The first free practice session for the LM P3 race Road to Le Mans is over.

24H Le Mans

24 Heures du Mans

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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

<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

The wait is over - the 94th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is less than a week away, but to fuel the excitement for the on track proceedings, the opening Sunday is the Test Day with two Free Practice sessions, both three hours in duration - with teams able to eye the competition and throw down plenty of kilometres on the Circuit de la Sarthe for the first time this year.

<p>For most teams, today&#39;s running is to gain crucial kilometres ahead of the official Free Practice and Qualifying sessions later in the week. Unlike other circuits - Circuit de la Sarthe can only be driven once a year so it is important for drivers to reacquaint themselves with the speed, track surface conditions and unique nature of the circuit. For teams, they will be getting their heads around tyre choices, aerodynamic balance and the ultimate set-up for qualifying as well as the blueprint for the race itself.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As the clock struck 10:00 local time, the Le Mans air was filled with the sound of endurance racing machines once again. The #15 BMW M-Hybrid V8 of Philipp Eng had the honour of leading the 62 car field out of the pitlane and onto the track for the very first time in 2026.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2>The Headlines</h2>

<p>Cadillac stole the opening march in the first Free Practice session in 2026, with first, the #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA machine driven by Will Stevens drawing first blood before the sister #101 Wayne Taylor Racing car driven by Filipe Albuquerque stealing the bragging rights at the death.<br />
Home hopes were also ignited as Alpine who had been lingering in the top 10, flashed into second with Charles Milesi behind the wheel of the A424.</p>

<p>It was to be a fairly incident-free opening session at Le Mans with the first Free Practice session a prime opportunity for all 62-teams to get vital time out on track.<br />
<br />
However, with a little under 30 minutes remaining the #8 Toyota TR010 Hybrid Hypercar and the&nbsp;#25 Algarve Pro Racing LMP2 machine had a coming together on the run up to the Goodyear Bridge. Both drivers walked away unharmed but that created a 15-minute window of opportunity.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />
<br />
During the course of the three-hour test, it wasn&rsquo;t only the drivers and teams in action. The legion of circuit marshals were also in action today and several Full Course Yellow and Safety Car simulations were organised, to prepare everyone for the race week ahead.</p>

<h2>Hypercars</h2>

<p>With a couple of support race sessions before the Le Mans entrants took to the track, the circuit rubbered in nicely - allowing quick lap times from beginning. The #007 Aston Martin Valkyrie in the hands of Harry Tincknell was the first to dip under the 3:30 barrier with a flurry of cars from Alpine, Cadillac and Toyota following in hot pursuit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The #009 Aston Martin of Marco S&oslash;rensen leapfrogged the sister car with a sub 3:29 before Cadillac roared to the front with a sub 3:28 - lowering the bar to 3:27:843 in the hands of Will Stevens. The gold, American Cadillac V-Series R run by British firm JOTA Sport held the top spot for the majority of the session before a flury of aciticty once the session resumed after the red flag.&nbsp;Filipe Albuquerque stole the show with a 3:27.011 in the last few moments of the session, with the&nbsp; #35 Alpine of Charles Milesi also sneaking infront of the #12 Cadillac.</p>

<p>Elsewhere, at one point, there were five&nbsp;manufacturers in the top six&nbsp;spots with Cadillac leading Alpine, Aston Martin, Ferrari and Toyota&nbsp;on the time sheets.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, the 2025 race winners - the #83 Ferrari 499P ended the session 14th but were one of the high-profile teams to receive a stop-go penalty in the session for going over track limits - while searching for those vital tenths on the stopwatch.</p>

<h2>LMP2</h2>

<p>Crowdstrike Racing by APR stole the initial march in LMP2 before AF Corse took on the mantle as LMP2 session topper. The Italian team were the first to dive under the 3.36 mark with their ORECA chalking up a 3:35.526 at the fall of the flag ahead of the aforementioned Crowdstrike Racing car in third with Inter Europol getting in on the action in second.</p>

