Robert Manzon died on 19 January aged 97. On 12 June 2013 G Robert died on 19 January aged Manzon  97. On 12 June 2013 G

The 62 entrants in the 93rd 24 Hours will retake the track today for the first time since Sunday's Test Day for free practice and qualifying sessions to determine who's eligible for the Hyperpole. Competitors in the support races — Road to Le Mans, the Porsche Sprint Challenge and the Ford Mustang Challenge — will also take part in their first free practices.

<h2>24 Hours of Le Mans Free Practice</h2>

<p>From 14:00 to&nbsp;17:00, then from 22:00 to midnight, the teams have&nbsp;five hours of track time to fine-tune settings before&nbsp;the big race. On the agenda are&nbsp;long stints, aerodynamic testing, and&nbsp;tyre and fuel consumption tests. Depending on how much time they have left, some drivers ramp up&nbsp;the pace to assess the potential of their car&nbsp;ahead of&nbsp;qualifying.</p>

<h2>Qualifying &ndash; Hyperpole</h2>

<p>The format of the&nbsp;Hyperpole is slightly different this year, now spread across two days.&nbsp;The&nbsp;LMP2 and&nbsp;LMGT3 categories will kick things off with&nbsp;30 minutes of&nbsp;qualifying. The goal is to make it into the top&nbsp;12 to be eligible for the Hyperpole. The&nbsp;Hypercars will follow&nbsp;with&nbsp;15 spots up for grabs. The Hyperpole is set between 18:45 and&nbsp;20:00.</p>

<h2>Road to Le Mans</h2>

<p>Road to Le Mans is the flagship race of the Michelin Le Mans Cup. Created in&nbsp;2016, this&nbsp;championship is reserved for LMP3s and&nbsp;GT3s, and represents&nbsp;the ACO&#39;s desire to establish benchmark events to help drivers advance in the discipline. Today, competitors will hit the track for two free practice sessions: the first from 11:15 to&nbsp;12:15 and the second from 20:30 to&nbsp;21:30.</p>

<h2>Porsche Sprint Challenge</h2>

<p>As many as&nbsp;71 cars will take the start in the Le Mans round of the Porsche Sprint Challenge, an FFSA national&nbsp;championship dedicated to&nbsp;amateur drivers. The circuit is host to the fourth of seven races on the 2025 calendar. You&#39;ll see&nbsp;Porsche 911s (from the&nbsp;997 GT3 R to the very last&nbsp;992 GT3 Cup), 981s and&nbsp;718 Cayman GT4 Clubsports. Two free practices are on the programme, the first from 09:00 to 09:30 and the second from&nbsp;12:45 to&nbsp;13:15.</p>

<h2>Ford Mustang Challenge</h2>

<p>The LMGT3&#39;s &quot;little sisters&quot; are ready&nbsp;to&nbsp;battle it out&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;Ford Mustang Challenge.&nbsp;All Ford Mustang Challenge participants and qualified Mustang Dark Horse R owners are invited to compete. Free Practice 1 is from&nbsp;10:00 to 10:45 and Free Practice 2 is&nbsp;from 17:30 to 18:15.</p>

<h2>Eddy De Pretto and&nbsp;St Graal Concerts</h2>

<p>Eddy de Pretto is back on the scene! Two years after his certified gold album&nbsp;<em>&Agrave; tous les b&acirc;tards</em>, the singer released <em>CRASH C&OElig;UR</em>.</p>

<p>Author, composer and performer, the artist has always had a clear vision, from the studio to the stage via the image. With this opus, he explores his influences, including&nbsp;R&#39;n&#39;B, and delves into some extremely&nbsp;raw lyrics.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The result is 12 ambitious and powerful tracks&nbsp;whose musical heritage will resonate with those who grew up at the dawn of the 2000s.</p>

<p>Proud of his many roles (he is also a director, artistic director and producer), de Pretto proves&nbsp;he is much more than a singer, but a multifaceted pop artist. He is&nbsp;currently touring throughout France.&nbsp;</p>

