The 62 teams to compete in the 87th annual 24 Hours of Le Mans race (15-16 June 2019) will take to the track today (Wednesday) for free practice and the first qualifying session at night as things start to get serious ahead of this weekend’s race.
For the 297 drivers entered, the main priority today is to complete the five-night laps required by each driver, including the most experience, within one of the two-night sessions (Wednesday and Thursday, 22:00–00:00).
The second goal is to register a qualifying time in case rain disrupts the next day’s session. That done, everyone can concentrate on getting ready for the race itself. All in all, this is a pretty tense two hours!
Wednesday Schedule
- 10:00–15:00: Pit walk
- 10:00–00:00: Funfair16:00–20:00: 24 Hours of Le Mans Free Practice
- 20:00: Diva Faune in concert
- 20:30–21:30: Road To Le Mans Free Practice 1
- 22:00–00:00: 24 Hours of Le Mans Qualifying 1
Pit Walk
Anyone with a pit walk ticket can wander up and down the pit lane between 10:00 and 15:00 and take a look at each team’s set-up for race week. They will particularly see the mechanics busy on the cars to get them ready for the free practice and qualifying sessions.
Fun-Fair
The traditional fun-fair (near the Ford chicanes) will be open for thrills and spills from 10:00 to midnight. The huge Ferris wheel stands towers above a host of exciting rides and typical fairground attractions such as shooting galleries, dodgems and many more. Come and enjoy all the fun of the fair without leaving the circuit!
Free Practice
With the times clocked having no impact at all on the starting grid and the newcomers having already got to know the track during Test Day, the four hours of Free Practice (16:00–20:00) give teams a chance to adjust their car setups before qualifying. Some teams focus on the race and plump for long stints at the wheel; others have their eyes on the clock and opt for aggressive setups. Watch out for the traffic!