The 94th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans officially began at 16:00 CEST as official starter Mark Cavendish waved the French flag, releasing a grid of 62 cars onto the 13.626 km Circuit de la Sarthe. Image: 24h-lemans
The opening two hours of the race have historically set a dramatic baseline. With temperatures hovering under clear skies, the initial stint should devolve into an all-out tactical battle across the multi-class field, forcing drivers to balance aggression with early tire management.
Starting from overall pole position for the first time in the manufacturer’s history, the #15 Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8 should contain the 17 hypercar rivals, sitting just behind. Find out the starting grid for the 2026 Le Mans 24h here
Live text commentary: real-time race progress
- 15:40 (CEST): Track temperature is 42°C, air is 29°C
- 15:51 (CEST): All cars are off for the formation lap, following Grand Marshal Sarah Bovy
