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The never-seen since 1972. Francois Hollande is the first president in office for forty-three years and Georges Pompidou to attend the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The appointment is set at 15 hours to the top from the greatest endurance race in the world. More than 250,000 spectators are expected this weekend around the legendary 24-Hours circuit, 13.629 km long and including the famous Mulsanne straight is used, the rest of the year by drivers everyday.
A more eventful than planned visit as the head of state has been booed by some fans when, accompanied by Interior Ministers, Bernard Cazeneuve, and agriculture, Stéphane Le Foll, he went up the long pit straight
A few minutes earlier, Mr. Holland explained the reasons for his visit to micro BFM TV. “ That the President of the Republic come to an event like the 24H is, I believe, a great recognition of this event which is global. (…) I too have 24 hours every day to live, and so I try to use my best time possible, not for pleasure but for the French “ has he said in a thinly veiled reference to the controversial displacement Manuel Valls, June 6, to go watch the final of the Champions League in Berlin.
Read also: Trip to Berlin Valls acknowledged a communication error, but “no fault”
The head of state also insisted that it was not a movement of a possible ” presidential pre-campaign. ” “This is not the season, there is no country that is expected” , he said.
On the track, he was greeted on the “pitwark” Alley paddocks, by the president of the International Automobile Federation Jean Todt and Pierre Fillon, who heads the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (AC0) and is incidentally the brother former Prime Minister Francois Fillon. Mr. Todt, François Hollande spoke road safety, the only automaker that now passionate about the former boss of the Scuderia Ferrari; Mr. Fillon, he had to make a lap.
The President then visited the Alpine booth, while the return of the famous car Renault is periodically announced. Alpine has also initiated this year a car equipped with Nissan Motor (No. 36), with a crew of 100% French: Neslon Panciatici, Chatin and Vincent Capillary
The coming of Francois Hollande, in any case, somewhat changed the atmosphere of the perks of the race: a lot more traffic than usual, even more intense helicopter ballet than other years, searched bags meticulously, more men in black suits, sunglasses and earpieces …
Not enough, anyway, disrupt onlookers that pass under the main stands. Enthusiasts looking for their favorite team or their favorite driver. Very popular, Porsche, 16 times victorious at Le Mans but failed to prevail in 2014, hopes to win this time. Thursday and Friday, three 919 Hybrid, driven by Neel Jani, Romain Dumas and Marc Lieb, have indeed made the three best performances of qualifying sessions.
On the starting grid, behind the three Porsches, three Audi – the German brand dominates the race for fifteen years. Then Toyota will line the 7 th 8 th places. The audience – some of which have retained their place since yesterday – watching from the stands or at the edge of the circuit, the mechanics, for which every gesture is timed as well as pilots, more and more concentrated as the departure time approach.
This popular craze for Le Mans 24 Hours is due to a peculiarity of the race, to align the three types of vehicles, powers and characteristics different at the same time: LMP1 (Le Mans Prototype), LMP2 and GTE (Grand touring pro to professional, and Am for amateur). It is also thanks to the latter category that Le Mans has built his legend. Because it allows – great idea -. Of racing stars, speed lovers
Thus, in 1969, Steve McQueen, after turning Curves is a passion for Le Mans, investing to the point of making a documentary about the race. Another American actor does not hide his passion for cars: Paul Newman short at Le Mans in 1979, to 54 years. Just before the French Jean-Louis Trintignan.
This year is the American actor Patrick Dempsey, Dr. Sheperd Grey’s Anatomy , which for its fourth participation in the 24 Hours, hope a podium. A realistic ambition after his fourth place last year.
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