Le Mans 2017 : Pesage, the slowest lap.

A few years ago we had a running joke regarding the scrutineering (pesage) days at Le Mans that nothing happened in the morning and then surprisingly little happened in the afternoon. To be fair, although it's never going to be a thrill ride, it does have its own unique charm.

United Autosports #35 Ligier-Gibson arrives at the square.

If you have never experienced it before, the process works something like this. In one of the main squares of Le Mans (Place de la République ), a set of tents open at each end are set up along the four sides of a square. Race cars arrive according to a strict schedule in the south east corner and are pushed one after another through the sequence of tents within which they are weighed, measured and minutely inspected to ensure they conform to regulations. At the same time as the cars are getting a serious bit of looking-at, the drivers are summoned to present their licenses, helmets, suits and other safety gear in the registration office in the centre of the square. All this sounds a bit dull and if that was all there was to 'pesage' then I would agree that it is an unlikely spectator event.  

Porsche drivers are interviewed on the covered stage.

Once the cars have passed inspection the official ACO stickers are applied and the cars are wheeled into an area where they are joined by the drivers and the rest of the team for a set-up photo opportunity for the group of press photographers positioned to capture the moment. Once the group-shot is done the drivers are invited onto a covered stage area where they are interviewed by Le Mans commentators Bruno Vandestick and David Waldron in front of an audience gathered in small grandstand. Outside the square of inspection tents there is another ring of awnings that contain a range of stalls where you can shop for a T-shirt, hat or scale model of your favourite car past or present. 

In past years the pesage has been on Monday and Tuesday, but a few years ago it was brought forward to Sunday and Monday. The move to Sunday has made the event incredibly popular with the local population of Le Mans, not least because it is entirely free to attend and they can see the cars and drivers at close quarters, possibly the closest race fans will have a chance to get all week. 

Thrilling it isn't, but well worth attending for the party atmosphere, particularly in the gorgeous weather we have been blessed with today.

Dave Davies.

Le Mans 2017 - Club Arnage guide

Download HERE

The new Club Arnage guide to Le Mans is out.

The guide has slightly changed compared to previous years and now mainly puts its focus to the race and competitiors. All other info about Le Mans, the campsites, what's to be found around the track etc ... is still available online in the Club Arnage Wiki pages at this link: http://www.clubarnage.com/wiki/doku.php?id=ca_guide:toc

Enjoy the new guide. If you've got any tips or suggestions, just let us know !!

Le Mans 2017: Scrutineering kicks off this afternoon

The run up to the 85th 24 Hours of Le Mans now really kicks off with the start of scrutineering today in the centre of Le Mans, at the Place de la République. 

During the scrutineering process, the cars have to go through three stations. At the first station, all cars will be measured to make sure they fit the regulations. The width, length, weelbase, wings and fins ... all will be measured up to the millimeter, and the cars will be weighed to check if they comply with their minimum weight. 

The third and final station will check the cars safety equipment (belts, fire extinguishers, indicators, hybrid safety systems), for which the bodywork partially has to be removed. Next to the safety devices, the data acquisition system and marshalling systems, which gives the drivers info about what's going on on track, in the car will also thoroughly be tested. The Hybrid cars of Porsche and Toyota will undergo an extra scrutineering on Tuesday at the track. 

Not only the cars will have to go through scrutineering, the drivers will also go through several adminstrative checks. Their licenses, driver suits and all equipment must comply with the FIA standards and undergo inspection. The drivers will also be weighed to define their average weight per car.  The drivers will also be interviewed on the stage opposite the grandstand at the entry of the scrutineering area. 

When all scrutineering tests are done, the cars will be rolled out in the Place de la République for the annual team photo with drivers, mechanics ...  A must see if you're around at scrutineering and a very nice opportunity to meet the drivers afterwards. 

Both Graff's Oreca 07's will be the first to go through scrutineering this afternoon, starting at 14h30. 22 cars will be checked today, the #86 Gulf Racing Porsche 911 the last one at 17.30h. The Porsche 919 Hybrids are scheduled for 15.20h today. The remaining 38 cars will arrive in the centre of Le Mans beginning at 9.30h with the #49 ARC Bratislava Ligier. Closing up "le pesage" - as the French say - will be #82 Risi Competizione Ferrari. All three Toyota's are also scheduled for Monday afternoon, starting from 14.10h. 

Scrutineering timetable
Updated entry list


Kristof Vermeulen.