This year’s rescheduled Le Mans motorsport event will take place with fans present, organisers have confirmed.
Ticket sales for the 88th 24 Hours of Le Mans in September were suspended from yesterday (June 29), but all who have so far bought passes will be able to attend.
Organisers Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) said that ticket sales have been suspended in the hope that conditions improve, enabling current restrictions on large crowds to be lifted. Only ACO members and anyone who already holds a ticket for the race will be admitted to the circuit as a spectator. ACO members, spectators and authorised resellers who have already booked and paid for grandstand tickets, camping areas, parking spaces or ACO member hospitality areas may purchase the corresponding tickets for the race.
The iconic motorsport event regularly attracts more than 250,000 spectators. The French government ruled in April that major sporting and cultural events bringing together more than 5,000 participants could not be held before September.
Pierre Fillon, president of the ACO, said: “We have always been at the forefront of technological innovation to improve safety and sustainable mobility. Responsibility is one of our founding principles.
“We are therefore sure that our loyal spectators will understand our position and support our decision. We will not be breaking any attendance records this year. However, all the magic of the race will remain intact and the spectator experience – trackside or from a distance – will remain world-class.”
This year’s Le Mans event was originally due to be held in June, but it was announced in March that it had been postponed until September 19-20.
The Tour de France cycling race and French Open tennis event have both been postponed until autumn which is expected to mean fans will be able to attend, while the Ligue 1 football season was cancelled all together in April.
Le Mans organisers said human health and the environment will be prominent topics at this year’s event. Tribute will be paid to frontline workers and their role in the COVID-19 outbreak. ACO, which backs the development of sustainable, zero-emission mobility, said a new category for hydrogen-electric prototypes will be introduced at the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans.
