Grandstands

[AllTheGearNoIdea]

Vsix and Vtec said:

Parking is usually not too bad, if you don't mind where you get I'm pretty sure you'll get something even as much as a week after the sales start.

Great, thanks. So grandstands are the hot sellers it seems. I need to purchase my ACO membership asap and get my fingers ready!

[Vsix and Vtec]

AllTheGearNoIdea said:

Great, thanks. So grandstands are the hot sellers it seems. I need to purchase my ACO membership asap and get my fingers ready!

Good luck buddy, irrespective of where you end up, I promise you this is going to be a blast. I went for the first time last year, I've now been to LM24 twice (including this year) and LM24 Classic (which was different but still enormous fun) and I have to say, it's some of the best weekends I've ever had. The only part I always forget is how embarrassing my French is.

Oh and try to get yourself down to Arnarge village on Friday night for the famous "Mad Friday". Its utter chaos but so long as you're in a bar you're at lower risk of being ran over.

[//j17]

If you want to actually see anything of the start/end of the race and don't want to have to arrive hours before and stand around waiting then a grandstand seat's the way to go. You can just rock up half an hour before the start knowing you'll have a view, generally sun/rain protection, and be able to take the weight of your legs.

As it's your first year go for one of the stands on the main start/finnish straight so you get the full canyon of noise.

Oh, and take a little square of foam - make those plastic seats a hell of a lot more comfortable!

[RL17]

Grandstand good or you’ll miss start.

Parking is getting pretty hot for sales too - so work out what you want and a close by parking spot (although most of the stuff by airfield is now corporate) - so Expo or Panorama.

Pretty much all Cat 1 (top price now)

I like T23 but seats are not the best with no seat backs- but do see cars at a slower pace, pls pitlane entrance (good for spins and epic crawl ins after big offs ) plus a big screen plus great acceleration sounds

T17/18 sell out very quick but best toilets in stand.

Dunlop(possibly now Goodyear) and Panorama great for chicanes up to bridge and lots of action

Some of the middle pit straight stands get good views of pre-start and grid walk but can get screams noisy plus some repetitive clicks as most cars change gear at same point mid straight.

[AllTheGearNoIdea]

Vsix and Vtec said:

Good luck buddy, irrespective of where you end up, I promise you this is going to be a blast. I went for the first time last year, I've now been to LM24 twice (including this year) and LM24 Classic (which was different but still enormous fun) and I have to say, it's some of the best weekends I've ever had. The only part I always forget is how embarrassing my French is.

Oh and try to get yourself down to Arnarge village on Friday night for the famous "Mad Friday". Its utter chaos but so long as you're in a bar you're at lower risk of being ran over.

Thanks. The more I read about it the more my excitement increases. Can't wait! Got a few months to dust off my GCSE French....

[AllTheGearNoIdea]

RL17 said:

Grandstand good or you’ll miss start.

Parking is getting pretty hot for sales too - so work out what you want and a close by parking spot (although most of the stuff by airfield is now corporate) - so Expo or Panorama.

Pretty much all Cat 1 (top price now)

I like T23 but seats are not the best with no seat backs- but do see cars at a slower pace, pls pitlane entrance (good for spins and epic crawl ins after big offs ) plus a big screen plus great acceleration sounds

T17/18 sell out very quick but best toilets in stand.

Dunlop(possibly now Goodyear) and Panorama great for chicanes up to bridge and lots of action

Some of the middle pit straight stands get good views of pre-start and grid walk but can get screams noisy plus some repetitive clicks as most cars change gear at same point mid straight.

Thanks for this, very helpful for a rookie like myself. Are there many options aside from Expo or Panorama? If blue is corporate and the rest are for camping (I think), there isn't much choice is there?

[Vsix and Vtec]

AllTheGearNoIdea said:

Thanks for this, very helpful for a rookie like myself. Are there many options aside from Expo or Panorama? If blue is corporate and the rest are for camping (I think), there isn't much choice is there?

There is free parking at Airport, the only negative is that it's a bit of a walk from there to the main entrance, and its a sand track along the perimeter of the airfield, so not the nicest for walking on in some places.

The first time I went, I booked Rouge parking, which was nice and close to the Dunlop Bridge. This might be a good option for you if it's available, as you're straight into a hospitality area and one of the Iconic landmarks of the circuit.

[AllTheGearNoIdea]

Vsix and Vtec said:

There is free parking at Airport, the only negative is that it's a bit of a walk from there to the main entrance, and its a sand track along the perimeter of the airfield, so not the nicest for walking on in some places.

The first time I went, I booked Rouge parking, which was nice and close to the Dunlop Bridge. This might be a good option for you if it's available, as you're straight into a hospitality area and one of the Iconic landmarks of the circuit.

Ah yes, I see it on the map now from last year. So either of those will do. Thanks! I assume the free Airport parking fills up very fast on Saturday so probably not one to rely on.

