Mike Hawthorn Le Mans lap 1956
Discussion
TO73074E said:
It's natural that the track and safety evolved over time but it's still quite shocking to see how narrow it is compared to today. The tree line is literally the track limit at many points. Was there one specific year when they altered the layout massively? Trees being cut down, widening etc?
Basic main track changes below, but doesn't show everything. It's continually evolved. 1956 saw big changes to the pit straight, 1972+ saw Maison Blanche section changed etc, etc, Pit straight has seen lots of changes. Corners get tweaked (Indianapolis to Arnage for example), run off areas widened. 2007 saw more changes.Link to layouts over time. https://www.racingcircuits.info/europe/france/le-m...
I was fortunate enough to go in 2000 when then track & facilities still had the 'feel' & layout of the earlier circuit. They still had the dodgy funfair & circus up near the Dunlop Bridge! Facilities were primitive, the roads were just dirt tracks (no tarmac or pavements), there were far more trees, you still had 'Mad Friday', it was more difficult to get in & out - large queues, the main supermarket was in Le Mans & 'The Village' just north of the Paddock was still all grass with manufacturers tents on. No Porsche experience centre, permanent village or karting tracks, or developments off Mulsanne straight - it was all grass/open/trees.
Thankfully Arnage main street & Tetre Rouge bar are still very similar!
Take a look at the end of the Mulsanne straight corner on Mike Hawthorns video, then look at google maps now. Thankfully the house at the end of the straight is still there for reference, right next to the current roundabout. Drivers were getting quite close to it in the 1950s!
I remember once, in the mid eighties, making my way through the woods to spectate on the chicaneless Mulsane straight, just before the kink, at the dead of night, to see the cars at their fastest point, doing around 240mph. Pretty well impossible to identify the cars, except by the engine note, as there was no light source to illuminate them. Awesome.
BryanC said:
Haven't they messed about with Arnage corner recently making it a faster exit since I was there 4 years ago?
If only worth a red dot on the map.
2007-TodayIf only worth a red dot on the map.
Length: 13.629 km
Reprofiling of Tertre Rouge corner, smoothing away the apex into a longer flowing curve onto the start of the Mulsanne Straight.
Addition of a run off area at Arnage corner was added in 2012
Addition of a new protection system at Porsche Curves in 2016
Changes to the road and banking at Indianapolis and Arnage Corners in 2016
The map show above also doesn't show how much the Esses have changed. Infield they got rid of all the trees that you see going back to the 1950s, & replaced it with banking/viewing area.
Gemaeden said:
I remember once, in the mid eighties, making my way through the woods to spectate on the chicaneless Mulsane straight, just before the kink, at the dead of night, to see the cars at their fastest point, doing around 240mph. Pretty well impossible to identify the cars, except by the engine note, as there was no light source to illuminate them. Awesome.
Glad you made it, after dodging the gendarmes, getting over a ditch in the dark, fighting the stinging nettles & brambles, we found we couldn't go any further & saw nothing!Seeing & hearing those cars in full flight must have been amazing!
Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff