Monday 16th March 2020

7 reasons to be at Le Mans 2020

This year promises to be another epic 24 Hours - here's why we've got our fingers crossed!

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It's the last year of LMP1
Yep, that's right. 2020 is the last year the super-duper hybrid prototypes will be tearing their way around the circuit. In 2021 the new Hypercar class will be taking the top spot so this is your last chance to see the alien-looking, blisteringly fast, LMP1 cars in action!

New Chevrolet Corvette
2020 will be the first year the new Corvette C8R is competing at Le Mans. How will the all-new mid-engined Corvette fare against its rivals? Will it sound like as angry and brutish as the previous Corvette? There's only one way to find out... Well, there's a few ways to find out, but it'll be much more fun to find out in person.

The PistonHeads Pub quiz
On the Friday before the race we host a pub quiz in the marquee on the Bleu Nord camp site - we'll be testing your knowledge on Le Mans and other relevant and non-relevant things, and the top prize (for a few teams might I add...) in previous years has been a mid-race tour of the Aston Martin pit garage. Our many previous winners will attest that this once in a lifetime prize is certainly worth the late night.

Celebrate the women of Le Mans 24 Hours
This year there will be three all-female teams competing in the race - the first is in the LMP2 Richard Mille Racing Team (#50 Oreca 0-7 Gibson), the second in the GTE Am Gear Racing Team (#81 Ferrari 488 GTE Evo), and the third in the Iron Lynx team (#85 Ferrari 488 GTE Evo). I think we can all agree that there should be more women in racing, it makes for a more interesting line-up and racing, so supporting these teams will help the cause.

The Classic British Welcome
Every year thousands descend on the little town of Saint Saturnin for the CBW - it's a fantastic car show which was started 20 years ago to welcome visitors arriving for the race. There is a theme every year, and this year it is a retro homage to the previous years.

The road to Le Mans
Part of the joy of Le Mans is the drive down there - you meet up with your mates, convoy down to the crossing, see the hundreds of others in their stickered up cars joining you, then make your way across France whatever way you choose! Avoid the autoroutes if you don't want to be bored, though...

The race start
Saturday is race day, and the build-up to the start is immense. The crowds are at their most anxious, people are itching to catch a glimpse of the cars on their opening lap, the atmosphere is alive. Seeing the racers tackle their first lap while so many cars are bunched together is nerve racking and exciting - no one wants to be the team that didn't event finish one lap... Be sure to get a good spot reasonably early, they soon fill up with excited punters just like you and I!

Not going yet? Visit the 1st Tickets website here to book your spot. See you there!

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Potential impact of Coronavirus (Covid-19)
We understand that this is a worry for many, but at this moment in time the event is still going ahead on the new date of 19-20 September, 2020. If the event does get cancelled, postponed or the Foreign Office prevents travel to France, 1st Tickets packages are ABTA protected so you will have rights. If the event goes ahead and you choose not to travel, 1st Tickets standard termination charges will apply.

Please click here for a statement from 1st Tickets which goes into more detail, and will be updated with any further statements and news from the ACO in due course.

[oilit]

Let's hope the dreaded CV doesn't get this cancelled.

[TyrannosauRoss Lex]

oilit said:

Let's hope the dreaded CV doesn't get this cancelled.

Indeed! I'm meant to be going to the Pyrenees at the very end of June, hopefully I don't have to cancel!!!

[DeanHelix]

Never going to happen. France has already banned mass gatherings. Things are only going to get worse in next few months.

[TyrannosauRoss Lex]

DeanHelix said:

Never going to happen. France has already banned mass gatherings. Things are only going to get worse in next few months.

Could we have already witnessed the last of the LMP1 races

[Roma101]

Yeap, I think this is unlikely to happen.

[hothatchery7]

Agree with the above. Very unlikely to run unfortunately, WRC has now been cancelled for a minimum of 2-3 months. Probably longer unless this false ‘pandemic’ slows.

[HighwayStar]

hothatchery7 said:

Agree with the above. Very unlikely to run unfortunately, WRC has now been cancelled for a minimum of 2-3 months. Probably longer unless this false ‘pandemic’ slows.

False? Genuine question...

[OFORBES]

Le Mans 2020 looking unlikely, will the Goodwood Members Meet still happen in a couple of weeks?

I've just seen that the FCO have said only essential travel to Cyprus so that's my holiday out too...

