It may come as news to some attendees but there is actually a car race at Le Mans too. Sadly though from behind the catch netting it can be difficult to appreciate the demands the famous track puts on drivers. OK, we've probably all seen Steve McQueen doing it and there are various onboards around (including
Harris in the Lister
) but the true Le Mans geek in you may well enjoy this deeply technical and detailed dissection of some of the track's more famous sections.
Hales view of Le Mans is an eye opener
Are you ever going to get to do so yourself? Possibly not, but Hales gives a real insight into the challenges the racers face. Do yourself a favour then; manoeuvre yourself around the bottle pyramid outside your tent, stagger over from PH camping at Bleu Nord and if you only get as far as Porsche Curves prepare to take in what you see unfolding in front of you with a new level of appreciation. That sequence alone looks, well, proper.
For a more retro viewpoint there's also a previous Time For Tea? featuring Mike Hawthorn (battling wobbly French cyclists) talking his way round a lap of Le Mans in a D-Type.
Dunlop Curve
Mulsanne to Arnage
Porsche Curves/Maison Blanche
[Sources: Trackdriver, via YouTube, photo of the 1970 Alfa Romeo T33/3 by LAT Photo]