The historic 24 Hours of Le Mans will take place this weekend as part of the World Endurance Championship series, with drivers such as Ex-F1 Champ Jenson Button and Moto GP legend Valentino Rossi taking part in the 92nd running of the event.
62 cars will compete in the race across three different categories - Hypercar, LMP2 and the new LMGT3 category - starting at 3pm BST on Saturday, June 15.
Charlie Eastwood is the only Irish driver on the grid, and will hope to add a second Le Mans win to his name following his ‘unbelievable’ victory in 2020.
The 28 year-old from Belfast currently races for TF Sport as part of the LMGT3 category, where he drives the #81 Corvette Z06.
The event is such a massive occasion for drivers and fans alike, with Eastwood in constant awe of the enthusiasm at the race.
It’s known as being one of the biggest races in the world.
When anybody gets into endurance racing, so often, you know, one of their main goals is “I want to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans,” and then once you get here, the next goal is “I want to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”
The first time I started the race I was just like, what is going on! You just look left and right, people everywhere, the cheers were insane, and you sort of have to snap out of it and remember that in thirty seconds time you’re gonna be doing 300km/h.
186 drivers ready to battle on track.
186 drivers ready to make history.
186 ready to write the next chapter in the story of the 24 Hours of Le Mans: the next century.
📷 Alexis Goure (ACO)#LeMans24 #WEC #ELMS pic.twitter.com/sj3bPkHAB7— 24 Hours of Le Mans (@24hoursoflemans) June 11, 2024
How drivers get through a 24 hour race
The physical demand of a 24 hour race cannot be underestimated, with three drivers per car taking it in turns to complete the duration of the race.
The night stints in particular are notoriously difficult - limited light plus a lack of sleep makes for a perfect recipe for concentration lapses and crashes.
Eastwood has done many 24 hour races throughout the years, and explains how becoming a ‘serial napper’ is key to getting through the fatigue that comes with the race.
The biggest thing is - there’s so much buzz around the race, it’s very hard to switch off, when you’ve just come in from a stint you've got the adrenaline of the race.
[I] just pretend that there’s no race happening, put in ear plugs because it’s obviously so loud, and just try and get as much sleep as possible.
Balancing that fatigue is huge, but that’s part of the challenge of Le Mans.
Eastwood’s car will start the race 18th in class, following issues in qualifying. However, that hasn’t deterred him from his only goal - which is to win the race.
The race will be broadcasted live on Eurosport, where it is guaranteed to be full of action and drama - with the winners writing their legacies as part of motorsport history.
The 24 Hour of Le Mans will be broadcasted in full on Eurosport 1 from 2pm Saturday June 15 until 4pm Sunday June 16, with the race starting and ending at 3pm.
