June means one thing this year – three 24-hour races back-to-back! Starting with the Le Mans 24 Hours. We ticked it off the bucket list last year, but it was so good, we just had to go back for a second round in France. And what a weekend it was, right in the middle of a French heatwave! We were seeing temperatures of 30+ Degrees all week, with the weekend dropping to the high 20s.
The main reason we had to return was the news that Heart of Racing and Aston Martin were entering the Valkyrie in the Hypercar class. That for us was something not to miss. Hearing the awesome scream of an Aston Martin V12 back in sports car racing completely brought back memories of the old DBR9 and DBR1-2 (Lola). Yeah, it wasn’t quite as loud as those, thanks to the noise limits in the WEC these days. But honestly, it still sounded incredible and looked absolutely stunning.
Having more days at Le Mans this year, and knowing what to expect, meant we had way more time to hang out trackside and soak up all the action. For the start of the race, we were in the Goodyear grandstand by the Dunlop chicane. The view there is awesome, especially for any incidents and, of course, the start itself. As the evening rolled on, we walked all the way up to Tertre Rouge, checking out views from both sides of the circuit, before heading back to the grandstand for a bit.
When evening turned into night, we started making our way down to the pit straight. Looking across to the pits, all lit up and with cars coming in for full service, was pretty cool. Even at midnight, the stands were packed, and spectators were everywhere you looked.
The next morning, we were down at the Ford chicane before heading over to the new spectator area at the Porsche curves. The view there is brilliant; you can see the cars carrying some serious speed through there.
For the finish, we headed back to the grandstand and, just like everyone else, we were glued to the Ferrari vs. Porsche battle in Hypercar. Even though we’re not exactly Ferrari fans, seeing Robert Kubica take the win in the “wrong” Ferrari was pretty special. After everything he’s been through, he really deserved the win with his teammates Philip Hanson and Yifei Ye.
Seriously, we highly recommend this event to anyone. You won’t be disappointed! Just a heads-up: over Saturday and Sunday, we walked an impressive 20.2 miles. So, my one piece of advice? Bring some good walking shoes or boots. And if it’s as hot as it was for us, definitely load up on water and wear shorts!
Don’t forget to check out the image gallery below and also the trackside video.
Gallery
Race Results – Click Here
Disclaimer: We are not associated with the FIA, the ACO, any teams taking part or any sponsors of the event.
