Archive
The WM team at Le Mans: Straight Fighters
The rear wing was wound down and the boost wound up. Duct tape was strapped across almost every bodywork orifice and some brave soul was strapped into the cockpit. The…
100 years of Le Mans
Gerlach Delissen/Corbis via Getty Images
Le Mans celebrates a century of innovation, daring and brilliance at this weekend’s running of the 24 Hour event.
As modern Hypercars battle to join the greats of decades past, we look back at the moments that made an endurance test into the world’s greatest race, and ahead to who will come out on top in 2023.
Le Mans 24 Hours: 100 years at the limit
Top 100 Le Mans moments
Latest on Le Mans – past and present
Great Read
Archive
Driving Le Mans-winner Richard Attwood’s Porsche 917
The Porsche 917 is one of the machines in the running to be named Race Car of the Century; will it get your vote? Click below or scroll to the…
Archive
1991 Le Mans 24 Hours report: the one that Mazda won
The writing was on the wall. Thousands of British enthusiasts made the ritual visit to the famous Restaurant des Hunaudieres, to find that this bastion of French cuisine, right alongside…
Great Read
Archive
How Tim Birkin’s friend got his Le Mans legend down – on paper
Michael Burn is 92, a former Times correspondent, poet and playwright. But when Henry Birkin met him he was a young student who had never written anything. A mere three…
Archive
Le Mans 24 Hours of 1925: A race to remember
This, the greatest race for cars in touring trim, took place at Le Mans on June 20th, 1925, finishing 24 hours later. Arriving at the circuit six days before the…
Archive
1988 Le Mans 24 Hours report: Jaguar’s Finest Day
The one nightmare shared by Jaguar’s board members was the possibility of defeat at Le Mans. Last year the three entries were prepared beautifully, but lasted only 16 hours effectively,…
Great Read
Archive
How Williams designed a Le Mans winner: the ultra-efficient BMW V12 LMR
Before Williams and BMW tied the knot in Formula 1 they underwent a trial marriage in sports car racing. Unlike the F1 enterprise it quickly proved successful, adding a Le…
Great Read
Archive
The greatest race: Ferrari vs Ford scrap at the 1967 Le Mans 24 Hours
My lamented friend Jabby Crombac always considered the 1967 Le Mans 24 Hours to have been the greatest in the long history of the race. The quality of the entry,…
Archive
1984 Le Mans 24 Hours report: Joest clinches ninth Porsche win
Even when they announced their boycott of the Le Mans 24-hour race in March, Porsche must have known that success was assured. Did not they take the top eight places…
Archive
The WM team at Le Mans: Straight Fighters
The rear wing was wound down and the boost wound up. Duct tape was strapped across almost every bodywork orifice and some brave soul was strapped into the cockpit. The…
Great Read
Archive
Driving Le Mans-winner Richard Attwood’s Porsche 917
The Porsche 917 is one of the machines in the running to be named Race Car of the Century; will it get your vote? Click below or scroll to the…
Archive
1991 Le Mans 24 Hours report: the one that Mazda won
The writing was on the wall. Thousands of British enthusiasts made the ritual visit to the famous Restaurant des Hunaudieres, to find that this bastion of French cuisine, right alongside…
Great Read
Archive
How Tim Birkin’s friend got his Le Mans legend down – on paper
Michael Burn is 92, a former Times correspondent, poet and playwright. But when Henry Birkin met him he was a young student who had never written anything. A mere three…
Archive
Le Mans 24 Hours of 1925: A race to remember
This, the greatest race for cars in touring trim, took place at Le Mans on June 20th, 1925, finishing 24 hours later. Arriving at the circuit six days before the…
Archive
1988 Le Mans 24 Hours report: Jaguar’s Finest Day
The one nightmare shared by Jaguar’s board members was the possibility of defeat at Le Mans. Last year the three entries were prepared beautifully, but lasted only 16 hours effectively,…
Great Read
Archive
How Williams designed a Le Mans winner: the ultra-efficient BMW V12 LMR
Before Williams and BMW tied the knot in Formula 1 they underwent a trial marriage in sports car racing. Unlike the F1 enterprise it quickly proved successful, adding a Le…
Great Read
Archive
The greatest race: Ferrari vs Ford scrap at the 1967 Le Mans 24 Hours
My lamented friend Jabby Crombac always considered the 1967 Le Mans 24 Hours to have been the greatest in the long history of the race. The quality of the entry,…
Archive
1984 Le Mans 24 Hours report: Joest clinches ninth Porsche win
Even when they announced their boycott of the Le Mans 24-hour race in March, Porsche must have known that success was assured. Did not they take the top eight places…