They say it always rains at the Le Mans 24 Hours, and the forecast for the 2024 race is not about to prove that wrong.

While race day dawned in bright sunshine, the clouds are already rolling over the startline and light rain is forecast for around 3pm BST at the start of the race.

That could last for 1-2 hours, with a dry spell then predicted until the early hours of the morning when heavier rain is set to arrive. Showers are expected from around 4am, and the rain is predicted to last throughout the day, providing a continued challenge for the increasingly tired drivers on a track that will now be treacherously littered by tyre debris off the racing line.

The winners look likely to be sprinkled with rain as well as champagne on the podium, with Sunday forecast to be a washout.

2024 Le Mans weather forecast (updated 15 June)

All times BST

Wet weather always adds to the challenge at Le Mans, where the sections of public road can be treacherously slippery. Changeable conditions can really catch drivers out if they find themselves on slick tyres, miles away from the pits when the rain starts falling.

We saw it last year when a Saturday afternoon shower sent multiple cars spinning off, with several retiring as a result.

Jack Aitken was an early victim of the slippery conditions, losing his No311 Action Express Cadillac at the Mulsanne Chicane on the opening lap and spearing into the wall. Despite a destroyed front end and front-left tyre facing inwards, he managed to limp back to the pits but later finished 17th.

Hours later, another sudden downpour hit the Porsche Curves and sent the No709 Glickenhaus of Esteban Gutierrez into a spin, just as Lilou Wadoux‘s No83 Ferrari came careering backwards after aquaplaning, swiping the Hypercar and then crashing into the No31 Team WRT LMP2 car of Ferdinand Habsburg.

But as we saw last year, forecasts can often be wide of the mark. While rain was due to fall overnight, as it is in 2024, the dark clouds never arrived.

Tyre strategy will again prove the main factor in who comes out on top, as choosing when to switch from wets to slicks or vice-versa can gain significant lap time and lead to huge margins of advantage thanks to the long lap distance.

Equally, the wrong decision can send them flying into the armco and destroy a year of preparation in process.