Le Mans Centenary

Le Mans Centenary

Definition and Historical Background
The Le Mans Centenary marks the historic 100th anniversary of the inaugural 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in 2023. First staged in 1923 at the iconic Circuit de la Sarthe in France, the event was suspended nine times over the past century due to wars, strikes, and the pandemic. Nevertheless, it has stood the test of time to become the world’s oldest and most prestigious endurance racing spectacle. The 91st edition in 2023 carried immense commemorative significance, not only honouring a century of motorsport heritage but also ushering Le Mans into its next hundred-year chapter.

The Centenary Race Spectacle
Held from 10 to 11 June 2023 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, the centenary edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans played out before a sold-out crowd of 325,000 trackside spectators, with motorsport fans from across the globe gathering to witness history. A 62-car grid contested across three categories—Hypercar, LMP2, and GTE—with the premier Hypercar class showcasing 16 machines fielded by eight teams from seven major marques, including Ferrari, Porsche, Toyota, Peugeot, and Cadillac.

Ferrari's Historic Triumph
The headline story of the centenary race was the fairy-tale comeback of Ferrari, returning to the top tier of Le Mans for the first time since 1973 with its purpose-built 499P prototype. In front of 325,000 cheering fans, the No. 51 Ferrari 499P, piloted by the trio of Antonio Giovinazzi, James Calado, and Alessandro Pier Guidi, completed 342 laps to take the overall chequered flag. This marked Ferrari’s first outright Le Mans victory since 1965, with the historic win ending a 58-year drought and adding to the magic of the centenary celebrations. Following an intense, race-long duel with the No. 8 Toyota, Ferrari sealed victory with a 1-minute and 27-second margin.

Special Centenary Highlights
To mark the milestone, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) lined up a host of special festivities. NBA superstar LeBron James served as the official honorary starter, becoming the first basketball icon in Le Mans history to wave the green flag. The race week also featured a centenary parade exhibition, alongside bespoke heritage liveries from competing manufacturers. Porsche paid homage to its storied Le Mans track record with a unique seven-colour stripe livery spanning from nose to tail across its three 963 entries. Meanwhile, Michelin showcased its new motorsport vision, "Racing for Change", spotlighting a century of technical innovation and contributions at Le Mans.

Le Mans Classic and Lasting Legacy
Carrying forward the centenary momentum, the 11th edition of the Le Mans Classic took place from 29 June to 2 July 2023. The event featured over 800 historic race cars, an 8,500-strong car club display, 150 exhibitors, and 1,000 drivers from 30 countries, drawing an unprecedented turnout of over 200,000 visitors to set an all-time record since its inception in 2002. The monumental success of the Le Mans Centenary not only paid homage to a rich heritage, but also laid a solid foundation for the future of endurance racing, celebrating a century-long pursuit of speed, endurance, and engineering excellence.