<p>The #3 DKR Engineering car had a difficult session, with the Luxembourg time taking a trip into the gravel early in the session and towards the end of the three hours, receiving a stop-go repercussion for track limits.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>&nbsp;</h2>

<h2>LMGT3</h2>

<p>In the LMGT3 class, Garage 59 held the early pace with a 1-2 in their McLaren 720s LMGT3 Evos - but it was to be Vista AF Corse who captured the early bragging rights at the top of the table with its Ferrari 296 LMGT3 Evo with a 3:57.366. Racing Spirit of Leman showed Aston Martin are competitive on all fronts at Le Mans this year with the #59 car second ahead of the Akkodis ASP Team in third. The category is always incredibly close throughout - with the first ten cars in class separated by less than a second.</p>

<h2>Talking Points&hellip;</h2>

<p>There was a new shape and sound around the 13.626km venue for the first time today. Making its Le Mans debut - the Genesis GMR-001-Hypercar. Cameras were at the ready, as they rolled out with the other 16 Hypercars on Sunday morning. Andr&eacute; Lotterer in the #17 machine and Daniel Juncadella in the #19 had the honour of giving the South Korean marque their Le Mans on track debut. Between the two fiery orange coloured machines, they amassed 67 laps between them - and a best time of 3:28.738. We look forward to seeing how they progress over the week.</p>

<p><u><strong>Top 5 Classification</strong></u></p>

<p>1. Cadillac V-Series.R #101 Cadillac WTR &ndash; Ricky Taylor / Jordan Taylor / Filipe Albuquerque - 3:27.011<br />
2.Alpine A424 #35 Alpine Endurance Team &ndash; Ant&oacute;nio F&eacute;lix Da Costa / Charles Milesi / Ferdinand Habsburg - 3:27.339<br />
3. Cadillac V-Series.R #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA &ndash; Louis Del&eacute;traz / Will Stevens / Norman Nato - 3:27.843<br />
4. Aston Martin Valkyrie #009 Aston Martin THOR Team &ndash; Alex Riberas / Marco S&oslash;rensen / Roman De Angelis - 3:28.086<br />
5. Ferrari 499P #50 Ferrari-AF Corse &ndash; Antonio Fuoco / Nicklas Nielsen / Miguel Molina - 3:28.291</p>

<p><u><strong>Fastest times in the LMP2 and LMGT3 categories:</strong></u></p>

<ul>
	<li>LMP2: Oreca 07-Gibson #183 AF Corse &ndash; Fran&ccedil;ois Perrodo / Matthieu Vaxiviere / Ben Barnicoat (LMP2 Pro/Am) - 3:35.526</li>
	<li>LMGT3: Ferrari 296 LMGT3 Evo #21 Vista AF Corse &ndash; Fran&ccedil;ois Heriau / Simon Mann / Alessio Rovera - 3:57.366</li>
</ul>

<p style="text-align: center;">&gt;&gt; <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/results/2026">Find the complete results</a> &lt;&lt;</p>

<p><br />
<strong>The Test Day continues with the second of two Free Practice sessions starting at 15:30 local time later today.</strong></p>

Cadillac carves its way to the front in opening Free Practice

At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, everything is on the line everywhere, all the time: on the track, in the garages and sometimes in the details that only the clock reveals. With Live Timing Pro, step into the shoes of a team engineer and experience the race more fully than ever!

<p>How do you keep track of cars speeding at more than&nbsp;300 kph, strategies that pivot&nbsp;in a matter of minutes&nbsp;and a race that always has so much going on at once?&nbsp;From&nbsp;your smartphone, tablet or&nbsp;laptop, Live Timing Pro offers a&nbsp;precise, dynamic&nbsp;and immersive reading of the race, including&nbsp;car positions on the track, live gaps, sector times, overtakings, Race Control messages and much more. It is a tool designed for enthusiasts, but&nbsp;accessible to everyone. Whether you are discovering this legendary race&nbsp;for the first time or returning to Le Mans after years away, it will transform the way you experience the main event&nbsp;of the FIA WEC season.</p>

