Circuit de la Sarthe (Le Mans)

The Circuit de la Sarthe, often called Le Mans after the French city it surrounds, is one of the most storied venues in motorsport. Located in Le Mans in the Sarthe department of northwestern France, it is a semi-permanent road course that blends purpose-built racing sections with public roads that are closed only for racing and remain open to traffic for most of the year. In its current 24 Hours configuration it measures roughly 13.626 km (8.467 miles) with 38 turns, making it one of the longest circuits in the world.

The track is defined by its enormous speeds and the endurance it demands. Drivers spend up to 85 percent of a lap at full throttle, a figure anchored by the famous Mulsanne Straight, where cars once topped 250 mph before two chicanes were added in 1990 to manage the velocities. Corners such as the Dunlop Curve, the Esses, Tertre Rouge, Mulsanne, Arnage, and the Porsche Curves test commitment and precision, while the relentless pace places immense stress on engines, brakes, and tires. The shorter permanent Bugatti Circuit shares the pit complex and opening section and is used for events that do not need the full road course.

First opened in 1923, the Circuit de la Sarthe has hosted the 24 Hours of Le Mans nearly every year since, today as the centerpiece of the FIA World Endurance Championship. It also stages the 24 Heures Motos for the FIM Endurance World Championship, the French motorcycle Grand Prix in MotoGP, and the historic Le Mans Classic. For drivers and fans alike, Le Mans represents the ultimate proving ground for speed, machinery, and human stamina, and its legacy continues to shape how endurance racing is understood worldwide.