24h Le Mans
Safety construction undertaken at the 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit is now a done deal. These modifications affect the clearance zone at the last turn of the Porsche curves. A third and final phase will break ground in the spring of 2018!
Project management is taking place under the auspices of the Syndicat Mixte du Circuit des 24 Heures. It was kicked off at the end of September, 2017 and the second phase was completed this month. The Porsche curves are at the heart of the changes and, more particularly, the last turn before the Karting curve was significantly modified.
The work crews first deforested and then cleared the area, dismantled the rails and fence previously located there (phase 1). Now a clearance zone has been created as well as a lawn-covered embankment. The last modifications included the installation of 370 meters of fenching compliant with FIA standards, 350 meters of safety guardrails as well as on the bitumen, first sub-layers and the bitumen itself (590 tons of asphalt).
This second phase has now come to a close and the next and final phase will start in the spring of 2018. It will concern the installation of a special high-adhesive coating that will slow cars if they turn too wide, moving TecPro barriers and finishing work on signage and the safety lane.
This work has made it possible to redefine very precisely the edge of the track (the paint on both sides of the track to define the race line). It has ever so slightly changed the total length of the 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit (decreased by three meters). The total length of the circuit is now 13.626 meters.
These modifications will be discovered by the drivers at the 86th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans during the first outing on Test Day on June 3rd.
