At Le Mans, fuel is stored underground and piped to the garages. Some tanks are located where the new garages are to be built and will have to be moved before construction work can begin.

The four new pits will be at the foot of the Welcome Centre, on the site of the current Parc Fermé. The latter will be moved to the other end of the pit lane near the Race Control complex, as will the scrutineering area which will be on the ground floor of the building.

The new location for the scrutineers will improve communication with Race Control who need up-to-the-minute information. However it means building a new medical centre on the site of the TV compound. The extent of the work involved means the project has to be completed in two stages.

The Automobile Club de l’Ouest, which is funding the entire project, has applied for planning permission and engaged the services of Cabinet Bailleux, which managed the Porsche Experience Center project. A call for tenders has been issued for the work to be completed by March 2016.

All four new garages will be built by next year’s race but only two will be occupied. The remaining two garages will temporarily house the scrutineer marshals and their equipment.
The roof of the new garages will provide extra space for the big screen, which will be angled slightly differently. Spectators in the grandstands opposite the pit lane will get a better view of the race on the screen while keeping an eye on the Michelin tower’s leader board display.
These improvements will be in place for the next 24 Hours of Le Mans on 18–19 June 2016.

Cécile Bonardel / ACO —Translated from French by Emma Paulay