24h Le Mans
The perfect lap at Le Mans fuels many a legend. Some claim to have done it, others consider it a myth. We put it to those who know.
No traffic, fresh tyres, minimal fuel and faultless lines make up the magic formula for the perfect lap. Easier said than done.
The 13.626 km-long circuit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is strewn with pitfalls and make-or-break moments. “A perfect lap starts with the Dunlop chicane. It's a tricky corner, the entry being so fast with the right-hand kink beforehand. A lot of people make mistakes there. The following Esses and Tertre Rouge are also super important for preparing the Mulsanne Straight. If the balance of the car feels good through the first sector, that’s a very good indication for the driver,” explains Tommy Milner, driver of the #64 Corvette C8.R.
Arnage is a crucial corner on the drivers’ radar. “Arnage is a low-speed turn, so we try to break earlier. You feel like you’re going really slowly, but the lack of downforce means you can easily lock a wheel and end up missing a lap,” says Alpine driver Nicolas Lapierre (#36 Alpine A480 – Gibson). Kévin Estre (#92 Porsche 911 RSR-19), agrees: “The biggest trap is Arnage, it’s the turn I like the least.” The Porsche Curves, a fast section at the end of the circuit, are another deal-breaker. “You can gain or lose a lot of time. You need maximum confidence in your car,” says Milner.
Maintaining that type of pace for three or four minutes is no mean feat. According to Estre: “It's hard to manage because it's like you’re questioning your commitment while you're driving. Should I continue at 101% or 97%? That's what you ask yourself after every turn. Taking it to the edge and risking an entire weekend for one lap is mentally difficult.”
Is the perfect lap even possible? That’s another bone of contention. “I believe it exists, but it has never happened to me. That’s every driver’s goal. Doable, but very difficult. I wasn’t far off in the first qualifying session last year, but Le Mans is still the most difficult circuit in the world. None of the corners are easy, with less downforce than anywhere else and high speeds, as well as the pressure,” Estre tells us. Nicolas Lapierre, who has 18 WEC pole positions under his belt, agrees with him: “It does exist but I’ve never come close to a perfect lap here. It requires a lot of success and there are few opportunities. In my opinion, only Kamui Kobayashi (#7 Toyota GR010 - Hybrid) has managed to do it.”
The Alpine driver is referring to the 3:14.791 record lap that Kobayashi nailed during qualifying at the 24 Hours in 2017. Regardless of his four poles at the Sarthe circuit, the Japanese driver begs to differ: “There will never be a perfect lap. I can do better than my lap in 2017.” Now that’s something we’d like to see! Don’t miss Hyperpole at 20:00 on Thursday to watch the drivers go all out to pin down perfection.
