When you get a chance to race at Le Mans, there’s only one way to do it, even if the grid is made up of jaw-dropping, irreplaceable, and terrifyingly expensive cars.

Next month’s Le Mans Classic races will be just as hard-fought as this year’s 24 Hours, with grids full of meticulously prepared machinery, including the Ford GT40, seen above, which will be raced by Alex Brundle.

We’ve partnered with the driver and F1 pundit to take you to the heart of the fierce competition at one of the world’s premier historic racing meets. In this first video of our short series, we start with a look at the lengths entrants go to in order to eke every last horsepower for maximum speed on the Mulsanne Straight.

It’s a crucial element for a circuit that’s driven at full throttle for 85% of each lap, and Brundle takes us through the steps to ensure that the GT40’s V8 is producing maximum power at full efficiency.

Naturally, it’s interspersed with detailed footage of the inner workings and a glorious soundtrack of the engine’s roar, while Christian Hertrich, Ford Performance powertrain engineering manager, talks about how the GT40’s heritage is inspiring the firm’s future Hypercar.