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24H Backstage | 24h-lemans.com

Test Day is a rehearsal for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams use the track time to glean precious information and fine-tune settings before the race. Racing aficionados enjoy interpreting the day’s statistics. We have picked out six that illustrate the aspects to master for success in endurance.

<h2>86 &ndash; Last the course</h2>

<p>The number of laps completed by the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 &ndash; BMW M Team WRT, the most diligent crew on track this Sunday. That&rsquo;s <strong>1171 kilometres</strong> worth of intensive training. The Belgian team likes to take advantage of every minute on track. The same car did the most laps last year too: 74. A sign of consistency and a perfectly executed action plan. Setting aside Cadillac and Ferrari (228 and 195 laps respectively), which have three cars, BMW spent the most time on track yesterday, completing a total of 167 laps, compared to 152 for Aston Martin, 152 for Peugeot, 147 for <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/2026-24-hours-of-le-mans-the-low-down-on-the-genesis-magma-racing-hypercar-60714">Genesis</a> and Toyota and 131 for Alpine.</p>

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<h2>3 &ndash; Set the pace</h2>

<p>In LMP2,<strong> Job van Uitert</strong>&rsquo;s top time would have earned him third place in last year&rsquo;s Hyperpole. The Dutchman clocked<strong> 03:35.344</strong> in the IDEC Sport #28 Oreca 07. The crew of the #28 reflect the essence of LMP2, the class where anything can happen. Van Uitert has speed, Valerio Rinicella, his 19 year-old teammate, has the fieriness of youth, and, with nine starts under his belt, Paul Lafargue has experience. Race veterans mix with rookies, wisdom meets whizz kids. <strong>Many drivers in this class are out to shine to attract an offer of a seat in the Hypercar class</strong>. The level of driving skill is higher every year, as Van Uitert&rsquo;s performance shows. TDS Racing&rsquo;s Mathias Beche, last year&rsquo;s pole sitter, was less than two-tenths behind him.</p>

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<h2>19 &ndash; Edge ahead</h2>

<p>In LMGT3, 19 cars (over 3/4 of the field) recorded times within tenths of each other. More than in the Hypercar class (13), and the most since the class changed in 2024. The Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296 LMGT3 Evo #54 in the hands of Francesco Castellacci was fastest, by nine-thousandths of a second. Proof that every little detail will make a difference, <strong>hence the need for groundwork on Test Day.</strong></p>

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<h2>3:26.293 &ndash; Work hard</h2>

<p>The top time of the day was recorded by <strong><a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/advantage-aston-martin-in-second-free-practice-session-at-le-mans-test-day-60710" target="_blank">Tom Gamble in the #007 Aston Martin Valkyrie</a></strong>.</p>

<p>It is remarkable for several reasons. First, it is very close to the benchmark set last year on Test Day by Toyota (3:26.246). Second, Aston Martin&rsquo;s best time last year was three seconds per lap slower! In the space of a year, the British manufacturer has made phenomenal progress, confirmed by another interesting statistic: Tom Gamble&rsquo;s Test Day time is better than the Valkyrie #007&rsquo;s 2025 qualifying time!</p>

<p>The Heart of Racing has worked hard. The prototype&rsquo;s production car appearance and the sound of its fierce naturally-aspirated V12 already turned heads. <strong>Now its performance is attracting attention too. Not least from its opponents.</strong></p>

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<h2>4 &ndash; Be consistent</h2>

<p>Four of the ten fastest laps Test Day were achieved at the wheel of the Alpine A424. The class record. Ferdinand Habsburg (03:26.938 &ndash; fifth best time of the day), <strong>Charles Milesi </strong>(03:26.990 &ndash; sixth), and <strong>Ant&oacute;nio F&eacute;lix da Costa</strong> (03:27.130 &ndash; tenth) in the #35 were particularly fast. In the #36, <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/alpine-endurance-team-hires-victor-martins-60211"><strong>Victor Martins</strong></a> was fastest (03:27.017).</p>

<p>The Alpine&rsquo;s was impressive in consistency &ndash; an all-important factor in endurance. This is a team sport and compromise is required to ensure all three drivers can express their full potential in the cockpit, despite radically different styles. <strong>This aspect looks to be perfectly understood in the Alpine camp.</strong></p>

