Not sure how you usually experience the 24 Hours of Le Mans, though for me it’s 24 hours of zen. I usually watch 24 hours on my own sucked completely in the endurance of staying awake. Usually around 22:00 in the evening with a couple of beers and around three in the night, I accompany myself with some coffee or a Red Bull. It is these hours that give me personally the experience of pure rest and zen. It might sound weird, though I have friends who experience the 24 Hours of Le Mans the same way. By the way, on purpose I used Frits van Eerd’s LMP2 on as the cover photo.
This year’s edition was no difference from all the 20 previous 24 hours I experienced. Saw a lot of complaining on my socials regarding the long safety car periods, the full-course yellows. I got to say it didn’t bother me at all. I believe that it belongs to the sport and especially to this race. Personally i get easier bored when it is just full-throttle racing. I can’t recall a Le Mans where the top 5 was this close all the time. The Hypercar series is an amazing addition to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
I have to admit I enjoyed the battles in the LMP2 and the GT even more. Especially the LMP2 is where the more unknown drivers, the once with a silver or bronze status, show their talent. It is just the total atmosphere. I mean, watching autosport in the middle of the night is another dimension. It is more or less a similar feeling when the Australian Grand Prix started at 5 in the morning and you had to wake up early.
Have to admit, im a huge fan of the Videoland team that covers the Le Mans over here in the Netherlands. With Allard Kalff as pit reporter who knows everything and the commentary duo’s who change after several hours it is never boring. The information they give, the explanation and the interaction with the fans is something I prefer.
As I tweeted in the night I do miss teams and brands like Pescarolo, Zytek, Lola, Dome and so on that used to be on the grid. However, I think that in the near future we will have many new brands appearing on the grid at Le Mans. Can’t wait to see Bugatti, BRM, Vanwell, Lola and so on return. Moreover, how about the nitrogen cars that will make their debut in 2028? Endurance is in base more interesting than the Formula one anyway.