While the Le Mans 24-Hour Race takes place during a single weekend, IDEC SPORT is already there this week. Don’t miss anything and join in with the festivities.
IDEC SPORT will be competing in the 24-Hour Race on 15th and 16th June. But unlike any ordinary race, the teams do not turn up just a few days before. The programme in Le Mans stretches out over a fortnight, which adds to the magic of the event.
First leg: the installation of the facilities
The IDEC SPORT team arrived in Le Mans on Monday 27th May to set up their base and prepare for te test day (Sunday 2nd June). Frédéric Ducastel tells us what makes all the difference between a race in the European Le Mans Series and the Le Mans 24-Hour Race: “The difference is not that great, as it is still a top class car race. The main change is with the facilities. The space is not that big, so we have to optimise the set up to work well. Behind, we have a mobile unit. We have a floor upstairs. The technical space is on the bottom with storage space for the parts and part of the workshop. Upstairs, there is a meeting room and two bedrooms and a bathroom for the drivers,” explained the head of the team.
The idea of sharing the experience with the public is key to the success of Le Mans. A lot of time is given over to meting people and there are a lot of special events off the track. IDEC SPORT has set up some special facilities for guests with a visit to the pits. “The fact that there are a lot of people here does not change anything in the way we work,” said Frédéric Ducastel. “There is an entrance into our base for the guests, so that they can discover an LMP2 and see how the base is set up. It’s important to play the game, but at the same time it must not interfere with the race.”
The 2-week programme
Friday 31st to Sunday 2nd June 2019
Visitors will be able to see the first pit walks on Friday 31st May and Saturday 1st June. On Saturday, the official photo of the 62 cars will be taken.
The cars will hit the track on Sunday 2nd June for the test day. All of the competitors will drive for eight hours to get used to the 13.626 km track.
From Sunday 9th June 2019
A week later on Sunday 9th June, the weigh-in will take place and the cars can be inspected in the centre of Le Mans (place de la République from 2.30 to 7). The second part of the weigh-in will be on Monday 10th June from 10 to 6 and will be followed by a ceremony with the 2018 winners.
Official Photo and autograph session on Tuesday 11th June
All of the drivers for the 87th edition of the Le Mans 24-Hour Race will be on the track on Tuesay 11th at 10.30 for the official photo. Visitors will be able to get close to them at the autograph session from 5 to 6.30.
Qualifying trials from Wednesday 12th June
On Wednesday 12th June, the public will have five hours (from 10 to 3) to observe the cars at a pit walk and get a glimpse of the drivers before they take to the track for the free trials from 4 to 8. That will be followed by the first qualifying trials from 10 to midnight.
The other trials will take place on Thursday 13th June from 7 to 9 and from 10 to midnight.
It will all go quiet again on Friday 14th, when visitors with tickets will be able to visit the pits and the track from 10 to 8. The big event will be in the centre of the city when the drivers will be at the wheel of historic cars in Le Mans from 5 to 6.30.
Kick off on Saturday 15th June at 3 p.m.:
After a warm-up from 9 to 9.45, the starting gun for the 87th edition of the Le Mans 24-Hour Race will be fired by HRH Princess Charlène of Monaco at 3 p.m.
A special ticket is required to join in with all the activities on the track (more info at lemans.org).
