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Le Mans celebrates a century of innovation, daring and brilliance at this weekend’s running of the 24 Hour event.
As modern Hypercars battle to join the greats of decades past, we look back at the moments that made an endurance test into the world’s greatest race, and ahead to who will come out on top in 2023.
30 – 1999 Audi takes its bow Flying Mercedes stole the headlines, BMW scored its one and only Le Mans victory and Toyota’s handsome GT-One once again fell short. But…
40 – 1949 Fresh start in the wake of world war The airfield next to the circuit had been used by the British before the fall of France and, extensively,…
50 – 1923 W.O. Bentley sees the light It’s hard to calculate exactly how much Bentley did for Le Mans during its formative years. Had the British team never arrived…
60 – 2018 Alonso’s star quintuple stint Footage of the safety car restarts proved how much Fernando Alonso wanted a Le Mans victory on his CV. He was nigh on…
70 – 2021 August date heralds Hypercar era The race had been delayed until September the year before, and this time the long tail of a devastating pandemic forced another…
80 – 1998 Brilliant Bob’s final near-miss Bob Wollek always said he could live without winning the Le Mans 24 Hours, that what would be would be. It didn’t look…
90 – 1950 Eddie Hall’s successful solo drive It is well remembered that in 1952 Pierre ‘Levegh’ nearly won Le Mans after driving solo for over 22 hours (see #93). It…
Whatever happens to Ferrari at Le Mans, no one will be able to accuse it of lacking bottle: the team has announced a tie-up with a British company that provides…
20 – 2011 Lotterer holds breath as tyre deflates It was a sensational climax. Audi prevailed over Peugeot by a scant 13.854sec in a fitting end to a battle that…
30 – 1999 Audi takes its bow Flying Mercedes stole the headlines, BMW scored its one and only Le Mans victory and Toyota’s handsome GT-One once again fell short. But…
40 – 1949 Fresh start in the wake of world war The airfield next to the circuit had been used by the British before the fall of France and, extensively,…
50 – 1923 W.O. Bentley sees the light It’s hard to calculate exactly how much Bentley did for Le Mans during its formative years. Had the British team never arrived…
60 – 2018 Alonso’s star quintuple stint Footage of the safety car restarts proved how much Fernando Alonso wanted a Le Mans victory on his CV. He was nigh on…
70 – 2021 August date heralds Hypercar era The race had been delayed until September the year before, and this time the long tail of a devastating pandemic forced another…
80 – 1998 Brilliant Bob’s final near-miss Bob Wollek always said he could live without winning the Le Mans 24 Hours, that what would be would be. It didn’t look…
90 – 1950 Eddie Hall’s successful solo drive It is well remembered that in 1952 Pierre ‘Levegh’ nearly won Le Mans after driving solo for over 22 hours (see #93). It…
Whatever happens to Ferrari at Le Mans, no one will be able to accuse it of lacking bottle: the team has announced a tie-up with a British company that provides…