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Welcome to Avis
Watch the FIA WEC race at Le Mans, with Avis car hire
Avis is a Premium Partner of the FIA World Endurance Championships which visits the 24 Hours of Le Mans at Le Mans in the Pays de La Loire region of France, for the fourth race of the endurance motor racing.
This year’s event is extra special, as 2023 marks 100 years of Le Mans since the first event in 1923. A century and multiple films and documentaries later, the race continues to draw in crowds of over 250,000 people every year.
The date:
When is Le Mans 2023?
The excitement of the FIA World Endurance Championship comes to the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 10-11 June 2023.
How long is the Le Mans endurance motor race?
The Le Mans FIA WEC race is run over 24 hours, with each team consisting of three different drivers who rotate over the course of the race.
The Le Mans Circuit
Which motor racing circuit hosts the FIA WEC in Le Mans?
The action in the FIA World Endurance Championship comes to the world-famous Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, also known as Circuit de la Sarthe located in Le Mans, Sarthe, France.
What’s is the Le Mans track like?
The motor racing circuit at Le Mans – the Circuit de la Sarthe (aka the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans) is one of the world’s classic motor racing circuits. The semi-permanent 13.6k circuit incorporates sections of public road and countryside. There are two other circuits on the site at Le Mans, the Bugatti Circuit which is open over the rest of the season and the Maison Blanche course which hosts the Porsche Experience Centre.
What manufacturers are in the 2023 Le Mans?
There are 13 Le Mans hypercar entries this year, including entries from Toyota, Peugeot, Ferrari, Porsche, Cadillac, Glickenhaus and Vanwall.
In the pitlane
There are 64 pit garages at Le Mans and te driver changeover is one of the most exciting and crucial aspects of FIA WEC racing. Each team uses three drivers during the race and the maximum any one driver can be at the wheel is 14 hours. Driver changeovers at Le Mans can be anywhere from 45minutes to 4 hours.
The fastest circuit
The Le Mans lap record is recorded in the Guinness Book of Records as 3 minutes 17.297 seconds which was achieve for UK driver Mike Conway at the wheel of a #07 Toyota TS050 Hybrid on 15–16 June 2019.
Who won Le Mans 2022?
Sébastian Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa of Toyota Gazoo Racing took home the trophy in 2022. They completed 380 laps in their No.8 GR101 Hybrid Hypercar, marking Toyota’s 5th win in a row at the iconic race.
Highlight of the Le Mans circuit?
Watch out for one of Circuit de la Sarthe’s most famous corners, Tertre Rouge (which translates to ‘red mound’, named after the colour of the soil around it).
What to expect, where to stay and what to pack
Going to the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans is on the bucket list of most motor racing fans. The 24 Hours of Le Mans Circuit is called the ‘temple of endurance racing’. The event is a week-long spectacle starting on the Sunday before the race when cars and competitors gather in the centre of Le Mans watched by thousands of spectators.
The excitement builds through the week with the festival building to a crescendo with a series of open-air concerts. Staying on site in one of the campsites ensures full immersion in the event, which has been described as like Glastonbury for motor racing fans. However, there are also many hotels in Le Mans if you’re after a more comfortable stay – but book early.
Getting there
Where is Le Mans?
Le Mans is in the Northwest of France in the Department of Sarthe and in the Pays De La Loire region. It lies 200 km to the southwest of Paris.
Where is the racing circuit at Le Mans?
The racetrack is accessible from the centre of Le Mans by bus and tram and is a short walk from the Centre Des Expositions.
Le Mans weather
The average temperature in Le Mans in June is 23 degrees Celsius. The summers in Le Mans are warm but not baking hot and in June conditions might be cloudy or rainy but that won’t dampen the party atmosphere.
How to get to Le Mans circuit
If you’re heading to Le Mans, the nearest car rental location for Avis, Vehicle Rental Services Premium Partner to the FIA World Endurance Championships is at: Avis Le Mans Railway Station, or for other locations go to Avis France.
Which airport do you fly into for Le Mans?
The nearest airport to 24 Hours of Le Mans with Avis rental location: Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris (CDG) (150km), or Paris Orly (ORY) (239km)
Travel to Le Mans from Paris by TGV from Paris Montparnasse to Le Mans Railway Station, 54min
What to do in Le Mans
If you are watching the FIA World Endurance Championships race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on TV and fancy visiting another time, there is plenty going on at the Circuit de la Sarthe which is home to where you can enjoy a full range of exciting driver experience days with opportunities available to get behind the wheel for experts for racing fans as well as corporate packages.
Le Mans 2023 tickets
Unfortunately, this year’s 100th anniversary event is sold out but there is still time to enter our Avis competition to win tickets.
Good to know – Le Mans facts
- TV coverage of the sport reaches an audience across 190 countries. The race attracts 46.8 million viewers.
- The fastest lap in the history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans was recorded in 2017 by Kamui Kobayashi in the Toyota TS050 Hybrid during qualifying.
- Alexander Wurz was just 22 when he won his first Le Mans 24 Hours at his first attempt, in 1996.
- Driver Henri Pescarolo took part in the race 33 times between 1966 and 2009, winning in 1972, '73 and '74 for Matra and '84 for Porsche.
Avis Preferred members can enjoy the following benefits
... the more you rent the more perks you will receive
- The chance to win FIA World Endurance Championships tickets! Avis Preferred members get the chance to win a pair of tickets (plus parking) for the races at Portimão and Spa-Francorchamps. To enter, all you’ll need is your membership number.
- Priority service with every rental – Avoid unnecessary waiting with pre-filled documents and dedicated Avis Preferred counters
- Earn free upgrades and exclusive discounts
- The Avis app – Get the full Avis app experience, including changing or upgrading your rental enroute to a rental location and being able to choose the exact make and model of vehicle you want.