Le Mans
The race organised by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest stood apart from other events in that its circuit only really existed once a year, since it used public roads. In the early sixties, the idea was tabled to build a permanent circuit to train young racing drivers and hold other events during the year.
Jacques Finance, chairman of the racing committee and Jean-Marie Lelièvre, President of the ACO, approved the construction of a new circuit. Designer Charles Deutsch suggested a simple, fast course.
At a little over four kilometres it was quite short, but very versatile. It used the same Pit Straight as the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, peeling off to the right just after the footbridge at La Chapelle turn and rejoining it just before Pit In, at the turn aptly known in French as “raccordement”, meaning “junction”. The design was both economical and judicious: the grandstands, paddocks, and technical infrastructure were shared with the existing circuit, yet the Bugatti could lead a life of its own. The Bugatti track became a venue in its own right.
The ACO named the circuit Bugatti after the French carmaker who had recently died and who had been a prominent figure of motorsport. Ettore Bugatti won many Grands Prix, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice, in 1937 and 1939, two major successes for French manufacturing. Jean-Marie Lelièvre was friendly with Jean Bugatti, Ettore’s son, and owned several Bugattis. Given the ties between the two families – between Le Mans and Molsheim, motorsport and car manufacturing – the name of the new track was much more than an institutional hat-tip. It was also a personal tribute.
The Bugatti Circuit was finished by the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans and officially opened in 1966. In an area associated with one annual event a new race track was a gamble. Would it really be used all year round? Since it opened, the Bugatti has been altered several times to improve safety and comply with the standards required by the various disciplines that use it. However, it remains true to the spirit in which it was designed. It is still a tricky circuit, with plenty of potential for overtaking, built for both driver and spectator enjoyment.
The Bugatti was used for Formula Two from 1966 and hosted the French Formula One Grand Prix in 1967, which earned it world-class status. The motorcycle Grands Prix were held in Le Mans from 1969 and the MotoGP still attracts huge crowds today. Le Mans is among the most popular on the MotoGP calendar. The quick turns and spectacular braking are particularly conducive to head-to-head rivalry. Every year, the Grand Prix de France attracts a crowd of over 300,000 who come to admire the world’s best riders.
In 1971, the well-known Bol d’Or joined the list of major events held at the Bugatti, replaced by the 24H Motos in 1978. The motorcycle version of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, held in April, has since become one of the discipline’s most prominent races, and is traditionally the FIM EWC season-opener. The 24H Camions truck race was introduced in 1981, completing a full yearly schedule.
However, the Bugatti still hosts other events, such as the 1,000 kilometres of Le Mans, the Tour Auto, and the GP Explorer organised by a group of Internet content creators which popularised endurance racing among young people new to motorsport. The ability to adapt is without doubt one of the Bugatti’s strengths.
In short, the addition of a permanent track means the whole grounds are busy all year round. Thanks to the initial design and the ensuing vision, several local events totally unrelated to the 24 Hours of Le Mans were launched at the Bugatti and still exist today, significantly contributing to the city’s worldwide renown. Today, Le Mans is more than one annual race, it’s a whole ecosystem devoted to motorsport, and the Bugatti Circuit is a cornerstone.
