24H Le Mans Test Day to be Restricted to Race Entries Only

Photo: Brecht Decancq

The Le Mans Test Day will be restricted to race participants only in 2016, with reserve cars or additional entries not being eligible, and other new rules being put in place for the single-day test on June 5.

Unlike recent years, where the test was open to additional competitors, including Prototype Challenge and LMP3 machinery, only the 58 confirmed race entries, plus a maximum of two additional “experimental cars” will be allowed to participate.

Teams, however, will be allowed to nominate up to five drivers per car at the test, and have until May 12 to do so.

Drivers who have not raced at Le Mans since 2011 will need to complete a minimum of 10 laps at the test day, unless they are Platinum-rated and have a prior race commitment that weekend.

As in recent years, all new drivers will also go through a one-day training course on the ACO-approved simulator in Paris.

No other major changes have been outlined, with the schedule for the test day and race week remaining identical to this year.

Entry requests for Le Mans opened Friday and run through Jan. 25 at midnight France time.

The complete entry list for the race, along with full-season entries for the WEC and European Le Mans Series, will be revealed on Feb. 5 in Paris.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John