Le Mans is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.
Sarthe is a department of the French region of Pays de la Loire, and the province of Maine, situated in the Grand-Ouest of the country. It is named after the river Sarthe, which flows from east of Le Mans to just north of Angers. It had a population of 566,412 in 2019.
Gianmaria "Gimmi" Bruni is an Italian Porsche factory auto racing driver who drove in the 2004 Formula One World Championship for Minardi. He is a GP2 Series race winner and is now racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship, in which he gained the 2013 and 2014 GT Drivers' Titles whilst driving as a factory Ferrari driver. He won the 2008 FIA GT Championship, 2011 Le Mans Series and 2012 International GT Open and took three class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in 2008, 2012 and 2014. He also was successful at the 2009 and 2015 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, 2010 12 Hours of Sebring and 2011 Petit Le Mans.
The Automobile Club de l'Ouest, sometimes abbreviated to ACO, is the largest automotive group in France. It was founded in 1906 by car building and racing enthusiasts, and is most famous for being the organising entity behind the annual Le Mans 24 Hours race. The ACO also lobbies on behalf of French drivers on such issues as road building and maintenance, the availability of driving schools and road safety classes, and the incorporation of technical innovations into new vehicles. It also runs a roadside assistance service for its members.
Mulsanne is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays de la Loire in north-western France.
The Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, also known as Circuit de la Sarthe located in Le Mans, Sarthe, France, is a semi-permanent motorsport race course, chiefly known as the venue for the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race. Comprising private, race-specific sections of track in addition to public roads which remain accessible most of the year, its present configuration is 13.626 km (8.467 mi) long, making it one of the longest circuits in the world. The capacity of the race stadium, where the short Bugatti Circuit is situated, is 100,000. The Musée des 24 Heures du Mans is a motorsport museum located at the main entrance of the venue.
The 1939 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 16th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place at Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, on 17 and 18 June 1939. The 1939 programme cover depicted the raising of six nations' flags: France, Italy, Great Britain, Belgium, Germany, and the United States.
The Bristol 450 was a successful sports car racing prototype model, designed in 1953 by Bristol Cars and based on the abortive ERA G-type Formula Two car of 1952. Although most sources state that only three 450s were built, photographic evidence suggests that at least four were in existence at one point in time. The cars were constructed specifically to contest the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, at which they won both their class and the team prize in both 1954 and 1955. In addition to its race victories, the Bristol 450 also took a number of outright speed records for the 2-litre class during trials at the Montlhéry circuit in 1953. Following the 1955 Le Mans disaster, which killed Pierre Levegh and 83 spectators, Bristol withdrew from direct involvement in motorsport and all but one of the 450s were broken up.
The Le Mans Classic is a biennial vintage sports car event held on the grounds of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, created by Peter Auto and Richard Mille, and associated with Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). It began in 2002 and runs every two years in July on the full 13.65 km circuit also used for the annual modern day 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Le Mans Classic event of 2002 was the first time since 1923 that the full 24-hour Circuit, part of which is public road the rest of the year, was closed specifically for an event other than the annual running of the 24 heures du Mans with contemporary sportcars and prototypes, thus allowing car owners and gentleman drivers to experience what it must have been to race these cars on this circuit.
The Mulsanne Straight is the name used in English for a formerly 6 km (3.7 mi) long straight of the Circuit de la Sarthe around which the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race takes place. Since 1990, the straight is interrupted by two chicanes, with the last section leading to a sharp corner near the village of Mulsanne. Before the chicanes were added, the Mulsanne Straight was the longest straight section of any race track in the world.
Erling Mandelmann was a Danish photographer. He began his career as a freelance photojournalist in the mid-1960s.
Patrick Grégory Yoan Pilet is a French professional racing driver. He has competed in major sports car endurance races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 24 Hours of Daytona, 24 Hours of Spa, 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans.
The following are results from the automobile and motorcycle races contested at the Circuit de la Sarthe and Bugatti circuits in Le Mans, France.
Émile Auguste Renault, better known by his pseudonym Malo-Renault, was a French pastelist, color engraver and illustrator. He was born in Saint-Malo on October 5, 1870 and died in Le Havre on July 19, 1938.
Fernand Bachmann was a car dealer, administrator of the Chenard & Walcker establishments and French racing driver. In 1923, Fernand Bachmann finished 7th in the first edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Yvonne Marie Louise Simon was a French racing driver who participated in rallying, circuit races and endurance racing.
Michel Cosson was a French businessman. He was Director-General of Les Mutuelles du Mans Assurances from 1986 to 1992 and President of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) from 1992 to 2003. A prominent figure in motor racing, he was known for aiding the financial recovery of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the 1990s and the creation of similar competitions abroad.
Lilou Wadoux-Ducellier is a French professional racing driver who currently races for Richard Mille AF Corse in the GTE Am class of the FIA World Endurance Championship. She is an Alpine Elf Europa Cup race winner, Renault Clio Cup podium finisher, and has previously competed in the TCR Europe Touring Car Series. Before signing for Ferrari as a factory driver in 2023, she raced in the WEC for Richard Mille's Signatech-run LMP2 team.
The 8th Road to Le Mans Cup is an automobile endurance event that is scheduled to take place on 8 and 9 June 2023, at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France. The race features LMP3 and GT3 category cars competing in their respective classes.
The 92nd 24 Hours of Le Mans is an automobile endurance event that is scheduled to take place on 15–16 June 2024 at the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France.
