The 2021 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will now take place in August in a bid to allow spectators to attend the event.
The 2021 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will now take place in August in a bid to allow spectators to attend the event. The race was originally scheduled to take place on June 12–13 but now has been rescheduled to August 21–22.
The decision was taken by The Automobile Club de l’Ouest – organiser of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the World Endurance Championship and the FIA.
The move to August will potentially give fans an opportunity to attend the famous French endurance event as COVID restrictions are hopefully loosened.
A statement on the 24 Hours of Le Mans website said: “The Automobile Club de l’Ouest has made this decision early in the season to give competitors, partners and spectators as much visibility as possible and to maintain the current FIA WEC calendar. The dates of the other races and events to be held at the Le Mans Circuit remain unchanged at the present time. The ACO is working closely with the organisers of the various events that could be impacted by this change. ”
In 2020, the race took place in September with no fans in attendance for the first time in its history – something President of the AOC, Pierre Fillon, is keen to avoid for a second year running.
The rescheduling also ensures the race doesn’t clash with any Formula 1 event with it taking place during the summer break.
Organisers have also revealed the entry list for the 89th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will be released on March 9.
Source: crash.net