If any circuit is synonymous with motor sport it is Le Mans, France. The world famous race, begun in 1923, is one of the most prestigious races in motor sport, attracting a global audience every June. The famous Circuit de la Sarthe is composed partly of public roads and the permanent Bugatti circuit, and the two combine to make thrilling race track that glorifies speed as well as reliability and technical finesse.

There are many draws to this race, not all spectators come to witness the same thing, and as such it can feel slightly fragmented in the stands. While all cars compete at the same time, there are different classes and at the end there is an overall winner as well as separate class winners. Some fans come to witness the speed of the cars around the track, but others come to see the strain of the endurance and how man and machine cope under it.

Whatever you come for you won't be disappointed, Le Mans harbours a special atmosphere that conjures a romance about the pioneers of car engineering and gives a gravitas to the race. The thrill for technically-minded spectators is as much the innovations in fuel consumption and reliability as it is the driving, speed and race winning theatrics that Le Mans produces.

Written by  John Johnston.

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