The Le Mans weather thread
Discussion
Well, I hope Accuweather live up to their name, because this is from the weather station at the aerodrome.
http://www.meteofrance.com/previsions-meteo-france...
http://www.meteofrance.com/previsions-meteo-france...
outspan said:
Thursday showers now even taken out, last rain reported wednesday.
Looking better as we get closer. Still going to take all the rain gear evidently.
And it raining here now with not one dry day forecast until Wednesday 19th. Indeed, the current forecast is for storms both Saturday and Sunday. Looks like we are in for some interesting racing folks. And while on the subject of Le Mans it was the 24 Hour golf match this weekend, and 'er indoors was playing with this man.Looking better as we get closer. Still going to take all the rain gear evidently.
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Most charming he was too.
![](https://thumbsnap.com/sc/Ppp7Dhbb.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/Ppp7Dhbb" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/Ppp7Dhbb.jpg)
) but Beauséjour and Bleu Sud can be a problem.The rain started an hour ago and is getting progressively worse, with storms predicted later on. Now same weather for tomorrow predicted, except that it will start in the morning and continue all day. Some marshals have just been to see us and taken away the electric heater for their tent. We have the central heating on!
We have seen one storm in two months and a couple of showers. It is 28C and climbing tomorrow and according to the weather station at Arnage this will be the coolest day until June 8th. Mind you, the storm was a cracker. Thunder and lightning overhead - simultaneous lightning and thunder clap - and it threw it down for one hour. The electrics were blown out and we are still awaiting a new surge protector. Sod's law says it will be fine in June but be aware that in September it can get chilly at night. Down to single figures.
Edited by lowdrag on Wednesday 27th May 03:27
Yes, about 13C in the morning and about 25C in the afternoon with showers. Now, since you will all be coming in September (you will, won't you?) be prepared for 9 hours of darkness, a morning temperature of down to 7C and a maximum of 17C. Makes this weekend seem positively tropical, doesn't it
Well, you are all here in spirit, doing the pit walk and ready for a dose of merguez and chips I guess. The central heating is on in the house and it is raining. Welcome! I shall take a photo of Mulsanne bend which ain't anything like you remember it. Work not finished but it is looking more like a flat Indianapolis. Different angle of attack, far deeper towards the spectators, and far less angled. For us locals beer is cheaper, and for those who know the bar near the circuit entrance called Aux Portes du Circuit the owner Jeannine has sold it to the ACO who are going to demolish it, take a chunk of Parking Blanc for parking, and build a hotel. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
Edited by lowdrag on Wednesday 10th June 17:12
fatboy18 said:
Noooooooo,
Jennie's gone
That's yet another piece of LM history gone
Don't quote me but I think she was 64 (or thereabouts) and had been there since she was 21. The aCO have twice announced in the past that they had bought the bar,, perhaps to try and force her hand, but with things as they are I suppose, what with getting older and no likelihood of much income this year, that it was time to take the money and run. I hear she has retired back where she came from, Le Lude, south of Le Mans. But I also heard that she was asked to stay on for a while, presumably for this weekend, the Classic etc. I may be lunching there on Friday with Yves Courage and a couple of others, so we'll see.Jennie's gone
That's yet another piece of LM history gone
I think you have no need to worry on the Mulsanne point of view. It seems to me that the viewing will be much improved, with the chicken wire on the banking looking down on the action better than before. Of course, all is a mess of gravel and tarmac at the moment, and with the virus work stopped some months ago but has now recommenced. I play golf opposite most days, so I'll wait a bit until things clarify somewhat.
I thought that Parking Blanc (which I have never needed to use since I always dumped the car with Jeannine) backed onto the land which extends behind the bar. In which case, it is some other piece of land, but that is the plan I have heard.
Will the race go ahead? Have some good news for a change. Yesterday there was one new case of Covid in the Sarthe and no deaths. That is out of 600,000 people. So will it go ahead? I think yes. Will it be behind closed doors? Well that depends on the health situation. If the freedom to circulate brings a resurgence of the disease all bets are off.
Does behind closed doors matter? The public roads are closed for the race, because Mr Dupont in his Peugeot 205 towing his little trailer to the tip might cause a slight hiatus. So from Tertre Rouge to Mulsanne, and on to Arnage, and then to Porsche Curves is for race cars only. But the majority of that section, with the exception of the viewing areas at Mulsanne and Arnage, is banned to spectators anyway. Similarly, the right to enter the circuit and view from the Porsche Curves all the way to Tertre Rouge is dependent on the circuit being open. So yes, closed doors will mean just that. Does that mean Arnage and Mulsanne will be closed? Ask me another one.
