24 uur van Le Mans 2023
After winning the grand prize in the photo contest, the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans promised to be a very special one for me personally. But it was also the 100th anniversary. And with 16 cars from major manufacturers competing in the top class, it was also one of the most exciting in years.
And that was amply fulfilled!
After finally collecting my prizes in the city, it was time for the pit walk and pit stop competition. Time for the mechanics to take center stage and compete to see who could change the tires the fastest. A great opportunity to get another up-close look at the cars.
On Wednesday, the track action got underway with the practice sessions. The #777 Aston Martin and #13 Tower Motorsports cars quickly suffered a major setback. Both cars were well-built and needed a lot of love and attention to get back on track. This was a harbinger of the chaos that would ensue in the race.
Thursday, during free practice, it was time for the helicopter flight I won. It was fantastic to see the cars racing around the track from above. It's something you won't soon forget.
On Thursday evening, the best cars from Wednesday's qualifying battled for the top starting positions in the Hyperpole session. Ultimately, the #50 Ferrari edged out the Toyotas and took pole position. This was celebrated wildly at Ferrari, right across from our grandstand.
The Road To Le Mans races were also held on Thursday evening and Friday. Plenty of action took place there as well, another precursor to the big race this weekend. MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi took the win in the GT class on Friday. He is expected to compete in the 24 Hours next year.
Also revealed on Friday was the Ford Mustang GT3 by the people of Ford Performance and Multimatic.
On Saturday, at 4:00 PM, it was finally time for the big race. And what a race it was! The first big crashes quickly arrived, and in the evening, several showers also fell, sometimes sending several cars off the track in a single corner. At the top, the lead changed regularly: 35 times, in fact, among 8 different cars from 6 different teams and 5 different manufacturers!
At one point in the evening, I was taking photos just past the Porsche curves when I heard on my radio that the leader, the #38 Jota Porsche, had spun off there. He immediately drove past, battered. In my haste, I snapped this slightly blurry photo. To my shock, the entire rear wing and hood were gone. That was pretty cool, literally capturing it right in front of my lens.
In the evening, I was able to watch pit stops from the VIP area above the garages, which my prizes also gave me access to. It was fantastic to be so close to the action and, of course, to be able to capture it all.
Because it was so exciting and unpredictable, I stayed up all night. I just watched, taking the occasional picture.
Some tried to get some sleep, with varying degrees of success...
Another remarkable event was the participation of a NASCAR car in the 24 Hours. This American monster was allowed in the Garage 56 category, and with special modifications like headlights instead of stickers and enhanced aerodynamics, this beast was unleashed. We regularly nodded approvingly to each other when that V8 power came by again—what a thrill. The sound of the Cadillacs was also impressive, but this was even more intense.
The sunrise wasn't exactly a beautiful one, unfortunately, with a lot of cloud. But luckily, enough happened in the race to keep things exciting. Towards the end, the leading Ferrari initially refused to restart after its final pit stop. Everyone held their breath; surely it wouldn't go wrong again at the end like in 2016?! But it did pull away, and after 50 years, Ferrari, with the #51 car, took another top-class victory at Le Mans. Motorsport history was made.
It's wonderful to be there and experience it in such a unique way. Despite the occasional chaotic event and the occasional misstep in the organization, it remains one of the most beautiful events in the world. And with 325,000 visitors, it's also one of the largest!
