Circuit de la Sarthe – Le Mans 24 Hours Track Guide
Originally published March 2015. Last updated September 2026: expanded Tier B circuit guide, facts table, table of contents, Le Mans cluster links, FAQ schema, and editorial refresh while preserving legacy narrative and images.
Circuit de la Sarthe is the 13.626 km semi-permanent course outside Le Mans, France, and home of the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 1923. Part public road and part permanent track, it combines the Bugatti short circuit, the Mulsanne Straight, and village corners named after Dunlop, Tertre Rouge, and Porsche. No other venue mixes top speed, night racing, and century-old history in one lap.
The circuit matters because the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) shaped both endurance racing and safety evolution here — from Woolf Barnato’s Bentley era to the 1955 disaster, Mulsanne chicanes, and modern Hypercar competition. Use our fastest Le Mans cars and top Le Mans drivers pillars for record context alongside this track guide.
Contents
Circuit de la Sarthe facts
| Location | Le Mans, Sarthe department, Pays de la Loire, France |
|---|---|
| Circuit type | Semi-permanent: public roads plus permanent sections (Bugatti, pit complex) |
| 24h course length | 13.626 km (current layout since 2007) |
| Bugatti Circuit | 4.185 km permanent track (MotoGP and club racing) |
| First 24 Hours | 26–27 May 1923 (33 starters) |
| Organiser | Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) |
| Main event | 24 Hours of Le Mans (FIA WEC) |
| Notable sections | Mulsanne Straight; Dunlop curve; Tertre Rouge; Porsche curves; Ford chicane |
| Hypercar lap reference | 3:14.791 — Kamui Kobayashi (Toyota TS050 Hybrid, 2017 qualifying) |
Lap record note: Compare times only within the same track length and category. Pre-1990 layouts lacked Mulsanne chicanes; qualifying-average rankings differ from single-lap peaks — see fastest Le Mans cars by qualifying speed.
Motorcycles first, then the inaugural 24 Hours
Motorcycle racing began in 1920 on a triangular 17.262 km course from Pontlieue to Mulsanne. ACO officials proposed an automobile endurance race in 1922, backed by Rudge-Whitworth wheel sponsorship for the inaugural Coupe Rudge-Whitworth.
On 26 May 1923, 33 cars from 18 manufacturers started the first 24 Hours of Le Mans. André Lagache and René Léonard won in a Chenard & Walcker Sport after 128 laps (2,209 km) at 92 km/h average. Thirty cars finished.
Poster for the 1923 24 Hours of Le Mans
Until 1929, the route included narrow streets in Pontlieue
1932 bypass and inter-war legends
The course shortened in 1929 to avoid Pontlieue, then again in 1932 when a new link from Dunlop curve to the Mulsanne Straight created Tertre Rouge and the famous Dunlop bridges. Length settled at 13.491 km — the template for every later revision.
The six-kilometre Mulsanne Straight (originally Ligne Droite des Hunaudières, D338) became the circuit’s signature. Racing paused after 1939 (the 1936 race was cancelled for a workers’ strike). Woolf Barnato won three consecutive times in Bentleys (1928–1930); Raymond Sommer, Luigi Chinetti, and Tazio Nuvolari added inter-war glory.
Racing returned to Le Mans in 1949
Ferrari’s first Le Mans win in 1949
Post-war racing resumed in 1949 on the pre-war route. Luigi Chinetti and Peter Mitchell-Thomson (Lord Selsdon) won in the #22 Ferrari 166MM — Ferrari’s first Le Mans victory, with Chinetti driving roughly 23.5 hours.
1955 and safety-driven changes
The race joined the World Sportscar Championship in 1953. In 1955 the catastrophe at Le Mans killed more than 80 spectators after Pierre Levegh’s Mercedes collided with Lance Macklin’s Austin-Healey. Barriers grew taller, the pit straight widened, and Armco finally separated pits from track in 1971. The 1956 Dunlop curve revision shortened the lap to 13.461 km.
Bugatti Circuit opened in 1965
Construction of the 4.4 km Bugatti Circuit began in 1964 and finished in 1965, designed by Charles Deutsch with eleven turns sharing the 24h pits and paddock.
Aerial view of the Bugatti Circuit
The layout hosted the 1967 French Grand Prix, won by Jack Brabham — Formula One’s only visit. Drivers criticised the track and F1 never returned, but motorcycle Grands Prix and year-round track days made Bugatti one of Europe’s busiest permanent circuits.
Maison Blanche and Porsche curves
The Ford chicane arrived in 1968 before pit entry. 1972 reworked Maison Blanche with Porsche curves and a double chicane; length grew to 13.640 km. The separate Maison Blanche Circuit (1976) supports schools; the Porsche Experience Centre opened on site in 2015.
