SAFER barriers added to Porsche Curves at Le Mans
The latest round of safety improvements on the Le Mans 24 Hours circuit have been signed off
The upgrades, which are focused on the Porsche Curves, were inspected by the FIA last week.
SAFER barriers most commonly used on US ovals have been installed on the outside of the first part of the double left at the beginning of the sequence.
The run-off and gravel trap has also been extended at the final right-hander of the Porsche Curves, the point at which Audi driver Loic Duval hit the debris fencing during practice of the 24 Hours in 2014.
ACO sporting manager Vincent Beaumesnil told Autosport he believes it is the first time that the SAFER system, which stands for steel and foam energy reduction, has been used on a road course in Europe.
He explained the SAFER barriers had allowed the character of the Porsche Curves to be retained at the same time as improving safety.
"It would have been easy to add a chicane, but the track would have lost its character," he said.
"After discussions with our federation in France [the FFSA], we were able to make the circuit safer and keep the original layout."
The latest improvements follow a previous round of upgrades in the Porsche Curves sequence for 2014 when TechPro barriers were added at the first right-hander and the gravel trap increased in size at Corvette Corner (formerly Karting).
Previous article
Le Mans creates new spectator zone at Indianapolis for 24 Hours
Next article
Brad Pitt given Le Mans 24 Hours honorary starter role
The 10 greatest drives of lost legend Jo Siffert
It's 50 years since Jo Siffert was killed in his prime at Brands Hatch. The Swiss scored just two world championship wins in a Formula 1 career spent largely with privateer teams, but showed on numerous occasions in single-seaters and in sportscars with Porsche that he could beat any of the best drivers of his era given the right equipment
Inside the Le Mans finish too barmy for Hollywood
Team WRT has been at the forefront of GT racing for years and made a successful move to prototypes for 2021, capped by an LMP2 win on its Le Mans debut. It could've been even better had the race been one lap shorter, when its cars ran 1-2, but the stranger-than-fiction reality has spurred the team to reach greater heights
The standout memories of Le Mans 2021
OPINION: With four of the five Hypercar entries unproven in a 24-hour race, it would not have been unexpected for at least one of them to suffer serious reliability trouble. That they all managed to make it through the race relatively unscathed, says GARY WATKINS, was something of a surprise.
Why Toyota's Le Mans victory was not as simple as it looked
Toyota scored its fourth Le Mans 24 Hours victory and a 1-2, with the #7 car of Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway and Jose Maria Lopez beating the #8. But although it looked straightforward from the outside, Toyota faced serious problem that had to be solved with some quick-thinking and ingenuity
How overlooked Mazda produced one of Le Mans' greatest shocks
The screaming rotary-engined Mazda 787 is regarded as one of the most popular Le Mans 24 Hours-winning cars, but until its surprise success on this day 30 years ago it was never regarded as a likely victor. But that reckoned without a new technical partner, some canny political manoeuvring and a rival's bizarre self-inflicted weakness
Can Toyota's #7 crew break its Le Mans curse?
One Toyota, normally with the number 7 on the side, always seems to attract the bad luck in the Le Mans 24 Hours. Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez are hoping for a change in fortune this time around, but face significantly more unknowns than in recent years
Why Glickenhaus should be taken seriously on its Le Mans bow
Many were quick to dismiss Glickenhaus when the boutique American sportscar firm's entry into the top class of the Le Mans 24 Hours was announced. It's all-new LMH racer, powered by an engine built by a rally specialist, goes in as the underdog against Toyota but the mathematical odds suggest that it has more than just a faint hope of success
The Asian underdog taking on the mighty GT factories at Le Mans
The rising HubAuto team steps up to GTE Pro at Le Mans this year for an ambitious bid to take on the three works giants – and has every reason to be optimistic of achieving its goal in becoming the first privateer on the podium since 2016
