24, as reliability is far more important. Breaks and suspension in particular tend to falter at some point during the race, as the long straights mean manufacturers prioritise raw speed with downforce.
The Cars
Between 2004 and 2014, a team using one of Audi's reliable cars won every single Le Mans 24 race, except for the 2009 edition, when Peugeot took the top spot.
It was a phenomenal record, and with the last four of those wins all coming from Team Joest, it almost seemed the run would never end.
But then the 2015 edition of the race happened. Porsche dominated qualifying in the LMP1 class, and Nico Hulkenberg and his team-mates were barely troubled during the final hours of the race. The No. 17 Porsche finished in second place, with the first Audi a further lap back.
As shared by Lucas di Grassi, who will drive one of the Audis and took the win at Spa-Francorchamps, this year's car is new, as the team are determined to bounce back from last year's debacle:
Per the event's official website, the early results from the free practice sessions indicate the changes are working, as Audi led the way during the first half. Loic Duval, who won the race in 2013, set the fastest lap.
Reliability is a question mark, however. Di Grassi and Co. retired at Silverstone before their win at Spa, and Team Joest's second car only managed a fifth-placed finish in Belgium after being excluded in Britain.
Porsche's No. 2 teams lead the FIA World Endurance Championship standings, and the No. 1 team has some impressive talent. Like last year, when Hulkenberg took a seat in one of the cars, Porsche have again opted to add a former Formula One star to the team.
Mark Webber, who already has four Endurance Championship wins under his belt, expects a tight race this year, per the team's official Twitter account:
Away from the top class, the 2016 Le Mans 24 will be a landmark edition for a whole other reason. Ford celebrate their return to the race with four entries in the LMGTE-Pro class, 50 years after the GT40's remarkable 1-2-3 finish.
While Ford won't contend for the overall title this year, a big result is expected, as the GTs have been a bit of a mixed bag so far this year.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
