24 Hours of Le Mans, one hundred years of racing, same feeling

by Francesco Svelto (www.f1sport.it)

For those who really follow it for the first time it may seem like something strange, old, unreal. Or just weird. Have the desire to win the race around for a full 24 hours, without stopping, on the track – technical and beautiful – and bringing the car to the finish line as far forward as possible is certainly a concept that contradicts modern times. Yet behind it there is much to say, there are stories of challenges, cars and technology. But most of all stories of men, of workers, of intrigue, of unparalleled emotion that only this race, the most important of the world on the front of motorsport, can provide.

24 Hours of Le Mans celebrates its centenary this year and does so by promising us a race, which will take place between The 10 and 11 Junewho will surely see Ferrari protagonists (the return of the queen of endurance after 50 years) in the battle against giants such as Toyota, Porsche, Cadillac, Vanwall, Peugeot. The challenge, that of this year, which is also conceptual, of technology, between amazing and very different cars, between different design philosophies. But the feeling, no, that doesn’t change. It is still the same as it was then.

Always that of that May 26, 1923, when three gentlemen decided to organize an endurance race to demonstrate the reliability of touring cars. Or even that of the great Ferrari-Ford challenges of the 60s or the close battles of the constructors that have marked the history of many editions of the last thirty years. Yes, the feelings are, and will remain, unique. Attending the night of Le Mans, for those who lived, is something that remains committed to passionate memory.

If it is in front of a single viewing TV action of this or that driver or directly from the track, the darkness pierced by the LED lights of the cars and those authentic and unadulterated sounds are pure joy in the heart of every motorcycle fan. Even better if this joy is shared among complete strangers who are full behind the networks of Moulsanne or curves porsche, perhaps tasting spicy sausages and drinking good beer, as custom dictates. Why yes, because Le Mans is also this and it is something that we are sure will remain the same for another 100 years. In front of the naysayers, those who criticize, especially from F1, because they are aware that they will not be able to reach such standards. the joy of the car.

Congratulations!