What it’s like to report on 24 Hours of Le Mans – motorsport’s ultimate test of endurance

The Isle of Man TT has the risk factor and the British Grand Prix has historic value, but 24 Hours of Le Mans is in a league of its own. Covering it was one of the toughest professional challenges I have faced

It’s known as the “ultimate test of endurance” in motorsport: the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in which teams of three drivers battle through the night on an unforgiving public road circuit at speeds of up to 215mph.

But nobody ever considers what that ultimate test of endurance means for the lucky journalists covering it. I use the word “lucky” deliberately, because there is no other race in the world that offers the same thrill as Le Mans. The Isle of Man TT has the risk factor and the British Grand Prix has historic value, but Le Mans is in a league of its own. It is the pinnacle of endurance racing: we see the automotive industry’s biggest names in the isolation of the dark of the night, amid a festival atmosphere for the 280,000 in attendance.

Drivers compete behind the wheel for up to four hours at a time before handing their car over to a teammate to pick up the next stint. The sparkling Aston Martins, Ferraris, Porsches and race-winning Toyotas return 24 hours later battered, beaten, dirty and often completely broken.