[Vsix and Vtec]

AllTheGearNoIdea said:

Ah yes, I see it on the map now from last year. So either of those will do. Thanks! I assume the free Airport parking fills up very fast on Saturday so probably not one to rely on.

Generally speaking, it's not too bad. The carpark is VAST so there's quite a lot of spaces, and the parking marshalls were very efficient at directing cars to empty spaces. That said, it's never a bad thing to get to places early when it comes to Le Mans, especially if 2024 is anything like as busy at The Centenary was this year (it was borderline overbusy, to the point of almost spoiling it). I would also strongly recommend taking cash with you. Whilst the stands and shops all take card, this year the shear number of phones and wifi in the area broke the payment connections, with people cards being declined one after the other because of loss of signal.

[AllTheGearNoIdea]

Vsix and Vtec said:

Generally speaking, it's not too bad. The carpark is VAST so there's quite a lot of spaces, and the parking marshalls were very efficient at directing cars to empty spaces. That said, it's never a bad thing to get to places early when it comes to Le Mans, especially if 2024 is anything like as busy at The Centenary was this year (it was borderline overbusy, to the point of almost spoiling it). I would also strongly recommend taking cash with you. Whilst the stands and shops all take card, this year the shear number of phones and wifi in the area broke the payment connections, with people cards being declined one after the other because of loss of signal.

Good to know! This is super helpful info, much appreciated. I suppose it would be nice to have a parking ticket so I can turn up at later and not worry, haha. Wow, i'd never have guess that payments were declining. I am very much cashless man so I am glad you have said that!

[pauljoecoe]

purple haze said:

For the last 25+ years I have always been able to get tickets for Dunlop (now Goodyear) or Panorama. Sadly I couldn't get any Grandstand for last year so resorted to a picnic stool to stand on - not my idea of fun as I'm 75. I shall attempt Goodyear or Panorama again for next year but wondered if anyone has experience of No 10 Siko or No 11 Wimille in case I have to look further afield. I'd prefer to be able to see the Dunlop curves.

I was in the same position last year but just managed to get 'Dunlop' stand tickets. (ACO membership presale)

[Dblue]

I buy 16 tickets at one time for our group and I'm screwed up by the new rules. Only 2 tickets per membership and thats it for now.
I assume on the 15th we'll be able to buy larger groups of tickets - hope there's some decent seats available
Oh well, fingers crossed

[WickedWizzzard]

Hello community. Need some advice/opinion. Last year I viewed from T23 which was great for the action, terrible for the comfort. For this year I wanted to be over the main straight. Couldn’t get T17 or 18, but have the option of T16 or T19. Not sure what to take. T16 has a screen in front, but it’s towards the end of the straight, so might miss on a lot of the pit action. T19 is more in the middle, even close to the podium, but no screen in front. Any advice? TIA

[Aysedasi2]

I don't have any experience of Sommer (T16) although it's next to T17 which we always use. It is effectively opposite the 'Row of Woe' so the far pit exit end but you will have a decent view of the cars as they leave the pits and head up to the Dunlop Curve. Plus the screen of course.

I have sat in Lagache (T19) several times and the view is good for watching the pit action and the view of the cars as they pass along the main straight. You can also get a long lens on the Ford Chicane too. If the screen is a deal-breaker though you'll need to take T16.

[LM240]

Sommer is decent option.

Big screen a must for me (with RLM on the headphones).

You’ll see enough of the pit action from there also.

[Ben Jk]

We always go with grandstand seats (although the prices have increased a lot over the years). We book T19 Lagache. I feel they are worth the money for the start/finish alone but good at night too to watch the pit action.

[Marcelinho]

Hello

I am thinking about buying T10 Siko this year for my first time in Le Mans ( already been a lot at other tracks )

My favorite was T4 or T5 to have a good view for the Dunlop chicane but I can not find any tickets and I dont think that I will have a chance to get a resell ticket for this tribune.

Thats why I am thinking about T10. Do you think this is a good choice? And as always, I will try to get a seat as high as possible at the tribune to have a better overlook and no fence in my view.

[WickedWizzzard]

Thank you all. Good thoughts. I think I’ll stick to T16 for the screen.

Aysedasi2 what is the row of woe???

Aysedasi2 said:

the 'Row of Woe'

[Vsix and Vtec]

The row of woe is another name for the pitlane garages. During the race you'll often see cars limping into the garage with damage or a fault, and the flurry of mechanics that flood out the door to greet it as the car rolls up.

[Aysedasi2]

Vsix and Vtec said:

The row of woe is another name for the pitlane garages. During the race you'll often see cars limping into the garage with damage or a fault, and the flurry of mechanics that flood out the door to greet it as the car rolls up.

Not quite. The 'Row of Woe' was coined by Radio Le Mans quite a few years back (possibly by Nick Daman?) and it refers to the extra single storey garages that were added at pit exit end. The theory (I guess) was that cars allocated to garages in the 'row of woe' had more problems than elsewhere in the pitlane.