<h4><u>Wednesday 11&nbsp;June Programme</u></h4>

<p>09:00 &ndash; 09:30&nbsp;: Porsche Sprint Challenge | Free Practice 1<br />
09:00 &ndash; 23:00&nbsp;: 24 Hours Musuem open<br />
10:00 &ndash; 10:45&nbsp;:&nbsp;Ford Mustang Challenge | Free Practice 1<br />
10:00 &ndash; 00:00&nbsp;: Fan&nbsp;Zones, Kids Zone, ACO H2 Hydrogen and Constructors Villages open<br />
11:15 &ndash; 12:15&nbsp;: Road to Le Mans | Free Practice 1<br />
12:45 &ndash; 13:15&nbsp;: Porsche Sprint Challenge | Free Practice 2<br />
14:00 &ndash; 17:00&nbsp;: 24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans | Free Practice 1<br />
17:30 &ndash; 18:15&nbsp;: Ford Mustang Challenge | Free Practice 2<br />
18:45 &ndash; 19:15&nbsp;: 24 Hours of Le Mans&nbsp;Hyperpole&nbsp;&ndash; LMP2 &amp; LMGT3<br />
19:30 &ndash; 20:00&nbsp;: essais qualificatifs Hyperpole des 24 Heures du Mans &ndash; Hypercar<br />
20:00 &ndash; 23:00&nbsp;: Eddy de Pretto and&nbsp;St Graal concerts<br />
20:30 &ndash; 21:30&nbsp;: Road to Le Mans | Free Practice 2<br />
22:00 &ndash; 00:00&nbsp;: 24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans | Free Practice 2</p>

<p>Watch the&nbsp;<strong><a href="http://fiawec.tv/page/679a56921229db49627128a6">FIA WEC live</a></strong>&nbsp;or on demand on the official&nbsp;FIA WEC TV app, your all-access pass to the FIA World Endurance&nbsp;Championship including the&nbsp;24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans. Don&#39;t miss a second of the action! For more info, go to the app.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

2025 24 Hours of Le Mans – Wednesday 11 June programme

Wherever they are, fans will have no shortage of ways to keep abreast of what’s happening at the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans – the fourth round of the FIA WEC 2025 season. Every important moment of the race will be shown on TV, on social media and on the FIA WEC TV app.

<h2>On television</h2>

<p>In France, the 24 Hours of Le Mans will be televised live by free-to-air channel L&rsquo;&Eacute;quipe.</p>

<p>Find all the broadcasters of the 24 Hours of Le Mans <a href="https://www.fiawec.com/en/ou-regarder-1/36" target="_blank"><u><strong>here</strong></u></a>.</p>

<h2>Live timing</h2>

<p>Follow live timing for the lap times and standings of the entire 24 Hours of Le Mans field.</p>

<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>&gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/live-timing-at-the-24-hours-of-le-mans-a-handy-guide-59698" target="_blank"><u>Live timing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans - A handy guide</u></a> &lt;&lt;&lt;</strong></p>

<h2>FIA WEC TV APP</h2>

<p><a href="https://fiawec.tv/page/679a56921229db49627128a6" target="_blank"><u><strong>The FIA World Endurance Championship official application</strong></u></a> is a must-have for avid motorsport and endurance fans. Subscribers can enjoy live access to the race in real time, see what&rsquo;s going on behind the scenes and join an international community of fans. They can also keep track of the standings, pinpoint the whereabouts of their favourite cars on track and geek out on driver stats! Live race coverage comes with official commentary.</p>

<h2>Social media</h2>

<ul>
	<li>Facebook:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/24heuresdumans" target="_blank"><u><strong>24 Heures du Mans</strong></u></a></li>
	<li>Instagram:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/24heuresdumans/" target="_blank"><u><strong>@24heuresdumans</strong></u></a>&nbsp;</li>
	<li>X (Twitter):&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/24hoursoflemans" target="_blank"><u><strong>@24hoursoflemans</strong></u></a></li>
	<li>The 24 Hours of Le Mans&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@24heuresdumans" target="_blank"><u><strong>YouTube channel</strong></u></a></li>
</ul>

<p>The hashtag for the race is <strong>#LEMANS24</strong>.</p>

How to follow the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans

Hypercars under the microscope | Eight illustrious manufacturers will line up in the top class at the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans (11-15 June 2025). As readers will recall, the Peugeot 9X8 initially had no rear wing. A bold design choice that probably didn’t receive its just reward. In its 2024 guise, the Lion has bared its teeth but is still all too timid when faced with more ferocious rivals.

<h4>The French feline&rsquo;s devastating look</h4>

<p>When the Peugeot 9X8 was introduced in July 2021, there was no mistaking its identity with its &ldquo;claw effect&rdquo; signature headlamps and lights. The brand&rsquo;s emblem, modernised in 2021, stood proudly front and centre. But the Lion caused a stir for quite a different reason. Peugeot broke the prototype mould by building a Hypercar devoid of a rear wing!&nbsp;The brand&rsquo;s drivers were among those taken aback by such originality. Lo&iuml;c Duval (#94 Peugeot 9X8) had a first-hand view in 2022: <em><strong>&ldquo;We saw the car covered up and we were unsure which side to lift to reveal the front end, so it was quite surprising. But we never felt that a rear wing was missing when at the wheel. This initial version could generate aerodynamic load in other ways.&rdquo;</strong></em></p>

