24h Le Mans
An intermittent history
| 1959 |
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The new test programme in April, allowed manufacturers, drivers and organizers to prepare. The event quickly became an indispensable in the run-up to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. |
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| .1965 | |
| Death of Lucky Cassner. | |
| 1966 | |
| Death of Walt Hansgen. | |
| 1967 | |
| Death of Roby Weber. | |
| 1968 | |
| Death of Lucien Bianchi. | |
| 1971 | |
| Driving of a Porsche 917 L, Jackie Oliver lapped in 3'13"6 at an average speed of 250 km/h and a top speed of 386 km/h ! To this day, the absolute fastest lap of the circuit. | |
| 1971 | |
| Four years later the event evolved into a race called the "3 hours of Le Mans" and "4 hours of Le Mans". | |
| 1975 | |
| The energy crisis forces organizers to cancel preliminary testing. | |
| 1986 | |
| The April event is reintroduced with two sprint races of 11 laps each. | |
| 1988 | |
| Scheduling problems brought another break in the history of the test day. | |
| 1993 | |
| With the reintroduction of GT cars to the grid, the test day returns. | |
| 1995 | |
| With an over-subscribed entry, pre-qualifying sessions become competitive for teams without invitations to the 24 hours. For some, the late afternoon turns into a desperate race against the clock. | |
| 1997 | |
| Death of Sébastien Enjolras. | |
| 2000 | |
| Now reserved only for teams already invited to the 24 hours in June, the test day loses its competitive element. | |
| 2009 | |
| Test day cancelled due to economic crisis. | |
| 2011 | |
| Test day returns ! Optional for teams woh have already competed in the Le Mans 24 Hours, but mandatory for new drivers who must do a minimum of 10 laps. | |
| 2012 | |
| Competitors will have two practice sessions of four hours each (9:00 - 13:00 and 14:00 - 18:00) to work on set-up, strategies and rehearse pit stops. |