At this rate I will end up just sitting in the corner of my garage with a crate of beer quietly rocking back and forth...

[ferrus]

TyrannosauRoss Lex said:

Could we have already witnessed the last of the LMP1 races

That's a possibility. I don't mind a postponement - most of the airlines, hotels and ticket agencies are being generous allowing changes and cancellations (I've already had to do a few).
But as someone mentioned on another thread - how do the teams run old spec cars in parallel with the new specs. May need to relax rules and scrutineering and just concentrate no putting on a good event.

[ferrus]

HighwayStar said:

False? Genuine question...

This forum, and sport in general, does seem to attract a number of flat-earthers, unfortunately.

[hothatchery7]

HighwayStar said:

False? Genuine question...

I’m not a tinfoil hat wearing guy and I don’t mean to disrespect anybody that has lost loved ones due to this. But for the 30000 deaths in the UK due to flu compared to this worldwide doesn’t equate to disaster to me. It’s hiding a a multitude of problems and is a distraction. One thing is for sure, a financial crash is coming.

[hothatchery7]

ferrus said:

This forum, and sport in general, does seem to attract a number of flat-earthers, unfortunately.

I’m in no way a flat earth believer. that’s totally offensive and an insult.

[Ramona]

hothatchery7 said:

I’m in no way a flat earth believer. that’s totally offensive and an insult.

The suggestion that the pandemic is false is very much a flat-earther viewpoint.

[Midgster]

hothatchery7 said:

HighwayStar said:

False? Genuine question...

I’m not a tinfoil hat wearing guy and I don’t mean to disrespect anybody that has lost loved ones due to this. But for the 30000 deaths in the UK due to flu compared to this worldwide doesn’t equate to disaster to me. It’s hiding a a multitude of problems and is a distraction. One thing is for sure, a financial crash is coming.

Covid 19 only reared it's ugly head in December FFS! It's only 12 weeks old. 30,000 deaths for something that has a vaccine and a mortality rate of 0.1%. So Covid 19 with a mortality rate of only 3.4% (34 times that of flu) could kill millions before a vaccine is found.

Edited by Midgster on Monday 16th March 12:04

[camel_landy]

hothatchery7 said:

I’m not a tinfoil hat wearing guy and I don’t mean to disrespect anybody that has lost loved ones due to this. But for the 30000 deaths in the UK due to flu compared to this worldwide doesn’t equate to disaster to me. It’s hiding a a multitude of problems and is a distraction. One thing is for sure, a financial crash is coming.

In the context of the average mortality rate for common flu, the mortality rate is currently lower but bear in mind this virus is new and therefore has not spread across the population in the same way as flu.

However, the problem which is trying to be managed is a sudden spike in cases and overloading health services before herd immunity has be achieved.

M

[Munter]

Ah crap. Corvid successfully infected this thread, never mind people.

[wsn03]

Munter said:

Ah crap. Corvid successfully infected this thread, never mind people.

[anonymous-user]

hothatchery7 said:

I’m not a tinfoil hat wearing guy and I don’t mean to disrespect anybody that has lost loved ones due to this. But for the 30000 deaths in the UK due to flu compared to this worldwide doesn’t equate to disaster to me. It’s hiding a a multitude of problems and is a distraction. One thing is for sure, a financial crash is coming.

The number of seasonal flu deaths exists even though there is a vaccine. Just think about how an illness worse than seasonal flu without a vaccine will spread throughout a population. The number will be higher than seasonal flu deaths.

[thegreenhell]

Munter said:

Ah crap. Corvid successfully infected this thread, never mind people.

Those poor crows get blamed for everything.

[HighwayStar]

mstrbkr said:

hothatchery7 said:

I’m not a tinfoil hat wearing guy and I don’t mean to disrespect anybody that has lost loved ones due to this. But for the 30000 deaths in the UK due to flu compared to this worldwide doesn’t equate to disaster to me. It’s hiding a a multitude of problems and is a distraction. One thing is for sure, a financial crash is coming.

The number of seasonal flu deaths exists even though there is a vaccine. Just think about how an illness worse than seasonal flu without a vaccine will spread throughout a population. The number will be higher than seasonal flu deaths.

I asked the question out of curiosity but got the response I expected. Didn’t surprise me at all. Of course events happen and effects do sometimes get exaggerated but what’s we have now... how some people say it’s business as usual is beyond me.