<h2>345.1 &ndash; Push boundaries</h2>

<p>That&rsquo;s the top speed, in kilometres per hour, attained on Sunday, by Ferdinand Habsburg and Victor Martins in the Alpine A424 #35 and #36. It&rsquo;s faster than last year (344.5). Exiting <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/explore-the-24-hours-of-le-mans-circuit-turn-by-turn-60679">Tertre Rouge</a>, the right-hand bend that leads to the iconic Mulsanne Straight, drivers are often already nearing 245 kph. Then peripheral vision blurs as they accelerate, all the way up to seventh gear. When they passed the Auberge des Hunaudi&egrave;res, the Alpine A424s were travelling at about 100 metres per second. Outrageous speed. Yet, the human at the wheel must brake at the same point as on previous laps, with a margin of 50 centimetres.</p>

<p>From a technical point of view, top speed depends on various factors, such as air temperature, aspiration, torque and the set-up chosen by the team. A car with less downforce will be faster on straights, but will have less grip on corners. So a Hypercar that&rsquo;s quick in the Porsche Curves, for example, will have a slight disadvantage on the Mulsanne Straight.</p>

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<h2>It&rsquo;s going to be a close one!</h2>

<p>Test Day confirmed a trend observed since 2023: <strong>gaps are tiny, sometimes non-existent, in all three classes</strong>. Driver engagement before the race is always difficult to determine. However, the clock doesn&rsquo;t hide anything, and it indicates that there is very little to choose between teams entered for the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans.</p>

<p style="text-align: center;">&gt;&gt;&gt; <strong><a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/results/2026" target="_blank">Full Test Day Results</a></strong>&lt;&lt;&lt;</p>

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24 Hours of Le Mans Test Day: 6 numbers for 2026

Aston Martin were back at the top of the timesheets at Le Mans. The sweet-sounding, crowd favourite with Harry Tincknell at the wheel set the fastest time at Circuit de la Sarthe in 2026… so far…

<h2>Headlines</h2>

<p>The second Free Practice session of the day, a second chance for teams to gather another round of data to help fine tune set-ups ahead of their race simulations, scenarios and qualifying procedures later in the week.</p>

<p>At 15:30 local time - the clock began to countdown and a magnificent sight of 62 Hypercars, LMP2 and LMGT3 cars rolled down the pitlane and out onto the 13.626km circuit in the Sunday afternoon sun.<br />
<br />
Aston Martin were back at the top of the timesheets at Le Mans. The sweet-sounding crowd favourite with Harry Tincknell set the fastest time (3:26.293)&nbsp;at Circuit de la Sarthe in 2026&hellip; so far&hellip; Toyota, Cadillac and Alpine were all in hot pursuit, as defending champions Ferrari struggled to show their hand on the opening day.</p>

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<h2>HYPERCAR</h2>

<p>The morning milestone of 3.27.011 was instantly lowered from the word go, as the Alpine Endurance Team in the opening handful of laps went under the 3.27 mark with the first 3.26 of the week - Charles Milesi picking up from his strong morning showing with a 3:26.990 in the #35 A424. The #12 Hertz Team JOTA Cadillac, still sore after being pipped at the post in the morning, backed up its earlier pace, edging the order to the tune of 3:26.853 at the end of the first hour.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A brief Full Course Yellow at the start of the second hour was launched to clear some on track debris, but shortly after, the #007 Aston Martin Valkyrie deployed operation &#39;licence to thrill&#39; by giving the British fans a moment to cheer as Harry Tincknell went fastest with a 3:26.293 in the V12 machine.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>After the disaster in the first session - the #8 Toyota TR010 Hybrid which made contact with two slower cars to bring out the red flag - bounced back this afternoon as Kiwi Brendon Hartley showed his hand to also join the 3.26 club. While the&nbsp;#12 Hertz Team JOTA Cadillac and #35 Alpine were the only other cars to go under 3.27.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The brand-new for 2026 Genesis GMR-001-Hypercar continued to find its feet at Circuit de la Sarthe, with the South Korean manufacturer&nbsp;finding&nbsp;almost a second in performance in one session alone - with the #15 car just ahead of the #17.</p>

