Le Mans 24 Hours: When & Where to Watch the Prestigious Endurance Race in India

Le Mans 24 Hours: This weekend at the Circuit de la Sarthe in France is the 90th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Following two years of limited attendance due to the spread of the Covid-19 virus, the world's most prestigious vehicle endurance event will once again welcome a packed house. Over the course of the 24-hour race, drivers and teams must follow a strict set of restrictions. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is won by the team that travels the furthest distance throughout the course of the event. Each squad has three drivers, who take turns behind the wheel during the 24-hour race. The race will begin at 15:00 (according to French time) on Saturday, June 11 after practice sessions, a qualifying session, and Hyperpole. According to Indian time, here is the full schedule for the prestigious racing event.

Also Read: Le Mans 24 Hours: Rules, Format, Segments and Everything You Need to Know to Get Started

Le Mans 24 Hours: Official Schedule 

Wednesday, June 7

Free Practice 1 - 5:30 PM IST 

Qualifying - 10:30 PM IST

Thursday, June 8

Free Practice 2 - 1:30 AM

Hyperpole - 11:30 PM IST

Friday, June 9 

Free Practice 3 - 1:30 AM IST

Saturday, June 10

Race - 7:30 PM IST 

Le Mans 24 Hours: What is Hyperpole?

In qualifying, drivers compete to establish the quickest lap time, which determines their starting place in the race. In qualifying, though, when there might be as many as 62 vehicles on the circuit, it's tough to put down a fast time. Six drivers from each class will advance to Hyperpole, and the six quickest drivers from Hyperpole will decide the starting positions in their respective classes. Teams are able to fine-tune their settings and parameters throughout the practice sessions. The race will take place on Saturday after the warm-up and final practice session.

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Le Mans 24 Hours: Race Start

For a running start, the drivers follow a safety car around the track for one lap while staying in the order they qualified in. When the safety car returns to the pits at the completion of this lap, the leader of the race assumes control, and the full 24 hours of competition begin.

The official name of the racecourse that hosts the 24 Hours of Le Mans is the Circuit de la Sarthe, and it is situated on the outskirts of Le Mans, France. It is a 13.62km long track and uses closed public roads in addition to the official racecourse. 

Le Mans 24 Hours: Where to Watch in India 

No Indian television network will broadcast the Le Mans 24 Hours 2023. Eurosport has an agreement with a pan-Asian network to broadcast Le Mans throughout Asia, and that network is Eurosport Asia. Eurosport is available via Discovery+ in India and there are two subscription options to chose from. A yearly subscription will set you back Rs 399, while a monthly subscription will run you Rs 199. However, this broadcast will only last for three hours on Sunday morning, from 5:00 am to 8:00 pm.

In addition to being shown live on FIA WEC TV, the race can also be seen on the 24H Le Mans TV app. A single-event webcast of Le Mans costs about Rs 1,153 while a season subscription for the whole WEC costs roughly Rs 3,551.