“That’s it, we’re at the 24 Hours“, enthuses Jocelyne. Accompanied by her husband, her son and her grandson, she has just moved to the Beauséjour campsite and is hitting the paths of the circuit for the first time this year. “Being there, seeing all the cars again, there is something moving about it“, she comments. “We’ve been talking about this moment for at least six months. I’ve been coming with my parents for 33 years, and it’s still so emotionals”, adds his son, Arnaud. Like this family, many enthusiasts would not have missed this test day, the first on the 24 Hours circuit, for nothing in the world, this Sunday June 9.
A particular day
24 Hours socks and glasses, Toyota flags held at arm’s length… Tony, from Eure-et-Loire, is already totally in the mood. “The 24 Hours is not just the race weekend! You have to enjoy the whole week, every moment“, he believes. In the stands, many children are present. “It’s very family-friendly, it’s a special day. There are fewer people, the stands are all open. On race weekend for example, you can’t sit here! We take advantage of this day to see the cars, identify the colors, the numbers, we get our bearings.” explains Michel, sitting in front of the stands. He has been coming to this test day for two years.
Porsche sets the pace
For six hours this Sunday, the drivers and the different teams also had the opportunity to get their bearings, to carry out the latest technical modifications Also. In the Hypercar category, it is Porsche number 6 who achieved the best time (3’26”907), ahead of the n°4 Porsche (3’27”412) and the n°8 Toyota (3’27”615). The Ferrari 50 comes in 5th position. Before the cars return to the track on Wednesday, another special moment will take place this Tuesday: the visit to the stands, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
STEPHANE BATARIERE (ACO)
Léa Dubost