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<h2>LMP2</h2>

<p>Nielsen Racing with Edward Perason at the controls came out of the traps quickest in LMP2 with AF Corse right in the wheel-tracks. AF Corse turned the screw at the end of the first hour to leapfrog themselves back to the top for most of the session. However, it was the #28 IDEC Sport&nbsp;car produced the late, late show with a time&nbsp;that went fastest at the fall of the flag &nbsp;- 3:35.344&nbsp;the final marker ahead of #14 TDS Racing and&nbsp;#183 AF Corse in a breakaway front three.<br />
<br />
ELMS frontrunners Forestier Racing by Panis showed a turn of speed to nestle themselves in fourth ahead of&nbsp;Doriane Pin&#39;s Duqueine Team in fifth.</p>

<p>A brief Full Course Yellow at the start of the second hour was launched when the #44 Proton Competition car visited the gravel - thankfully there was no damage to the Felbermayr-liveried machine and it was able to resume, shaking out the gravel on the apron on the way up to the Goodyear Bridge.</p>

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<h2>LMGT3</h2>

<p>Sean Gelael pushed his BMW M4 LMGT3 Evo run by Team WRT to the front in the early stages but the #91 Manthey DK Engineering Porsche would get into its stride and blast into the 3.56 window with a 3:36.655 early doors - dragging the #33 Corvette run by TF Sport with it - just two tenths behind. Leaving it later than last time, the Vista AF Corse team were on a roll with the #54 machine topping the session for the Maranello marque.&nbsp;#91 Manthey DK Engineering Porsche ran them hard... very hard - just a hundredth between them as the #33 TF Sport Corvette made it three manufacturers in the top three.</p>

<p>And finally, in Free Practice 2, all 62 cars went underneath the magic four-minute marker for the first time as every team gathered their confidence and pace behind the wheel on the opening day here at Le Mans.</p>

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<h2>Talking Points&hellip;</h2>

<p>All eyes are on the defending champions the #83 AF Corse team. The bright yellow machine helped carry AF Corse to the honour of first privateer team to win the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans in 19 years last year. 2025 Le Mans winner Phil Hanson spoke ahead of the Test Day, underlining the importance of the race, and whether things are any different coming into the 2026 edition now as a race winner.</p>

<p><strong><em>&ldquo;In the approach, nothing is different, you prepare like any race, but when you come back, it&#39;s special and it brings back all the special memories - they all come flooding back. Le Mans is the highlight of the year regardless of what happened 12 months ago, and it&#39;s a race I always look forward to. It&rsquo;s a privilege to represent a brand such as Ferrari - with the history it has. The Tifosi travel the globe, and no matter where you are in the world, the pressure is there, but the support is always incredible to go with it, and you really feel that here at Le Mans - and that is special as a drive</em>r.&rdquo;</strong></p>

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<p><u><strong>Top 5 Classification :</strong></u></p>

<p>1. Aston Martin Valkyrie #007 Aston Martin THOR Team &ndash; Harry Tincknell / Tom Gamble / Ross Gun - 3:26.293<br />
2. Toyota GR010 Hybrid #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing &ndash; S&eacute;bastien Buemi / Brendon Hartley / Ryo Hirakawa - 3:26.401<br />
3. Cadillac V-Series.R #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA &ndash; Louis Del&eacute;traz / Will Stevens / Norman Nato - 3:26.853<br />
4. Alpine A424 #35 Alpine Endurance Team &ndash; Ant&oacute;nio F&eacute;lix Da Costa / Charles Milesi / Ferdinand Habsburg - 3:26.938<br />
5. Alpine A424 #36 Alpine Endurance Team &ndash; Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Makowiecki / Jules Gounon / Victor Martins - 3:27.017<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Fastest times in the LMP2 and LMGT3 categories:</u></strong></p>

<ul>
	<li>LMP2: Oreca 07-Gibson #28 IDEC Sport &ndash; Paul Lafargue / Valerio Rinicella / Job Van Uitert - 3:35.344</li>
	<li>LMGT3: Ferrari 296 LMGT3 Evo #54 Vista AF Corse &ndash; Thomas Flohr / Francesco Castellacci / Davide Rigon - 3:56.646&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>&gt;&gt;&gt;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/results/2026" target="_blank"><u>Find the complete results</u></a> &lt;&lt;&lt;</strong></p>

<p><br />
The 62 cars that make up the 24 Hours of Le Mans grid will next hit the track on Wednesday 10th June with Free Practice 1 in the afternoon and Free Practice 2 in the evening - providing drivers the chance to acclimatise to driving these high-performance cars at night. A spectacle we cannot wait for! Join us then for all the action.</p>

Advantage Aston Martin in second Free Practice session at Le Mans Test Day

The Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans isn’t just a race course, it’s the main character in an epic tale. A stretch of asphalt that takes on a life of its own for 24 hours. From the pits to the Mulsanne Straight, Arnage to the Porsche Curves, every section plays a role in the drama. If you’re coming to the race this year, here’s what to expect.