<p>The Peugeot designers adopted this avant-garde approach in response to the Hypercar rulebook that demanded equal tyre widths at the front and rear (31 cm). A subsequent change to the regulations to permit different tyre widths between the front (29 cm) and rear axles (34 cm) rendered the first, wingless, version of the 9X8 obsolete. Peugeot went back to the drawing board. A wing was added, a new flat bottom designed and the outer envelope totally revised. The crash structure and chassis survived the overhaul that produced the 9X8 2024 that appeared just over a year ago for the Italian round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. With its very flat front hood and its impressive mane, Peugeot&rsquo;s cat has lost none of its sleek looks but is still struggling to hold its own in a scrap.</p>

24 Heures du Mans onboard PEUGEOT 9X8 #94 Test day 24 Hours of Le Mans 2024

A bord de la Peugeot 9X8 n°94 lors de la journée Test des 24 Heures du Mans 2024

<h4>High hopes for the 2024 version</h4>

<p>Peugeot Sport Technical Director Olivier Jansonnie sums up the situation. <em><strong>&ldquo;We negotiated an important step in 2024. After a year of hard work, we saw some real progress on the track confirming that the decisions made post-2023 on a technical and human level were the right ones. [&hellip;] The bar has been set even higher in 2025. We face fierce competition and demands are sky-high. Reliability will more than ever be a decisive factor in such a closely fought endurance race. There can be no weaknesses if we are to be in the mix at the front of the field.&rdquo;</strong></em>&nbsp;So far, the Peugeot 9X8 has not been in a position to tussle for the top spots. Despite undeniable progress, the car is still lacking on certain points.</p>

<p>In keeping with the LMH rulebook, the 9X8 2024 has a rear wing. It has retained the 2.6-litre twin-turbo V6 engine coupled with a 7-speed sequential gearbox. This powertrain is boosted by an MGU (Motor Generator Unit) capable of delivering 200 horsepower to the front wheels, giving the French manufacturer&rsquo;s prototype all-wheel drive. The MGU&rsquo;s 900-volt high-density battery is the result of a partnership between TotalEnergies and Saft. The aggregate output transmitted to the four wheels comes to around 750 horsepower, for a total weight of 1,030 kg (the minimum requirement). Add 90 litres of racing fuel and a top-notch driver and the car is ready to take to the track.</p>

<p><em><strong>&ldquo;With the 2024 aero package, the balance is slightly different and we have less drag, which is very important for a circuit like Le Mans,&rdquo; </strong></em>says French driver Duval. <em><strong>&ldquo;We have been on an upward trajectory since the beginning of the year. The 9X8 is easier over the bumps, that&rsquo;s for sure. We haven&rsquo;t quite reached the level of the very best, but we&rsquo;ve moved up a grade. We&rsquo;re also getting much more out of the car now.&rdquo;.</strong></em></p>

<h4>A tough act to follow</h4>

<p>Peugeot has won the French endurance classic on three occasions, firstly with the 905 in 1992 (Blundell-Dalmas-Warwick) and 1993 (H&eacute;lary-Bouchut-G. Brabham), and then with the 908 HDi FAP in 2009 (Wurz-D. Brabham-Gen&eacute;). A Top 10 spot would constitute a successful race for the Lion today. With the sheer number of generally faster rivals, Peugeot&rsquo;s drivers are forced to battle in the middle of the pack. And yet, in 2023, the changeable weather conditions and an ultra-sharp strategy saw the 9X8 lead the 24 Hours of Le Mans field. A feat that the team was, sadly, never in a position to repeat last year. In 2025, Hypercar racing has attracted even more manufacturers and the competition will be tougher still. Since the season began, Peugeot has struggled to emerge from the pack to claim a podium spot. Will the fourth round of the world championship provide a wake-up call for the French outfit? One thing is certain: Peugeot TotalEnergies&nbsp;will play every card in its hand in its efforts to come up trumps. We&rsquo;ll know by 4.00 pm on Sunday if the race-winning models of the nineties and noughties have found a worthy successor.</p>

<p>Don&rsquo;t miss the other episodes in our &ldquo;Hypercars under the microscope&rdquo; series in which we analyse the prototypes in the high-quality field.</p>

<p>Next up, Ferrari 499P.</p>

<p>In case you missed them: <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/the-cadillac-v-series-r-under-the-microscope-ready-to-roar-for-america-at-le-mans-59659">Cadillac V-Series.R</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/the-alpine-a424-hypercar-under-the-microscope-more-precise-more-reliable-more-ambitious-59684">Alpine A424</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/the-aston-martin-valkyrie-under-the-microscope-when-the-road-leads-to-le-mans-59692">Aston Martin Valkyrie</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/the-bmw-m-hybrid-v8-under-the-microscope-a-return-to-winning-ways-at-le-mans-59713">BMW M Hybrid V8</a>.</p>

<p><a href="https://fiawec.tv/page/679a56921229db49627128a6">Watch all the action from the FIA World Endurance Championship</a>, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, live or on demand with the FIA WEC TV official app! Don&rsquo;t miss a thing! Check out the app for further information.</p>

The Peugeot 9X8 under the microscope: has the Lion sharpened its claws?

