The next big event of the year is the pinnacle of sports car endurance racing, if by prestige as much as anything else. If you can easily argue other races are tougher – N24, Bathurst, Sebring – it is Le Mans that remains the top prize.
We may not have Audi but we have five factory LMP1 cars and no team orders. Toyota are bringing a 3rd car to avenge defeat last year – you don’t want to miss that, do you? We have new, fast LMP2 cars. And all out war in the two GTE classes.
I also recommend recording the two Road To Le Mans races, one is on Thursday at 4.30pm and the other is Saturday at 10.30am. These are races for LMP3 and GT3 cars and were good fun last year.
The ACO seem to be pushing to broaden the appeal of Le Mans, with a Free-to-air deal in France and now two FTA channels in the UK covering at least some hours of the race!
How do you follow the 24 Hours of Le Mans if you are in the UK?
There are a few different ways of following it:Â Radio Le Mans, Eurosport, Quest, ITV4, the App.
Radio
Radio Le Mans will be live as always at www.radiolemans.com and on Tune In Radio, as well as on 91.2 FM at the track if you do go to Le Mans, supported by Mobil 1 and Esso.
They will have every 24 Hour session live (practice, qualifying, warm-up, race). I expect they’ll cover the Road To Le Mans support races too and quite probably the Porsches too.
Commentary will be from Jonny Palmer, John Hindhaugh, channel newcomer Ben Constanduros, experts Graham Goodwin and Sam Collins, pit reporters Shea Adam, Joe Bradley, Bruce Jones and Owen Mildenhall – and of course the perpetual Paul Truswell on timing & scoring.
Sadly no Jim Roller this year though I’m looking forward to Ben Consty’s input.
And if you miss anything it’ll all be uploaded as podcasts! The podcast page is right here and includes previews for each category should you get the time before the race.
TV
Quest
Freeview channel 37
Excellent news that Quest TV will once again air snippets LIVE through the race. Coverage includes Lou Goodman, Diana Binks and Andy Jaye.
There will be updates on the hour plus the following:
Saturday
1.30pm – 3.00pm Race Start Live
8.00pm – 9.00pm Race Live
Sunday
10.00am – 11.00am  Morning round-up
1pm – 2.30pm Race finish
7pm  Highlights
ITV4
Freeview channel 24
Brilliant news – ITV4 will ensure there is live free-to-air coverage of the last 4.5 hours of the race!
Sunday
9.30am – 2.45pm Le Mans 24 Hour Race Live
Eurosport
And if you are a die-hard fan or just want to dip in and out at your leisure, the race will be live in full on Eurosport 1.
If you remember the days of swapping between Eurosport 1 and Eurosport 2 – those days are gone!
This year’s commentary team includes Martin Haven, Marc Cole, Carlton Kirby, Chris Parsons and David Addison. Addison is new to the team, you’ll know him from BTCC and Blancpain GT, he seems to be in place of Jeremy Shaw who is not listed this year. Analysts include racers Damien Faulkner, Liz Halliday and Sam Hancock.
Don’t knock their coverage – many die-hard RLM fans stick with it but I tend to have an ear on both broadcasts, particularly when Haven is on Eurosport.
They’ll show every 24 Hour session live as well as the Porsche Cup and possible the Road To Le Mans.
Eurosport time schedule in the UK:
Wednesday
3pm – 7pm  Practice
9pm – 11pm Qualifying
Thursday
3pm – 7.10pm This slot appears to be Porsche Cup practice then Road To Le Mans Race 1 at 4.30pm.
6pm – 8pm Qualifying
9pm – 11pm Qualifying
Saturday – all on Eurosport 1
8am – 8.40am Warm Up
9.15am  Porsche Carrera Cup
10.30am Road To Le Mans Race 2
1.45pm to Sunday afternoon  24 Hours of Le Mans
Eurosport Player
The Eurosport Player app (on tablet and via website) will stream the race live, including a commentary & advert free option showing the race continuously. It may also have onboard feeds.
This is ideal if, for example, you wanted pictures to put up alongside Radio Le Mans!
Le Mans / FIA WEC App
On the Apple and Google stores – or via here – there is a 24h Le Mans app. This is the same as the FIA WEC app, so if you have the WEC app already you just need to update it and be sure you have the right subscription.
Health warning: for the Spa 6 Hours this app subscription wasn’t working properly. It is not the most reliable thing I’ve ever seen, which is ironic, given the setting.
They’ll have the ‘World Feed’ TV team including Toby Moody and Allan McNish plus live timing and information. It should also have a choice of onboard streams and usually there’s a French language option.
Other Useful Things
Official Website: Â www.lemans.org/en
Live Timing: Â www.lemans.org/en
Race Timetable: Â www.lemans.org/en/Program/schedule/95
What are the classes?
LMP1 / LMP2 / GTE Pro / GTE Am: Â www.lemans.org/en/Page/categories/105
Entry List: Â PDF
Spotter Guides:
– the superior Andy Blackmore guide supported by Dunlop.
– the official ACO guide
I notice Andy had to change his design after the ACO ‘borrowed’ his ideas. I’d go with Andy’s if I were you.
I Watch Too Much Racing 
Brilliant Pat, thank you.
I have enjoyed Eurosport over the years, despite the channel changes. Unlike F1 etc. endurance racing is a sport to be enjoyed at the spectators leisure.
It’s long enough to dip in and out of without upsetting the wife for fear of missing something. Saturday, watch the start, do the shopping; then a nice hour of viewing before being called into the garden; then another nice hour of viewing. Peel the potatoes for dinner, pitch in and do the washing up; then another nice hours viewing; 10pm they’re all in bed and a long stint until 2am before hitting the sack a few beers heavy.
Sunday late morning dog walk (pub, for a hair of) before another stint around 12 noon until 3pm and the finish. Sunday lunch ready, do the dishes again, brush the kids school shoes, another dog walk and a last beer.
All is well with the world.
Thank you for all your work Pat.
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This is great! So much information! I never knew that Quest would showing it! We only have Freeview so that’s awesome
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