<p>You don&rsquo;t just watch the 24 Hours of Le Mans. You interact with it. Every turn has its own personality. Its own stumbling block. Its own tune. And its own life story. To drivers, the circuit is a continuous challenge. To spectators, it&rsquo;s a succession of emotions. Come onboard with us for a complete lap of the track before the<strong> 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans</strong>. Strap yourself in, we&rsquo;re ready for the off.</p>

<h2>The Pit Straight: where it all starts... and finishes</h2>

<p>Here is the place silence is broken.<br />
The hush before the start gives you goose bumps. Then, the deafening roar as the field sets off for a testing 24 hours. At that precise moment, the circuit quakes. And hearts flutter.</p>

<p>It&rsquo;s the best place to be during the surge of adrenaline of the first few laps. All three classes &ndash; <strong>Hypercar</strong>, <strong>LMP2</strong> and<strong> LMGT3</strong> &ndash; set off around the 13.626-kilometre long course, huge by today&rsquo;s standards.<br />
Meanwhile, the pit lane is the scene of meticulous preparation. Mechanics are as primed for speed as the drivers. <strong>Seconds gained or lost in the garage can make the difference between triumph and defeat</strong>.</p>

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<h2>The Dunlop Curve: in at the deep end</h2>

<p>It&rsquo;s the first turn, and it&rsquo;s not an easy start. The Dunlop Curve is a right-hander, and very, very fast. It requires complete engagement, and a driver brimming with confidence. To perfect this turn, you need a perfectly balanced car. Downforce counts. <strong>Drivers brush with the limits in the first seconds of the lap</strong>. Le Mans doesn&rsquo;t break you in gently.</p>

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<h2>Dunlop Chicane: precision is key</h2>

<p>The Dunlop Chicane comes after the curve of the same name. It&rsquo;s tricky, technical and demanding.<br />
Kerbs are both friends and foes. Ride them too much and you damage the car. Avoid them entirely and you lose time. The sweet spot is a few centimetres wide.</p>

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<h2>Forest Esses: up and down and round and round</h2>

<p>The Forest Esses are like a fast-flowing meandering river. The car dips down to the left, then right, and takes the ups and downs at great speed. It&rsquo;s <strong>spectacular to watch</strong>. And tough to negotiate.<br />
A good exit is essential to be able to take Tertre Rouge Corner correctly. There&rsquo;s danger all around: a little crest, the car pulling to the left, and grass that will not forgive the slightest mistake. Many a race has been cut short here.</p>

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<h2>Tertre Rouge Corner: the gateway to the Mulsanne Straight</h2>

<p>This right-hand turn is one of the circuit&rsquo;s most tactical. Simply because it leads to the world&rsquo;s most famous stretch of road: the Mulsanne Straight. Drivers must exit as fast as possible. The cleaner the exit, the faster they hit top speed. Which for the Hypercars is up to 345 kph. <strong>Tertre Rouge is the catapult</strong>.</p>

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<h2>The Daytona Chicane: slowing without hampering</h2>

<p>The Daytona Chicane is halfway down the straight. <strong>Braking is harsh, and deceleration brutal</strong>. Right turn. And off again.<br />
Drivers brake 150 metres before the chicane, drop to third or second gear and then accelerate away as fast as possible. Just time to breathe in&hellip; and vroom.</p>

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<h2>The Michelin Chicane: a high-speed trap</h2>

<p>This is the second chicane on the straight, a left-hand turn. Same set-up, same tension. Here again, braking is difficult due to the low downforce. The car comes in light, fast and unstable. And braking needs to be late, and the steering precise to exit well.<br />
At Le Mans, you lose time on the corners and on the straights too.</p>

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<h2>Mulsanne Corner: big on the brakes</h2>

<p>Having taken the Mulsanne Straight at full tilt, the corner at the end requires <strong>some of the most impressive braking seen on the course</strong>.<br />
From top speed to first gear. Without jamming the wheels. Mistakes can happen. The right-hand corner is deceptive. It looks slow, but the exit must be quick, so it demands finely-tuned driving.</p>