<h2>a new way to follow the race</h2>

<p>It could be a&nbsp;pit stop shorter or longer than expected, an overtaking&nbsp;at the Dunlop Chicane for the overall or class lead, a&nbsp;battle erupting&nbsp;at the Indianapolis Corner or a a&nbsp;few tenths of a second gained in a certain section of the circuit: Live Timing Pro for the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans and the FIA ​​WEC makes it possible to decript these decisive moments.</p>

<p>You will also be able to follow the 62 competitors around the circuit live. Where is the #51&nbsp;Ferrari 499 P right now? How many&nbsp;seconds separate the current race&nbsp;leader from his opponents?&nbsp;At what point does a specific&nbsp;LMGT3 get back up to speed? This feature of Live Timing Pro is like having a bird&#39;s eye view of the circuit from the comfort of your home.</p>

<p>It&#39;s all in the details. With Live Timing Pro, you have access to:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Live lap times</li>
	<li>Sector split times</li>
	<li>Gaps between competitors</li>
	<li>Performance comparisons between drivers</li>
	<li>A driver line-up&#39;s progress in the standings over the hours</li>
</ul>

<h2>understand strategies&nbsp;in real time</h2>

<p>The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a game of chess played at full speed. Sometimes, the decisive move is made far from the cameras, so to&nbsp;identify the various team&nbsp;strategies&nbsp;as the race unfolds, Live Timing Pro provides access to:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Flag activity and neutralisations</li>
	<li>Race Control communications</li>
	<li>Overtakings</li>
	<li>The timeline of key in-race events</li>
</ul>

<p>Info like Full Course Yellows, Safety Car deployments, incidents on the track and penalties incurred are reported in real time. This makes it possible to understand what is reshaping the race at any given moment.</p>

<h2>Customise your&nbsp;Live Timing</h2>

<p>Undoubtedly one of Live Timing Pro&rsquo;s greatest strengths is that&nbsp;everyone can use it in their own way. Do you like following the battle at the front? Then show&nbsp;only the Hypercars. Are you watching&nbsp;the race with an eye on the GTs? Create your own selection. Are you a strategy enthusiast? Prioritise&nbsp;the gaps, lap times&nbsp;and race events.</p>

<p>Live Timing Pro allows you to personalise what you see to your preferences, turning it into a your very own 24 Hours of Le Mans&nbsp;dashboard. After all, there are many ways to experience the race.</p>

<p>No matter where you are, you won&#39;t miss a critical&nbsp;moment with&nbsp;Live Timing Pro at hand.</p>

<p>Live Timing Pro for the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans&nbsp;is available thanks to&nbsp;FIAWEC+. This platform is available <strong><a href="https://plus.fiawec.com/en" target="_blank">online</a></strong>&nbsp;and as an app at the&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://apps.apple.com/fr/app/fiawec/id6758774317" target="_blank">App Store</a></strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=se.staylive.fia&amp;utm_source=emea_Med" target="_blank">Google Play</a></strong>.</p>

2026 24 Hours of Le Mans – Enjoy the race even more thanks to Live Timing Pro!

With less than a week to go before the start of the 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans, round three of the 2026 FIA WEC, the circuit is humming its favourite tune.

<p>The full <strong>13.626-km circuit</strong> is alive with the drone of engines. At 10:00 precisely, the light at the end of the pit lane turned green, indicating the beginning of 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans Test Day. The <strong>Team WRT #15 BMW M Hybrid V8</strong> was first out. The <strong>Hypercar</strong> set off with <strong>Philipp Eng</strong> at the wheel.</p>

<p>After months of eager anticipation, fans delight in seeing the cars on the circuit at last. Teams are grateful for the opportunity of a dress rehearsal on the actual stage before the big day. Drivers get acquainted or reacquainted with the foibles of a circuit like no other, where <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/explore-the-24-hours-of-le-mans-circuit-turn-by-turn-60679">every turn tells a different story</a>. And of course, today&rsquo;s the day we all play &ldquo;spot the livery&rdquo;.</p>