The 4th Pit Stop Challenge at the 24 Hours of Le Mans was held on Tuesday afternoon with the mechanics for Peugeot TotalEnergies'' #93 Peugeot 9X8 taking the top prize!

<p>Launched in&nbsp;2022, this contest&nbsp;honours the best pit stop crew in each category at the 24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans. The mechanics must change four tyres as quickly as humanly possible, and hopefully&nbsp;finish in under 10&nbsp;seconds at the very least.</p>

<p>IDEC SPORT Racing, Iron Dames and&nbsp;Akkodis ASP Team got the party started. Iron Dames immediately set an impressive time of 9.53&nbsp;seconds. The&nbsp;competition got fierce fast when the&nbsp;Ferrari-AF Corse&nbsp;mechanics for&nbsp;the #51 Ferrari 499P lowered the time to 9:14 and then were&nbsp;quickly outdone by&nbsp;their&nbsp;#50 teammates with a time of&nbsp;9:05.</p>

<p>Ultimately, the Peugeot TotalEnergies team earned the title&nbsp;this year with a spectacular time of&nbsp;8:83, winning the Pit Stop Challenge for the second time after 2023. The 2024 winner was the crew for the #51&nbsp;Ferrari with a time of 9:68.</p>

<p><strong>WINNERS BY CATEGORY:</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li>Hypercar: #93 Peugeot 9X8 |&nbsp;Peugeot TotalEnergies &ndash; 8:83</li>
	<li>LMP2: #183 ORECA&nbsp;07-Gibson | AF Corse &ndash; 10:44</li>
	<li>LMGT3: #85 Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 |&nbsp;Iron Dames &ndash; 9:53</li>
</ul>

<h2>Tyre Changes: An Art in Itself</h2>

<p>Efficient in-race tyre changes are the&nbsp;result of intensive training. Beginning&nbsp;during the&nbsp;winter break, mechanics practice the process several times a week&nbsp;or even a day to hone&nbsp;essential reflexes. Each fraction of a second&nbsp;saved in pit lane can make all the difference in the race which is why&nbsp;training focuses on making the actions second&nbsp;nature.&nbsp;The mechanics, who must carry 22 kg wheels and handle 6 kg pneumatic guns, even work with&nbsp;a sporting&nbsp;coach. Like the drivers, they are constantly striving&nbsp;to improve&nbsp;performance. Calmness, speed and methodology guide each of their actions&nbsp;in a perpetual quest for efficiency against the clock.</p>

<p>Team mechanics and drivers will be hard at work at the circuit tomorrow from&nbsp;14:00 to&nbsp;17:00 for the first free practice session.</p>

<p>Watch the&nbsp;<strong><a href="http://fiawec.tv/page/679a56921229db49627128a6">FIA WEC live</a></strong>&nbsp;or on demand on the official&nbsp;FIA WEC TV app, your all-access pass to the FIA World Endurance&nbsp;Championship including the&nbsp;24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans. Don&#39;t miss a second of the action! For more info, go to the app.</p>

2025 24 Hours of Le Mans – Peugeot TotalEnergies wins 4th Pit Stop Challenge

<p style="text-align: justify;">To Manzon, the 24 Hours of Le Mans evokes &ldquo;only good memories&rdquo;. He was privileged enough to have shared a car with some of the greatest French champions of that time, namely Jean Behra, Louis Chiron, Louis Rosier, Maurice Trintignant and Jean Guichet. The last three won the 24 Hours: Rosier in 1950, Trintignant and Guichet in 1954.</p>

<p>At Manzon&rsquo;s side in the video is G&eacute;rard Larrousse, himself a winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1973 and 1974.</p>

<p>The 83rd Le Mans 24 Hours will take place on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 June 2015.</p>

24H LE MANS

Le Mans 24 Hours - Robert Manzon’s memories

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2025 24 Hours of Le Mans – Wednesday 11 June programme

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The Peugeot 9X8 under the microscope: has the Lion sharpened its claws?

2025 24 Hours of Le Mans – Peugeot TotalEnergies wins 4th Pit Stop Challenge

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