Changes to Mulsanne bend

[lowdrag]

Please don't ask just what they are doing, since I've had so many answers from people that I just don't know. However, I will hazard a guess just the same. The armco and gravel trap are no longer, but obviously they will be replaced when work has finished. In the first photo I am standing on the wall of the golf club and looking left at the roundabout. They have built this high platform and I can only guess it will for a TV camera, showing the cars arriving from Tertre Rouge. The second photo shows this platform more clearly. The third shows just how far they have gone back and cleared trees, the gravel trap and armco. The fourth shows a pile of earth, but behind it, in the sculpted banking, they have started to create steps like a roman amphitheatre. If my guess is correct, they are creating a new stand to watch the racing. Don't hold me to it thought!

[LM240]

Hopefully not pushing people too far back with a loss of character, but the changes to arnage/Indy were done well.

Less vehicle / pedestrian interaction around ‘the pit village’ would be another step forward.

[lowdrag]

I don't think so. The more I looked at the owrks the more I think they are lessening the severity of Mulsanne bend, which has until now been Mulsanne corner rather than Mulsanne bend. So probably the land cleared will push back the track a bit giving faster exit speeds.

[LawrieC]

They've been enlarging most of the run-off areas. Mulsanne is dangerous due to the approach speed, but Davidsons accident in the Toyota was straight on into the roundabout barrier, not the run off area.

They spend a lot of money each year on "improvements", and it rarely make sense

[RL17]

There's spectator area changes near Dunlop as well I believe.

[Vette_1978]

RL17 said:

There's spectator area changes near Dunlop as well I believe.

Think that was some new bridge by the entrance tunnel near the museum so pedestrians no longer have to contend with cars.

[RL17]

Saw a French website that had changes within 50 metres of Dunlop (on inside of circuit before bridge) but can't find it now

[lowdrag]

Vette_1978 said:

Think that was some new bridge by the entrance tunnel near the museum so pedestrians no longer have to contend with cars.

Yes, there was a photo of the new bridge in the local rag about it.

[ferrus]

from the lemans.org site:

What about the circuit itself?

We’re improving facilities for competitors and spectators. Alterations have been made
at the north gate, the main entrance at the museum. A footbridge now runs alongside
the track linking up to the Dunlop area and avoiding traffic. The bridge is named after
Don Panoz, someone who was very special to the ACO and to endurance racing.

The Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans still plays a vitally important role in the race. Have any changes been made to it this year?

Work has been light compared to previous years. However, we have made a few
changes at Mulsanne. We have made the run-off deeper and replaced a part of the
gravel trap with a tarmacked area that will slow down the racers who drive off the track
and cut back on operations to clean up gravel projected onto the track and hoist out
stricken cars.
This means we can keep the momentum of the race going without jeopardising drivers’
comfort or safety.

[RL17]

found the Dunlop spectator area photo (from Stickered up 4 Le Mans link to photo from Endurance-info)

https://www.facebook.com/StickeredUp4LeMans/photos...

[RL17]

A few more pictures at Mulsanne and Dunlop articles

https://www.endurance-info.com/fr/le-mans-le-virag...


https://www.endurance-info.com/fr/lesplanade-de-la...

[//j17]

The lemans.org explanation of Mulsanne changes would make sense. Currently over-cook it and you're straight in the gravel trap...and often straight in to a slow zone or safety car so marshels can go on to track in a protentially very dangrous location. Move the gravel trap back and have some tarmac run-off and cars just missing their braking point should be able to recover under just yellows.




Or all the drivers will start using the tarmac run-off to carry extra speed around the corner so just end up entering the gravel at even higher speed when they out brake themselves.

[lowdrag]

//j17 said:

Or all the drivers will start using the tarmac run-off to carry extra speed around the corner so just end up entering the gravel at even higher speed when they out brake themselves.

Which has happened elsewhere on the circuit too. Between Mulsanne and Arnage there are several kinks with rumble strips on the inside. They have now tarmacked on the outside of the rumble strips. It would have seemed more logical to me to move the rumble strips and tarmac on the inside.

[LM240]

That is the trouble with these types of changes.

Limits of the circuit get altered and the challenge of consistently slowing and turning gets reduced.

[chrisring]

lowdrag

were you able to see if the camping area behind the viewing bank and weigh-bridge would be effected?

lowdrag said:

[Gingerbread Man]

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2020/03/06/le-mans-w...

Touches on a few plans

[lowdrag]

chrisring said:

lowdrag

were you able to see if the camping area behind the viewing bank and weigh-bridge would be affected.

No, the changes only go back as far as the chicken wire. In fact, you'll be closer to the action it seems.

[chrisring]

great, many thanks

lowdrag said:

No, the changes only go back as far as the chicken wire. In fact, you'll be closer to the action it seems.