<p>Teams begin by completing <strong>the customary reconnaissance lap</strong>, to make sure the car is working properly before the testing begins in earnest. In the pits, engineers, mechanics and drivers fall rapidly in step, atuning to their surroundings. Everyone knows that time invested on track today can make a difference next weekend.</p>

<p>Weather-wise, this year&rsquo;s Test Day conditions are ideal: <strong>blue sky and a comfortable 22&deg;C</strong>.</p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2>striking a balance</h2>

<p>Test Day is a vital part of 24 Hours of Le Mans preparation. Teams collect precious data which the use to adapt their cars to the circuit&rsquo;s specific demands.</p>

<p>Aerodynamic set-up, chassis balance, tyre behaviour, fuel and energy consumption: every detail is meticulously analysed. In a race where short-term performance is balanced with long-term reliability, finding the ideal compromise between the two is a complex yet stimulating challenge.</p>

<p>There are several free practice sessions in the run-up to the race. However, the track time is split between three drivers. Test Day is therefore an opportunity for drivers to get to grips with the circuit ahead of the qualifying sessions.</p>

<p>For first-time Le Mans drivers and those absent in recent years, Test Day driving is mandatory. They are required to complete at least ten laps, five of them timed, to be authorised to take the wheel in the race.</p>

<p><strong>&ldquo;The first few minutes of Test Day are always delicate because the track is still green,&rdquo;</strong> says Antonio Fuoco, driver of the #50 Ferrari 499P of Ferrari-AF Corse. <strong>&quot;However, we still take the opportunity to drive a Ferrari on the circuit, which is always a privilege.&rdquo;</strong></p>

<h2>early indications of form</h2>

<p>There are no prizes for speed today. However, lap times will be scrutinised! They are the first indication of form ahead of the race.</p>

<p>Last year, the Toyota Gazoo Racing #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid clocked the fastest time on test day: <strong>03:26.246</strong>. In <strong>LMP2</strong>, the #22 Oreca 07-Gibson of United Autosports set the standard at <strong>03:35.770</strong>, while theAkkodis ASP Team #87 Lexus RC F LMGT3 was fastest in <strong>LMGT3</strong> with <strong>03:55.276</strong>.</p>

<p>However, at Le Mans, appearances can be deceiving. Test Day is for<strong> laying the foundations of the week ahead</strong>. The times on Test Day tables say little of the work behind the scenes. Teams are busy analysing set-up data, preparing their drivers and drawing up race strategy.</p>

<p>Follow <a href="https://plus.fiawec.com/en/livestream/s-24-hours-of-le-mans-free-practice-1-test-day-596ofs">Live Timing Pro</a> for the low-down on each of the 62 cars in the field. An insight into how performance is shaping up, the app contains all the details you need to grasp the intricacies of the race: lap times, gaps, sectors, stints and evolution throughout the day. With Live Timing Pro, identify 24 Hours of Le Mans team strategy and watch it play out.</p>

The 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans Test Day has begun!

<p style="text-align: justify;">The best time of 04:05.758 was set by Thomas Laurent in the #85 Ligier JS P3. Second best was British driver James Winslow in the #61 Ligier who is also at the wheel of the Race Performance Oreca in LM P2 in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">Another Briton, Martin Brundle, who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1990 is in the top five (#2 Ligier). Dutchman Jan Lammer, who won Le Mans in 1988 with Jaguar is also taking part in Road to Le Mans.</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">The best time in GT3 was set by another Le Mans competitor, Victor Shaytar, in the Ferrari 458 from Russian team SMP Racing who won LM GTE Am at Le Mans last year. Shaytar&rsquo;s teammate is Boris Rotenberg, owner of BR01, which designs the LM P2 chassis of the same name.</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">The next Road to Le Mans session is scheduled at 14:30 on 16 June followed by the qualifying session at 18:00.</p>

<p>The first qualifying session of the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans will be on Wednesday at 22:00.&nbsp;</p>

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The 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans Test Day has begun!

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