In the world of Motorsport, there is a term called "The Triple Crown". The title gets awarded to the racer that wins the Indy 500, Monaco Grand Prix ( F1 ) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The three events pan three different racing classes. Many a racer has striven, but only Graham Hill accomplished this feat.
Although I have been an avid follower of Formula 1, there was always something appealing about the World Endurance Championship. Over the years, I slowly understood different aspects of this series and began following its hallmark event, the 24 Hours of Le Mans with enthusiasm. A true test of grit and endurance, watching a race non-stop for 24 hours was impossible, let alone seeing it live.
However, during the 2022 edition, I discovered that Le Mans would be having its Centenary Grand Prix in 2023! I decided to leave no stone unturned to be present for this special edition! 2023 was also the debut season for Ferrari in the Hypercar category and the Italian marquee roped in the services of Antonio Giovinazzi as one of its six drivers lineup for the season.
With the pieces falling into place, I finally had an invite to be Giovinazzi's guest at the 24 Hours of Le Mans! After a lot of meticulous planning, which would see me attend the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix before the 24 Hours of Le Mans, I finally had my itinerary ready for this Motorsport-filled trip to Europe!
My friends Raul Martinez & his son Raul Jr were the partners in crime as we embarked on a mission to stay awake for the full 24 hours!
So how did the weekend pan out? Was the schedule similar to that of F1? Motorsport Weekends, a new series on my blog, begins right here, right now!
The WEC Championship has practice sessions and qualifying sessions on Thursdays. Friday is reserved for support races and the Driver Parade through the city of Le Mans. Unlike F1, WEC has the parade through the city centre of the host city and the town gets decked up as if it's for a carnival!
We were yet to receive our race passes for the weekend and had a late start to the Friday. Nevertheless, we decided on a reconnaissance trip to the circuit to work out our commute options for the rest of the weekend! The easiest way, to and fro, was the tram!
Enroute to the Circuit :
Circuit de la Sarthe is the home to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
We got to the circuit and walked around the periphery.
The entrance to the circuit and seeing some safety cars driving around the outskirts :
Soon enough, it was time to head back to the city to make it in time for the Drivers' Parade.
Walking to the starting point of the Drivers' Parade :
After a little wait, we finally got our passes!
The Race Passes for the weekend :
The square from where the Drivers' Parade commences :
There was a band that was playing some melodious tunes as they walked around the Parade Square.
Video Link :
As we made our way to the Parade Square entrance, I got a chance to bump into some of the contenders from the weekend!
Alex Lynn, Cadillac Racing, Hypercar :
Daniil Kvyat, Prema Racing, LMP2 :
Robin Frijns & Sean Gelael, Team WRT, LMP2 :
Alessandro Pier Guidi & Antonio Giovinazzi, Ferrari-AF Corse, Hypercar!
James Calado, Ferrari-AF Corse, Hypercar :
Jean-Eric Vergne, Peugeot, 9X8, Hypercar :
The drivers start heading out for the parade :
Some beauties, from the yesteryears and now!
Antonio Felix da Costa, Hertz Team JOTA, Hypercar :
Jack Aitken, Cadillac Action Express Racing, Hypercar :
Kamui Kobayashi & Mike Conway, Toyota Gazoo Racing, Hypercar :
Jose Maria Lopez, Toyota Gazoo Racing, Hypercar :
Jimmie Johnson, 7-time NASCAR Champion racing with a Camaro ZL1, Innovative Car Category :
Alexander Sims, Cadillac Action Express Racing, Hypercar :
Olli Caldwell, Memo Rojas & Andre Negrao, Alpine Elf Team, LMP2 :
Sarah Bovy, Rahel Frey, Michelle Gatting, Iron Dames, 911 RSR, LMGTE AM :
Loic Duval, Peugeot 9X8, Hypercar :
Nico Muller & Gustavo Menezes, Peugeot 9X8, Hypercar :
Malthe Jakobsen, Cool Racing, LMP2 :
Nicolas Lapierre, Cool Racing, LMP2 :
Alexandre Coigny, Cool Racing, LMP2 :
Pietro Fittipaldi, JOTA Oreca-07, LMP2 :
Andre Lotterer, Porsche Penske Motorsport, Hypercar & A WEC Legend!
Giedo van der Garde, Graff Racing, LMP2 :
Juan Manuel Correa & Filip Ugran, Prema Racing, LMP2 :
Ferdinand Habsburg, Austrian Royalty racing for Team WRT in LMP2 :
Mathieu Jaminet, Porshce Penske Motorsport, Hypercar :
Felipe Nasr, Porsche Penske Motorsport, Hypercar :
Dane Cameron & Michael Christensen, Porsche Penske Motorsport, Hypercar :
Laurens Vanthoor & Kevin Estre, Porsche Penske Motorsport, Hypercar :
With almost all the drivers leaving the square, I followed the Parade Path till the end of the Parade route!
Walking along the Parade path until the end of the parade itself :
Meeting the drivers wasn't the only special part of the weekend. We had the privilege of hanging out with some iconic mechanics who were associated with the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team and Cosworth! The experience was simply elevated to another level!
I also created a Friday Experience Vlog on my YouTube channel that does a much better job of showcasing this weekend!
Video Link :
Although we didn't get to witness any on-track action, it had been a memorable opening day at the Centenary Edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans! A Big Thank you to Ferrari for giving us an indescribable experience!
More to follow from the WEC Weekend, so watch this space!