Photo : sebastien.BASSANI/ACO - sebastien.BASSANI/ACO

 

This hairpin is part of the legend of Le Mans, it was abandoned in its original version in 1928 for safety reasons. Safety concerns are often the main reason for changes to the circuit over time. However, it is mainly the expansion of the city of Le Mans that pushed the ACO to abandon the Pontlieue hairpin permanently for a third version of the track in 1932.

Here is a small overview of the the different routes used since 1923.

It was then not for more than twenty years that a new circuit was created. After the terrible accident in 1955, the pit area was reviewed from top to bottom, but it was not enough in the end to ensure maximum security for drivers and spectators. In the late 1960s, speeds were so high that the Ford chicane was introduced which meant a new starting grid was created and the Maison Blanche corner was bypassed - again for safety reasons.

Many other  changes have occurred since then and drivers in the 90th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which takes place next weekend, will be racing on the 14th evolution of the course! Besides the construction of the two chicanes on the Mulsanne straight, it is the area between the Dunlop chicane , the Esses and  Tertre Rouge corner that has undergone the most changes, mainly because of ... motorcycles! We must not forget that the Moto GP (Grand Prix de France) motorcycle race takes place on the permanent part of the ACO's circuit, the Bugatti circuit (built in the 1970s).

The current circuit of 13.629 km was lapped no less than 397 times by the victors in 2010, namely Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Mike Rockenfeller at the wheel of their Audi R15 TDI+, holders of the record distance travelled over 24 hours (5410.713 km).

Cécile Bonardel / ACO