24 Hours of Le Mans
The 80th Le Mans 24 Hours will take place on 16-17 June 2012
The start of the 80th Le Mans 24 Hours will be given at 15h00 on Saturday 16th June 2012. Save this date for a race which promises to be an exceptional one. A test day will be held beforehand.
Next year, the Le Mans 24 Hours will be held a week later than in 2011 after an assessment of various factors, including the sporting and political calendars.
After a 2-year break, the test day was reintroduced in 2011. In 2012, it will take place on Sunday 3rd June two weeks before the race. This will enable the teams to set up home inside the circuit, and they will not have to dismantle their hospitality units etc before the blue riband event in the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship.
Vincent Beaumesnil, Automobile Club de L’Ouest Sports Manager: “In 2011, the test day was held on 24th April due to the introduction of the new regulations, which meant that manufacturers had to build new cars for the LM P1 and LM P2 categories. It was essential to allow them to test their cars on the 24-Hours circuit well before the race itself. This time, in agreement with the entrants, it has been decided to organize the test day again because of its technical and sporting utility, but shortly before the event to minimize its budgetary impact on the teams and organizers.”
The full calendars of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship and the events on the Le Mans circuits for next year will be announced at a later date.
Discussion
14 comments for “The 80th Le Mans 24 Hours will take place on 16-17 June 2012”
Post a comment
Also visit
Categories
Recent Comments
- Bamba on Hughes and Firth to lead Murphy Prototypes ELMS Challenge
- William Mound on Lotus Motorsports and Alex Job Racing Form Lotus AJR
- William Mound on Hughes and Firth to lead Murphy Prototypes ELMS Challenge
- kw on FIA WEC/ALMS – Sebring 12 Hours – Entry List
- K. Hayes on FIA WEC/ALMS – Sebring 12 Hours – Entry List
- kw on FIA WEC/ALMS – Sebring 12 Hours – Entry List
- K. Hayes on FIA WEC/ALMS – Sebring 12 Hours – Entry List
- Bamba on FIA WEC/ALMS – Sebring 12 Hours – Entry List
The OTHER reason why they’re moving the test day is so it doesn’t clash with some F1 race. I knew that bad things were going to happen when the FIA got involved with Le Mans.
More importantly Simon, the test day was a real bugger for the ALMS calendar this year. I think in ’08 it was also early June, wasn’t it? Don’t think that the FIA is doing any harm (yet).
Lets wait to see the rest of the schedule before we completely throw the FIA under the bus . . .
@Simon,it isn’t the test day falling on the same date as an F1 race that’s the problem, it’s having the 24 hours held on the same day as the Canadian grand prix 2 years running. Hopefully they’ll figure that out so some of the F1 drivers can compete at Le Mans
@SchellZ; I don’t think we’ll ever see a current F1 driver also competing at Le Mans again (which is a shame), so having the worlds greatest race run on the same weekend as the Canadian GP is not, for me at least, a problem. I suspect the ‘other sporting calendars’ the article talks about is European Cup football, not the F1 calendar.
The Le Mans schedule starts to remind me more and more of the Indy 500, where the whole testing, qualifying, and racing procedure also takes several weeks in a row. On one hand it’s good for most of the teams, because a big part of the equipment can stay at Le Mans, but on the other hand it’s going to be an exhausting job for the drivers who have contracts in other series which will have races on the weekend inbetween the testing and the race weekend (DTM?, GT1?).
And yes, it’s a pity that it hasn’t been possible for years for Formula One drivers to compete at Le Mans, but I guess that with the current F1 timetable of about 18 races a year it would be hard anyway for any F1 driver to make a serious attempt, because he would need to participate in tests and at least one race before to have a decent preparation.
It’s better for everyone if there is no clash with F1.
If that’s a main reason then I’m fine with it.
It means we all don’t have to stay up for 30+ hours and drivers/personnel get to see or attend both.
Plus here in Australia, they prioritize F1 and moto gp, causing Le Mans to be delayed for an even later start than normal, and gaps in the coverage (I watch on free tv, not fox), so at least with this change, I’ve only got the bikes to worry about…
Yeah SchellZ – I’m from Australia too – I love F1, but cutting away from Le Mans to watch qualifying IS my idea of hell at that point in time!
They did it for NASCAR qualifying too, straight after.
I didn’t know that, I just went to bed so I could wake up bright and early for the morning sesh (Aus time)
I think LeMans needs that whole week of preparations. Even then that’s short. For the 24hrs of daytona some teams are at the track a month before the race.
LeMans doesn’t have that luxury, since it happens mid-season.
But a well supported driver can still do it. But it would be tough. They would have to know the F1 ride and LeMans ride very well and in and out.
Bourdais did in 2008 and 2009. And Red Bull was all behind him. He had a red bull sponsorship patch on his driving suit
Bourdais drove in 2009 both F1 and Le Mans.
That’s right he did not do lemans in 2008. But he was in champ car and did lemans in 2007. So 2007 and 2009
Le Mans also can’t have long preparations beforehand because they aren’t allowed to close the roads for too long.