Circuit de la Sarthe map: the current layout traces the 1932 base
405 km/h and the 1990 Mulsanne chicanes
Dunlop, Tertre Rouge, and Mulsanne corners changed in 1979, 1986, and 1987, but the defining safety step came in 1990: two chicanes on the Mulsanne Straight to cap speeds and meet FIA maximum straight-length rules.
In 1988 Roger Dorchy hit 405 km/h in the WM-P88 on an unrestricted straight — a record that would not be beaten before the chicanes. Lap length became about 13.600 km; pit-entry work followed ahead of 1991 pit building reconstruction.
Mulsanne Straight in 1970, before chicanes
Infield map of Circuit de la Sarthe
13.626 km since 2007
Tweaks at Dunlop (1997, 2002, 2006) and Tertre Rouge (2007) set today’s 13.626 km lap. Garage capacity rose to 56 in 2007 and 60 for the 2016 race — the first 60-car grid since 1955.
60 cars on the 2016 Le Mans grid
Drivers, lap records, and epic moments
Tom Kristensen leads with nine overall wins; Jacky Ickx has six. Five-time winners include Derek Bell, Frank Biela, and Emanuele Pirro. Kristensen also won six consecutive races from 2000 to 2005.
Tom Kristensen and Jacky Ickx at Le Mans in 2013
Hans-Joachim Stuck set a long-standing lap of 3:14.80 in the Porsche 962C in 1985 (251.815 km/h average). Pedro Rodriguez’s 3:13.9 on a shorter 1971 layout averaged 250.069 km/h. With Mulsanne chicanes, Kamui Kobayashi’s 3:14.791 in the Toyota TS050 Hybrid (2017) remains the modern benchmark.
Explore more stories in epic Le Mans moments, classic Le Mans cars, and notable crashes.
Porsche, Audi, Ferrari, and Ford
Porsche’s seven straight wins (1981–1987) with the 936, 956, and 962C anchor a record 19 overall victories. Audi follows with 13, including the first diesel winner (R10 TDI) and two five-win streaks. Ferrari claims nine wins with six consecutive from 1960–1965 in the golden sports-prototype era.
Hans-Joachim Stuck’s Porsche 962C era at Le Mans
Ford’s four consecutive wins (1966–1969) with the GT40 ended Ferrari’s dominance; Ford returned with a GTE programme for the 2016 fiftieth anniversary. The circuit celebrated its centenary in 2023 with the 24 Hours as the headline act of a century of ACO endurance racing.
Address and official information
Address: Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, Automobile Club de l’Ouest, 72019 Le Mans, France
Phone: +33 2 43 40 24 24
Official website: lemans.org
Frequently asked questions about Circuit de la Sarthe
Where is Circuit de la Sarthe?
Circuit de la Sarthe surrounds the city of Le Mans in the Sarthe department of north-west France. The 24-hour race uses public roads and permanent sections south and east of the city centre.
How long is the Le Mans circuit?
The current 24 Hours layout measures 13.626 km, unchanged in length since 2007 after revisions at Dunlop and Tertre Rouge.
When was the first 24 Hours of Le Mans?
The inaugural race ran on 26–27 May 1923 with 33 starters. André Lagache and René Léonard won in a Chenard & Walcker Sport.
What is the Bugatti Circuit at Le Mans?
The Bugatti Circuit is a 4.185 km permanent track opened in 1965. It shares pit infrastructure with the 24h course and hosts MotoGP and club racing year-round.
Why were chicanes added to the Mulsanne Straight?
Two chicanes installed in 1990 cut top speeds on the Mulsanne Straight after years of 350+ km/h runs and to comply with FIA limits on uninterrupted straight length.
What is the fastest lap at Le Mans?
Kamui Kobayashi set the modern lap record of 3:14.791 in qualifying 2017 in the Toyota TS050 Hybrid. Pre-chicane records differ; see fastest Le Mans cars for qualifying-average rankings.
Who has won Le Mans the most times?
Tom Kristensen holds the record with nine overall victories. Jacky Ickx is second with six wins.
Which manufacturer has the most Le Mans wins?
Porsche leads with 19 overall victories, including seven consecutive wins from 1981 to 1987.
Did Formula One race at Le Mans?
Yes, once. The 1967 French Grand Prix was held on the Bugatti Circuit and won by Jack Brabham. Formula One has not returned.
What happened at Le Mans in 1955?
A crash involving Pierre Levegh’s Mercedes killed more than 80 spectators. The disaster led to major safety changes at Le Mans and across motorsport. Read Remembering the 1955 Le Mans.
