Le Mans 24 Hours 2025

Le Mans 24 Hours: what to expect

The world famous, prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours race returns this June. The legendary, annual endurance race is organised by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO). It’s held on the Circuit de la Sarthe. That’s a 13.6 km route comprising 9 kms on closed public roads, and 4.5 kms on the Bugatti circuit racetrack.

But it’s so much more than the weekend’s 24 hour endurance race. There’s a full race week of motorsport entertainment. It’s a family event with funfairs, kids zones, a fan village and live music. There’ll be practice and qualifying sessions on the track from the Wednesday. On the Friday, the drivers parade through the town. You also get the chance to walk the iconic Circuit de la Sarthe.

2024 saw an amazing race with Nickas Nielsen, Antonio Fuoco and Miguel Molina taking the chequered flag in the Ferrari 499P. There was drama until the end with the Ferrari achieving just a 14 second margin over the Toyota GR010 HYBRID of Nyck de Vries, Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez. Then in 2023, we celebrated the centenary of Le Mans 24 Hours. It’s a truly spectacular motorsport event – don’t miss the June 2025 line-up!

What is the history behind the 24 Hours of Le Mans race?

Le Mans 24 Hours was held for the first time in May 1923. The inaugural event was won by Michelin in association with Chenard & Walcker.

It’s the oldest, existing endurance race in the world. It hasn’t run every year though. It was cancelled in 1936 due to the general strike during the Great Depression. It didn’t take place between 1939 and 1948, due to World War II.

For decades, the 24 Hours of Le Mans was part of the World Sportscar Championship (1953-1992). It was part of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup in 2011. Then, since 2012, it’s been part of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC). It’s one leg of the Triple Crown of endurance racing, along with the Rolex Sports Car Series’ 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring.

Delve into the legendary motorsport race’s history at the 24 Hours of Le Mans Museum. Iconic classic models from the likes of Jaguar, Ford, Aston Martin and Audi are all there.

How does 24 hours of Le Mans work?

There’s one single rule to remember about the 24 Hours of Le Mans – the car that covers the greatest distance in 24 hours wins.

It requires a fine balance of speed and the cars’ ability to run for 24 hours without mechanical failure. It also tests endurance – both for the car and the drivers. Each car will have three drivers, so that they can swap in and out allowing time to rest and eat. You’ll see the highest speeds on the Mulsanne Straight.

• What are the dates for Le Mans 24 Hours? 14th and 15th June 2025
• What time does the race start and finish? 16:00 on Saturday 14th until 16:00 on the Sunday
• How many miles is the 24 hours Le Mans? In 2024, the winning Ferrari covered more than 4,237 km (2,633 miles and 311 laps). But in 2010, it was 5,410 km (3,360 miles). That’s six times more than the Indianapolis 500 and about 18 times longer than a Formula One Grand Prix.
• How many drivers are there in the Le Mans 24 Hour? This year, there will be 186 drivers and 62 cars.
• What are the different classes of cars in the 24 Hours of Le Mans? All cars compete at the same time, but there are three separate classes – Hypercar, LMP2 (Le Mans Prototypes) and LMGT3 (Le Mans Grand Touring Car). A prize goes to the winner of each class and there’s an overall winner. The Hypercars class sees the most powerful, and different looking, sports cars. It’s brought many manufacturers back to Le Mans. You’ll see LMH (Le Mans Hypercar) cars by Toyota, Peugeot, Ferrari, Isotta Fraschini, plus the LMDh (Le Mans Daytona hybrid) prototypes fielded by Porsche, Cadillac, McLaren, Lamborghini, Alpine and BMW.