The next two weeks mark the biggest event on the FIA World Endurance Championship calendar – the 93rd edition of the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans. Here is a rundown of all the key timings.
Far more than just a race, the iconic twice-round-the-clock La Sarthe contest – first held all the way back in 1923 – is an exhilarating and intoxicating experience for all the senses, both on and off-track.
The build-up begins with scrutineering – the traditional technical and administrative checks, known as Pesage in French – on Friday, 6 June and Saturday, 7 June at Place de la République in the city centre, allowing fans to get a glimpse of the drivers and cars up-close.
Following this, on the Saturday afternoon, there will be a special procession – featuring 19 of the 62 cars on the star-studded event entry list – setting off from the Place du Jet d’Eau outside Le Mans’ famous Cathédrale Saint-Julien at 15:00 CET.
Teams then get down to serious business on Sunday, 8 June with the official Test Day, offering all competitors six hours of running to perfect their preparations and hone their set-ups to tackle the challenging, 13.626km Circuit de la Sarthe. Le Mans rookies must complete ten laps – five of them timed – in order to take part in the race.
Fans will be well catered-for on Tuesday, 10 June, with a pit walk and autograph session at the track from 14:00 CET, before the fourth annual pit-stop challenge at 15:15 CET shines a spotlight on the vital role played by mechanics as they race to be the quickest crew to change their cars’ tyres.
Five hours of free practice time are scheduled for Wednesday, 11 June (14:00 – 17:00 and 22:00 – 00:00 CET), sandwiching a pair of 30-minute qualifying sessions for LMGT3/LMP2 (combined) and Hypercar at 18:45 – 19:15 and 19:30 – 20:00 CET respectively.
FP3 follows on Thursday, 12 June (14:45 – 17:45 CET), ahead of the high-stakes, two-part Hyperpole shootout for the fastest 12 LMGT3 and LMP2 cars and quickest 15 Hypercars from the previous day’s qualifying (20:00 – 21:55 CET).
In a new format for 2025, drivers will engage in a 20-minute H1 battle, from which the top eight LMGT3 and LMP2 entries advance to H2 to determine the final grid. The Hypercars will follow a similar procedure, as the 15 qualified prototypes compete in H1 to find out which ten continue to H2 – an epic 15-minute showdown to decide who starts the race from the coveted pole position.
The undisputed highlight of Friday, 13 June will be the popular downtown drivers’ parade, as all competitors take to the streets of central Le Mans aboard vintage cars and more recent models to greet fans from 16:00 CET.
Following a short 15-minute warm-up at 12:00 CET, the race will then get underway at 16:00 CET on Saturday, 14 June, offering double championship points to the top ten-finishing FIA WEC entrants by dint of its extra duration and difficulty.
Throughout the week, fans will also be able to enjoy on-track action from the supporting Ligier European Series, Porsche Sprint Challenge, Ford Mustang Challenge – the latter featuring a number of famous names including Olympic cycling hero Sir Chris Hoy and multiple X Games gold-medallist Tanner Foust – and Road to Le Mans.
Racegoers will additionally be entertained by Fan Zones, a dedicated Kids’ Zone, a Manufacturers’ Village, the ACO H2 Hydrogen Village and evening concerts, including a set from American R&B, soul and funk band Kool & the Gang. The circuit museum, meanwhile, will be showcasing the special exhibition McLaren, a Name for Eternity in honour of the illustrious British marque, which memorably triumphed on its Le Mans debut 30 years ago with the F1 GTR.
Watch FIA WEC live or on-demand via the official FIA WEC TV app – your full-access pass to the FIA World Endurance Championship including the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans. Don’t miss a moment. For further information, check out the app.