A final comment. Just how many cars do the ACO think will come? An interesting one that. In the last few years the main interest has focused on the GT class which in the main comprised of Ford, Porsche, Corvette and Aston Martin. I haven't bothered to look at the entries yet but with three of those four gone it is looking somewhat lightweight. The LMP 1 is a foregone conclusion so no interest for me nor most I guess, and as far as the LMP 2 is concerned I view them as racing LMP 1 on a budget. That's rude and badly put, but you know what I mean. So, for me, the interest this year is very much watered down.
Also, with the combination of weather and so much racing in the dark, will that many people bother to attend? Personally, based on 1968, I would guess that at most 100,000 will come, and it could be 50,000. Yes, people are starved of racing this year, so we must take that into account, and as always, I could be talking out of a part of my body where the sun don't shine. So, all in all, take what I have written with a great big pinch of salt.
Will the race go ahead? Have some good news for a change. Yesterday there was one new case of Covid in the Sarthe and no deaths. That is out of 600,000 people. So will it go ahead? I think yes. Will it be behind closed doors? Well that depends on the health situation. If the freedom to circulate brings a resurgence of the disease all bets are off.
Does behind closed doors matter? The public roads are closed for the race, because Mr Dupont in his Peugeot 205 towing his little trailer to the tip might cause a slight hiatus. So from Tertre Rouge to Mulsanne, and on to Arnage, and then to Porsche Curves is for race cars only. But the majority of that section, with the exception of the viewing areas at Mulsanne and Arnage, is banned to spectators anyway. Similarly, the right to enter the circuit and view from the Porsche Curves all the way to Tertre Rouge is dependent on the circuit being open. So yes, closed doors will mean just that. Does that mean Arnage and Mulsanne will be closed? Ask me another one.
A final comment. Just how many cars do the ACO think will come? An interesting one that. In the last few years the main interest has focused on the GT class which in the main comprised of Ford, Porsche, Corvette and Aston Martin. I haven't bothered to look at the entries yet but with three of those four gone it is looking somewhat lightweight. The LMP 1 is a foregone conclusion so no interest for me nor most I guess, and as far as the LMP 2 is concerned I view them as racing LMP 1 on a budget. That's rude and badly put, but you know what I mean. So, for me, the interest this year is very much watered down.
Also, with the combination of weather and so much racing in the dark, will that many people bother to attend? Personally, based on 1968, I would guess that at most 100,000 will come, and it could be 50,000. Yes, people are starved of racing this year, so we must take that into account, and as always, I could be talking out of a part of my body where the sun don't shine. So, all in all, take what I have written with a great big pinch of salt.
Edited by lowdrag on Thursday 11th June 13:56
Well, since it is the neighbour's birthday, I've made them a chocolate cake and had to go to Mulsanne for some candles. At the same time I took some photos of Mulsanne. I am standing on the wall on the inside of the bend, golf club side.
The first photo shows looking straight across to the wire fencing for spectators in the Mulsanne compound
The second photo shows looking left. You can see the big roundabout an all the new tarmac
Photo three shows the arrival from the Mulsanne straight. In the foreground the new tarmac, then the rumble strips, and then old line outside the rumble strips . One assumes the rumble strips will disappear.
Photo four shows the roundabout, the new tarmac on the inside, the old route, and new tarmac behind
Photo five shows leaving Mulsanne where the weighbridge is for testing lorries.
For me, it isn't certain exactly what is actually going to be the new racing line, but time will tell. Today is Thursday, the rain is fairly heavy and constant, and the temperature is 16C. There are two sides to this; one, it would be fun to see just how the cars slip and slide after the drought, and rwo, bloody miserable to spectate.
The first photo shows looking straight across to the wire fencing for spectators in the Mulsanne compound
The second photo shows looking left. You can see the big roundabout an all the new tarmac
Photo three shows the arrival from the Mulsanne straight. In the foreground the new tarmac, then the rumble strips, and then old line outside the rumble strips . One assumes the rumble strips will disappear.
Photo four shows the roundabout, the new tarmac on the inside, the old route, and new tarmac behind
Photo five shows leaving Mulsanne where the weighbridge is for testing lorries.
For me, it isn't certain exactly what is actually going to be the new racing line, but time will tell. Today is Thursday, the rain is fairly heavy and constant, and the temperature is 16C. There are two sides to this; one, it would be fun to see just how the cars slip and slide after the drought, and rwo, bloody miserable to spectate.
Edited by lowdrag on Thursday 11th June 15:34
It was a weekend of showers really, except for the Saturday late afternoon about 5.30pm when a godawful storm swept through Arnage/Mulsanne. I was elsewhere and had to park the car it was so heavy. Couldn't see a thing. Sunday had showers but was mostly dry. Cold in the run up to the race, acceptable during it but certainly not a scorcher.
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