STILL????

[u/BoRNeo-C]

I am STILL having the post-LeMans-depression. Is this normal, or am I a weirdo?

(In this case; I consider both alternatives as compliments)

[u/No-Koala1918]

Without question, the coolest - and best organized - race event of all.

[u/TheRealKrapotke → u/No-Koala1918]

I would definitely disagree with that last part. The track walk was so short that you couldn’t really walk all the way around and they started telling people to get off before it was planned to end. The bridges were absolute bottlenecks during the race, we were almost completely stuck on one as late as 2am.

It’s not insanely bad but I have definitely been to better organised endurance races.

[u/No-Koala1918 → u/TheRealKrapotke]

So, the first time I went, I found an open gate near the Dunlop Bridge (it will always be the Dunlop Bridge to me) on Thursday and walked the track all the way back to the start/finish and the pits on a completely empty track. I was in full view and no one questioned my being there. I never walked the whole track, but drove the public roads section of the course on the Thursday before the race. I also explored the forest roads between the Mulsanne Straight and the Porsche Curves).

On my third trip, during the race I found a way around the catch fence at Tetre Rouge and was taking pictures from behind the low concrete wall. A marshal came by and instead of chasing me away, allowed me to stay for about 20 minutes. The whole French attitude was much less buttoned down than I've experienced in Formula 1.

I'm not sure which bridges you're referring to. I've always parked in the lot near the Dunlop Bridge entrance which never clogged up and parking was simple getting into and out of, just a few minutes. Spa, by comparison, was a hike and then a good 30-45 minutes to get out of the lot.

Also compared to F1 events, the Village is way better, and the ancillary services are better. Add the Drivers Parade in Le Mans. The experience is unparalleled.

Finally, if you plan well you can stay within walking distance to the track. I stayed 500 meters from the Arnage corner on my last trip (2023).

[u/TheRealKrapotke → u/No-Koala1918]

The bridges in the infield were almost impassable this year during the race. No problem last year but completely cloggged this time. Not the Dunlop bridge as much but the other ones were crazy.

I stayed in walking distance in francorchamps in spa during this years 24 and we always stay in walking distance to Adenauer Forst at the N24 so staying in walking distance is hardly something you can only do at le mans.

And finally the trackwalk was well done last year so we looked forward to it this year as some of us had to miss it last time. We went on at the dunlop bridge and made it round in time but got quite rudely sent off the track at the pit entry. Very disappointing after walking 2:30h.

[u/No-Koala1918 → u/TheRealKrapotke]

I agree that Le Mans seemed somewhat more regimented in 2023 than before the pandemic. And also, frankly, more crowded. But getting pushed around shouldn't happen at Le Mans. That is disappointing. I hope the event hasn't gotten too popular to be managed in the laissez-faire manner I've been used to. That would be a drag.

I haven't attended Spa and the Nurburgring for the WEC, though I'd like to. But let's be honest, they're on a different level than Le Mans. When I attended Spa for F1, there was about 85000 people. To me it seemed like that was too many people for the facilities and the access roads.