The History Behind Motorsport’s Greatest Race

At 100 years old, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is as popular as ever, with the centennial event selling out its 300,000 tickets and featuring 16 Hypercars from seven marques, including Porsche Penske Motorsport, Cadillac Racing, Ferrari AF Corse, and Toyota Gazoo Racing — the most in over a decade. The event is also more inclusive than in the past, with an all-female team, the Iron Dames, driving in the LMGTE Am class and narrowly missing a podium finish. The race itself has become festival-like in its organization, with camping, an on-site funfair, and a stage with famous bands playing, making the whole event a diverse experience with the race at its front and center.

With the looming phasing out of fossil fuels in Europe, the FIA (the event’s governing body) will introduce a hydrogen category in 2025, with the target of all Hypercars being hydrogen-electric powered by 2030. This heralds a sea-change in motorsports, as more elite events address the challenges of zero-emission racing. True to this promise, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is already selling “Green Tickets” that offer discounts to those who arrive in electric vehicles.

This forward-thinking attitude is evidece that the 24 Hours of Le Mans shows no sign of slowing down any time soon. It’s made its stamp on the past and the present as a trailblazer on the motorsport calendar that has continued to evolve with the technology of its day. This race has had its share of highs and lows, but it has endured all to emerge as arguably the world’s most famous race.