Le Mans 2024
Three Road Trips in three months you say? Absolutely! This one has been in the pipeline since mid-2023 and has been talked about for even longer.
Now a British migration to the Circuit de la Sarthe is no new thing, it’s a well-respected ritual in the motorsport world and one that Latitude Founders Charlie & Rich have been doing since 2000. This time was different though. Not long before tickets became available near the end of last year we floated the idea to the Latitude Family of a trip to Le Mans and the response was all positive. Before you knew it we were sat by computer screens and phones for the ticket release, due to sell out after the record-breaking centenary year in 2023. And boy did it, in just a few hours all admission and camping tickets were gone, and we were set to leave for France in 7 months’ time…
And just like that it was mid-June, cars packed and ready for a foreign adventure. After speaking with various Latitude Family members who would be joining us, routes and arrival days varied. For us, we set off from Poole to Cherbourg first thing on Wednesday morning.
Some are there the entire week leading up to the race and others arrive on the day of the race (Saturday) but for us, the Wednesday morning departure works best. Arriving Wednesday late afternoon we can set up and watch the nighttime practice & qualifying, plus a full day of motorsport on the Thursday before the famed ‘Mad Friday’ ahead of the race on Saturday and Sunday.
The drive to Le Mans isn’t bad once in France. For us, it was under three hours from the ferry, slightly more to the channel tunnel.
Our campsite (there are many to choose from at LM) was Beausejour, and our comrades who arrived earlier that week had saved our space right next to the Porsche Curves, a 2-minute walk from the trackside. Knowing we were here for the next 5 days we could bring the full set-up and take time creating our home from home. With the trailer on the back of the Latitude Porsche Cayenne, we ensured we had everything! From multiple gazebos and awnings to full-sized BBQs, bikes, power stations, the lot!
With camp complete, all that was left was to open a drink, grab a chair and watch the latest Hypercars fly out of the woods from Arnage at 200mph that evening, and enjoy the next few days of amazing racing, company, and atmospheres.
We snapped a few phone pictures over the weekend but for the most part, it was spent with eyes up away from screens which is always a nice feeling!
What an amazing trip, something different to our normal road trips but equally just as fun.
The FOMO was felt over social media as we posted a few pictures and videos, and the overall feeling is we’re going to have to do this again. We’re just going to need more space next time!
Have we just started a Latitude Le Mans tradition…
Tickets for 2025 will come on sale around October-November 2024. If you are interested in coming, drop us a message and we will share what details we know.