Bugatti Circuit

When it isn't 24 Hours of Le Mans weekend, the Bugatti Circuit is the intense racing course that plays host to great racing. The Bugatti Circuit has been around since 1965. It is great for racing whether with cars or with motorcycles. The Bugatti Circuit is even home to the 24 Hours of Le Mans Moto as part of the FIM Endurance World Championship. It is over 2.655 miles (or 4.272 kilometers) long with about 10 or 11 corners.

I figured I'd spend time talking about Le Mans in preparation for the amazing 24 Hours of Le Mans this weekend.

--- Bugatti Circuit ---

Meet this circuit:

^ from: gpticketshop.com - Most people who only know Le Mans for the almost 8.5-mile course don't know about the challenge this course provides.

This is a course that starts smoothly, then gets progressively tough. Turns 1-4 and 11 make up the massive 8.5+ mile course that makes up the 24 Hours of Le Mans course.

Turn 1 is a smooth right-hand corner known as Dunlop Curve. Dunlop Curve is smooth, but the Dunlop Chicane is anything but. It's a left-right chicane that then leads to a brief left kink. The final section of the Circuit de la Sarthe is La Chapelle (Turn 4). It is a long right-hander that leads onto the rest of the Bugatti course. After La Chapelle is a slight right-hand kink followed by the left-hander at Le Musée (Turn 5). Le Musée is actually an increasing radius corner. Its radius starts short, then sweeps outward upon exit. The Garage Vert (Turn 6) corner is two sharp corners in one, almost like a street course corner. After Turn 6 is a long straight. Another left-right chicane follows at Turns 7 and 8, called Chemin aux Boeufs. Turns 9 and 10 make up the "S" du Garage Bleu. Turn 9 is a pretty sharp right-hand corner that flows nicely into the left-handed Turn 10. After this comes two very sharp right-hand corners at Recordement.

Here is a lap of the Bugatti Circuit:


This lap was in a Porsche GT3 Cup Car at about 2:07 approximately. Nonetheless, this is a pretty tough course.





I hope you've enjoyed this blog entry as much as I've enjoyed making it.  Be well, safe, and happy, my friends!  :D