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Thursday 02 January 2014

Le Mans 2013: what to expect

Our Le Mans expert tells you everything you need to know about the 81st Le Mans 24 Hours race.

The Le Mans 24 Hours race takes place this Saturday and Sunday.

It's 90 years since the first race was held, but the 2013 event - the 81st running - promises to be as thrilling as ever. We will have a live TV stream and regular reports from our man at Le Mans so you won't miss out on the action.

Race categories and contenders

LMP1: On the face of it, the fight for outright victory is thin on numbers, but never mind the width, feel the quality. Three "petrol-only" cars (two Rebellion Lola coupés, one Strakka HPD spyder) won't touch the front-running hybrids from Audi and Toyota but add a notional fifth class.

So as last year, it's Audi v Toyota, diesel/flywheel hybrid versus petrol/super-capacitor hybrid, both with another year's development. At the test day last Sunday, the fastest Audi beat last year's pole time, three seconds faster than the next Audi, five seconds faster than the first Toyota.

Audi admitted the lap was in qualifying trim, and on the limit; Toyota said they hadn't tried for a headline time, but concentrated on long-run set-up. And long-run is the operative question, not least because Toyota has a new fuel capacity break. As ever, you can't believe everything you see.

Audi R18 e-tron

LMP2: The biggest entry in the race, and potentially the hardest-fought class, spiced by the return of Alpine (well on the pace on Test Day) and the handsome, all-new Lotus.

At the test, 13 seconds covered the eight LMP2 cars (plus an Audi testing 2014-spec tyres). Ten seconds covered the top 20 LMP2 cars. And nowadays, they don't break down.

The Alpine LMP2 race car (AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

GTE Pro and Am: In its centenary year, with a five car "works" entry that equals the biggest it has ever had at Le Mans, Aston Martin took the top two test spots in both categories in the production-based GTE (for Endurance) class.

Corvette was uncharacteristically restrained, Ferrari might have poked its nose into the Pro picture if Giancarlo Fisichella hadn't binned the car in a big way, and Viper was feeling its way back in. So in both classes, the closest chasers were all Porsches – 50 years after the astonishing 911's launch.

Porsche 911

Famous names

Only three marques from 1923 are extant. So RIP the likes of Chenard et Walcker (the first winners), Bignan, Brasier, Rolland-Pillain, Vinot-Deguignand, and SARA. But Bentley and Bugatti survive – within the VW Audi Group, which was a distant dream then. And the Montier-Ford was essentially a Model T, which makes you realise how long ago 1923 was.

The 1923 race's single Bentley (the first-ever entry) finished second, won in 1924, brought British followers, and made other "foreigners" take notice. Bentley also won in 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, returned in 2001, won again in 2003, and may be back yet. Bugatti, whose founder famously dismissed Bentley as the fastest lorries in the world, won only in 1937 and 1939, but hasn't been back with anything serious since then, and maybe never will.

Aston Martin arrived in 1928, scored seven class wins up to 1937, many more in the 1950s, with outright victory in 1959. The factory's latest racing efforts have been GT and prototype front-runners (and GT winners) since 2005. And Aston Martin led the GTE field on test day.

Aston Martin Vantage GTE

Morgan (first seen in 1938) was an unlikely class winner in 1962 with what didn't look much different from the 1938 entry. Now, four Morgan-Nissans carry the winged badge, but clearly weren't built in the Malvern woodshed – and Oak Racing's number 24 was test day's LMP2 front-runner. It faces two impressive Lotus coupés, actually entered by Lotus, to revised 2014 regulations.

French returnee Alpine's car (they swear it really is an Alpine) is Nissan-powered (like more than half the P2 field), but will bring much Tricoleur-waving in memory of 1978's Renault-Alpine outright win. Alpine cars were second and third quickest on test day.

Right on top of the popularity pile, the Vipers are back – thundering crowd favourites taking on Aston Martin, Corvette, Ferrari and Porsche in the GTE class.

You can't help thinking there's another win lurking somewhere among all those old names.

Star quality

Patrick Dempsey

Patrick Dempsey, star of American TV series Grey's Anatomy, might not be an icon on the level of Paul Newman or Steve McQueen but he's at Le Mans for a second time. He is a camera magnet, good bloke and by no means a make-weight racing driver.

Newman really did race at Le Mans, in 1979 (and was unlucky only to finish second); McQueen didn't, but pretended to, in the eponymous 1971 film. Dempsey drives (and funds) the number 77 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, which was third quickest amongst the GT Am cars on Test Day.

Race coverage

Telegraph Motoring will be on the spot, online, for the whole of race week. So look out for the build-up, the atmosphere, practice, qualifying, and the race – with regular updates including video highlights.

We will be taking three particularly close looks at different aspects of the race for three teams, one from LMP1, one from LMP2, and one from GTE, from the viewpoints of driver, pit garage and what's happening to the car. And when the dust (or spray) dies down, we'll be there to sort out what it all meant.

Tickets and further information from the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) at www.lemans.org

General enclosures: 71 euros (£60) with free admission for anyone born after June 23, 1997 and accompanied by a paying adult.

Grandstand supplements at 55, 70, 75, 90 and 100 euros (£46.50-£84.50)

Timetable

Scrutineering: Sunday, June 16, 14.30-19.00 – Place de la République (town centre)

Scrutineering: Monday, June 17, 10.00-18.00 – Place de la République

Free practice: Wednesday, June 19, 16.00-20.00

Qualifying: Wednesday, June 19, 22.00-24.00; Thursday June 20, 19.00-21.00, 22.00-24.00

Pit walks: Friday, June 21, 10.00-18.00

Drivers' parade: Friday, June 21, 17.00-19.00 – town centre

24 Hours warm-up: Saturday, June 22, 09.00-09.45

Le Mans Legends race: Saturday, June 22, 10.05-10.50

Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli race: Saturday, June 22, 11.15-12.00

Beginning of Start procedure: Saturday, June 22, 14.22

Start of 81st 24 Hours of Le Mans: Saturday, June 22, 15.00

Finish of 81st 24 Hours of Le Mans: Sunday, June 23, 15.00

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