Circuit de la Sarthe

Circuit des 24 Heures

Circuit de la Sarthe
Location	Le Mans, Pays de la Loire, France
Time zone	CET (UTC+1) CEST (DST)
Coordinates	47°56′N 0°14′E / 47.933°N 0.233°E / 47.933; 0.233
FIA Grade	2 (Endurance)
Owner	Automobile Club de l'Ouest Ville du Mans
Operator	Automobile Club de l'Ouest
Opened	26 May 1923; 101 years ago (1923-05-26)
Major events	Current: FIA WEC 24 Hours of Le Mans (1923–1935, 1937–1939, 1949–present) Former: Le Mans Classic (intermittently 2002–2018, 2021–2023, 2025) World Sportscar Championship (1953–1955, 1957–1974, 1980–1989, 1991–1992)
Website	http://www.lemans.org/en/
Circuit de la Sarthe (2018–present)
Surface	Tarmac
Length	13.626 km (8.467 miles)
Turns	38
Race lap record	3:17.297 ( Mike Conway, Toyota TS050 Hybrid, 2019, LMP1)

The Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans,^[1] also known as Circuit de la Sarthe^[2] (after the 1906 French Grand Prix triangle circuit) located in Le Mans, Sarthe, France, is a semi-permanent motorsport race course, chiefly known as the venue for the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race. Comprising private, race-specific sections of track in addition to public roads which remain accessible most of the year, its present configuration is 13.626 km (8.467 mi) long, making it one of the longest circuits in the world. The capacity of the race stadium, where the short Bugatti Circuit is situated, is 100,000. The Musée des 24 Heures du Mans is a motorsport museum located at the main entrance of the venue.

Up to 85% of the lap time is spent on full throttle, putting immense stress on engine and drivetrain components.^{[citation needed]} Additionally, the times spent reaching maximum speed also mean tremendous wear on the brakes and suspension as cars must slow from over 322 km/h (200 mph) to around 100 km/h (62 mph) for the sharp corner at the village of Mulsanne.^{[citation needed]}