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<h2>Indianapolis Corner: spectacular by nature</h2>

<p>Indianapolis is striking in its landscape. First a righthand kink, taken quickly and purposefully. Then longer braking as you dip down to the left on a bank that helps retain pace. It&rsquo;s fluid, brutal, yet elegant. The corner sums up the complexity of Le Mans.</p>

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<h2>Arnage Corner: slow but never simple</h2>

<p>Arnage is the slowest corner on the circuit. But that doesn&rsquo;t make it easy.<br />
After the speed of Indianapolis, you have to brake sharply, break the rythmn, turn right in a short space &ndash; all without blocking the rear. There are pitfalls on entry. And on exit too!<br />
It&rsquo;s <strong>a fascinating vantage point from which to observe driver skills</strong>.</p>

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<h2>Porsche Curves: the drivers&rsquo; favourite spot</h2>

<p>If this circuit were to have a hallmark, this would be it. The quick right, left, right is a delight to all. Drivers approach this section at speed, and accelerate out. The Porsche Curves require talent, courage and absolute confidence in your car. Space is tight. There&rsquo;s no room for error. And it all happens so fast. At the wheel, this is when you realise what being a Le Mans driver really means.</p>

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<h2>Karting Esses: sustaining the pace</h2>

<p>No respite. The Karting Esses keep the pressure on in at the end of the lap, with two quick turns, first right, then left.<br />
Cars keep their downforce. <strong>Drivers must be very precise and wary of overstepping the track limits</strong> to avoid the wrath of Race Control! This is where any tiredness will show.</p>

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<h2>Ford Chicanes &amp; Motul Turn: the last push before the line</h2>

<p>On the surface, the last section looks simple. Left-right, a short straight then another left-right. However, this section requires dexterity Drivers must strike the right balance between cutting corners and maintaining pace.<strong> Too agressive and the car will misbehave. Too careful and you lose precious time</strong>. Then comes the Motul Turn. And suddenly, the pit straight is ahead. One lap down. On to the next..</p>

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<p>The Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans is 13.626 kilometres of endless possibilities. It&rsquo;s <strong>where speed meets stamina, engineering meets emotion, and where every turn is a new beginning</strong>. The circuit is ready. Are you?</p>

Explore the 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit, turn by turn

360 Onboard AO by TF in Le Mans City Centre | 24 Hours of Le Mans 2026 | ELMS

Genesis Magma Racing’s journey to the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans is underway. In Episode 1 of 10 Days of Le Mans, Race Engineer Matthieu Leroy takes you behind the scenes as the team arrives at Le Mans, completes scrutineering, joins the famous Le Pesage, and meets the fans for the first time.

Genesis Magma Racing - 10 Days of Le Mans: The Journey Begins

Scrutineering at the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans will come to a close today, Saturday 6 June with another thrilling day in the heart of the city. On the agenda are the final technical checks, the arrival of the Ferrari and Toyota Hypercars.

24 Heures du Mans 2026 - LIVE SCRUTINEERING JUNE 6TH

The first episode of our brand new series Drivers of destiny featuring the 9-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen is now live! Dive into the mindset of a racing icon.

Drivers of destiny - Tom Kristensen

Today, 39 cars are expected at the place de la République. Inter Europol Competition's #43 ORECA 07-Gibson will launch the first round of inspections and the Alpine A424 will cap things off at the end of the day. Expect all eyes to be on the Hypercars entered by BMW, Genesis, Peugeot, Aston Martin and Cadillac.

24hBackstage

Getting to know TOYOTA GAZOO Racing

Video 360

Speaker 24h

Circuit run

Army

Future

Le Mans Magazine

24 Hours of Le Mans Test Day: 6 numbers for 2026

Advantage Aston Martin in second Free Practice session at Le Mans Test Day

Explore the 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit, turn by turn

360 Onboard AO by TF in Le Mans City Centre | 24 Hours of Le Mans 2026 | ELMS

Genesis Magma Racing - 10 Days of Le Mans: The Journey Begins

24 Heures du Mans 2026 - LIVE SCRUTINEERING JUNE 6TH

Drivers of destiny - Tom Kristensen

24 Hours of Le Mans 2026 - LIVE SCRUTINEERING JUNE 5TH

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