24 Hours of Le Mans 2022 - How does it work? What are the rules? How long do the drivers drive for?
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Updated 10/06/2022 at 16:48 GMT
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a sporting event like no other, but how does it work? How does a team win the event? What are the different classes? What is Hyperpole? How long do drivers drive for? And - most importantly – how do you watch the 24 Hours of Le Mans across Eurosport, the Eurosport app and discovery+? Find out all you need to know about the event here.
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The 90th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans takes place at the Circuit de la Sarthe this week.
The world’s most famous automobile endurance race will welcome a full crowd again after being held behind closed doors in 2020 and then with a restricted attendance last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The race - which takes place over a 24-hour period - has many rules and regulations for the drivers and teams to adhere to. So here is a run-down of how the race is formatted throughout the week, and everything you need to know.
How does a team win 24 Hours of Le Mans?
The team that covers the most distance over the course of the race will win 24 Hours of Le Mans. Each team has three drivers that alternate over the course of the 24 hours.
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When is qualifying for 24 Hours of Le Mans? And how does it work?
Ahead of the start of the race on Saturday June 11 at 15:00, there are four free practice sessions, a qualifying session and Hyperpole. They are structured as such:
Wednesday, June 8
- 13:00 to 16:00 – Free practice 1
- 18:00 to 19:00 – Qualifying session
- 21:00 to 23:00 – Free practice 2
Thursday, June 9
- 14:00 to 17:00 – Free practice 3
- 19:00 to 19:30 – Hyperpole
- 21:00 to 23:00 – Free practice 4
In qualifying, drivers set out to record the fastest lap, and most starting positions for the race are determined during this session. However, with up to 62 cars on the track in qualifying, laying down a flying lap is difficult. Therefore, the six fastest drivers in each class from the qualifying session will qualify for Hyperpole, and the top six from that session will determine the top six places in each class for the race.
The practice sessions allow teams to refine their settings and specifications.
When does the actual race start?
After the grid is confirmed and the final practice session has been completed, there is the warm-up on Saturday followed by the race, as follows:
Saturday, June 11
- 9:30 to 9:45 – Warm-up
- 15:00 – The race (coverage starts at 14:00)
Sunday, June 12
- 15:00 – Finish
How does 24 Hours of Le Mans start?
The drivers are led round the circuit by a safety car for one lap for a running start, whilst maintaining the order in which they qualified in. Once the safety car enters the pit lane at the end of this lap, the car who is leading takes control of the race and the 24 hours begin once each car crosses the line.
What are the different classes?
The different classes refer to cars of different specs, and those specs impact on their speed. There are four different classes for the race.
HYPERCAR: Endurance racing's top class - these are closed-cockpit prototype cars, and there are two types. An LMH is designed from scratch, or teams can work on a shared structure to develop a LMDh. Both cars have similar performances, and technical specifications.
LMP2: These are also closed-cockpit prototype cars open to private teams - there are four constructors in this class: Dallara, Oreca, Riley-Multimatic, Onroak.
LMGTE PRO: These are two-door road-legal cars open to professional drivers.
LMGTE AM: These are two-door road-legal cars open to amateur drivers.
What happens if there is a crash? What do the flags mean?
In the case of any incidents during the race, a yellow flag may be shown to advise drivers to slow down and be aware of a hazard on the track.
A red flag is shown at 24 Hours of Le Mans when a serious crash has occurred or to warn of adverse weather conditions; drivers must slow down and return to the ‘red flag line.’
Le Mans is known to be one of the most demanding sport endurance events with minimal lighting in specific areas of the track at night, to test the concentration of the drivers.
How long do 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers drive for?
Driver changes are crucial to succeeding at 24 Hours of Le Mans - teams must rotate through three drivers during the race.
During the 24 hours, no driver can be in the car for more than 14 hours, and drivers tend to drive for between 45 minutes and four hours. Changeovers occur as teams plan pit slots for fuel or tyres.
Who will be driving at Le Mans 2022?
In order to race at Le Mans each driver must be listed by FIA, with four categories of platinum and gold for the professionals and silver and bronze for amateur drivers.
Global major motorsport teams participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans every year including Toyota, Ferrari, Porsche, Alpine, Aston Martin etc.
From the expected driver list for Le Mans 2022, Toyota Gazoo Racing will have a strong driver line-up of Sebastien Buemi, Kamui Kobayashi and Brendon Hartley who have five victories between them.
How can I watch 24 Hours of Le Mans?
You can watch the 24 Hours of Le Mans across Eurosport, the Eurosport app and discovery+.
Enjoy the action ad-free on the Eurosport app and via eurosport.co.uk. Download the Eurosport app now for iOS and Android. You can sign up for discovery+ for just £6.99 per month or £59.99 annually.
We will also have rolling coverage on the Eurosport.co.uk website and our social channels.
Live coverage starts on Wednesday afternoon with practice sessions and qualifying for Hyperpole. There will be more live action on Thursday evening followed by continuous coverage of the main race, which starts at 2pm BST on Saturday, June 11.
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