The schedule for the 88th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans has received some substantial changes as the Automobile Club de l’Ouest has released the provisional schedule for the French endurance classic.
For starters, the week before the race will now see additional hours of free practice time in order to allow competitors more track time now that the traditional Test Day has been scrapped.
Wednesday will feature a five-hour running throughout the afternoon and early evening, followed by another session of three hours during the event. The first qualifying session follows immediately afterward.
Le Mans rookies will be required to complete ten laps during the Wednesday practice sessions. In addition, all drivers are required to run an additional number of night laps, with the requirement now set at 8 laps instead of the previous five.
Thursday kicks off with a third practice session of a single hour from 17:00 to 18:00, followed by the newly introduced Hyperpole qualifying session A fourth and final practice session, running until midnight, closes out the day.
Other notable changes include an earlier start time, with the race now starting at 14:30.
The traditional scrutineering sessions have also been relocated from Le Mans’ Place de la Republique to the circuit.
Further information, including details on the support races, will be provided at a later date.
