Porsche Curves at Le Mans

The historic Le Mans 24-Hour racing circuit, made up of country roads with constructed racetrack sections, has always been a “horsepower track.” “Give me an extra 40 horsepower on the field, and I’ll show you some superior driving skills…” At Le Mans, having a car with lots of straight-line speed and good aerodynamics can make up somewhat for a driver’s lack of smoothness, or not being precise with the line through the corners. Although the 8 mile-long 24-hour circuit is still a top-end racetrack, the track’s reconfiguration over the past few years has made it necessary for drivers to look for someplace other than the straightaways to improve their lap times.

The Porsche Curves (Virage Porsche), in the purpose-built racetrack section of the course, is probably the most technical part of the entire track, and a place where most drivers can improve their overall lap times. The Porsche Curves is actually a combination of five corners linked together. With a couple of exceptions, the line (turning points, apexes, and track-out points) through these corners is fairly straightforward. Remember, that it’s important to think of these linked corners as one “flowing motion” exercise. Smoothness is rewarded.