Le Mans 24-Hours Test Day explained

The test day is held two weeks before the Le Mans 24 Hours. This allows the teams to set up home inside the circuit without having to move again before the blue riband event in the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship.

The aim of this day of free practice is to give the entrants the opportunity to come and test their cars on the 13.629-km Le Mans 24-Hours circuit, and also to allow certain teams who will not take part in the race to discover this unique layout.

This day is not obligatory except for new cars with one model minimum per newcomer, plus teams and drivers who have never raced in the Le Mans 24 Hours. In addition, the drivers who have never taken part in the race or who are not on the list of confirmed drivers since 2010, will have to follow a course on a simulator prior to the test day and must cover at least 10 laps minimum during the session itself. The ACO reserves itself the right to refuse the entry of a driver if his/her performances or skills are not up to the mark.

The cars allowed to take part are:

• The two prototype categories in the Le Mans 24 Hours (LM P1 and LM 2), the two GTE categories (LM GTE Pro and LM GTE Am) invited to take part in compliance with the supplementary regulations of the event.

• The LM P1s, LM P2s, LM GTE Pros and LM GTE Ams, which are not invited to race in the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours, but comply with the technical specifications of the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship.

• Cars complying with the LM P3 regulations (they are not allowed to take part in the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours).

• Innovative cars (2 maximum).

The test day will take place on the 13,629-km circuit used for the Le Mans 24 Hours, which has been installed specially for the occasion. The public roads used are closed to traffic very early on Sunday morning 31st May and will reopen around 19h30.

Scrutineering and administrative checks will take place on Friday 29th May (09h30-18h00) and Saturday 30th May (08h30-15h00) inside the circuit.

Free practice will be held on Sunday 31st May between 09h00-13h00 and 14h00-18h00.

The test day is open to the public. Spectators who wish to attend, but who don’t have general enclosure tickets for the Le Mans 24 Hours, can buy their test day ticket, which costs 20 euros (free for youngsters born after 1st June 1999), from the ticket booths at the circuit.

Note that it is possible to access the circuit on Friday 29th May. Spectators can walk down the pit lane and see the teams making their final.

ACO Press Release