100 years of Le Mans. Harder, faster and more passionate than ever

In the 100 years of 24 Hours, the Circuit de la Sarthe in France, near the town of Le Mans, has consistently been racing against cars on the track. The circuit is racing? Absolutely: in an attempt to limit the risks posed by ever-faster cars, the track has been modified no fewer than thirteen times. In the first race in 1923, the relatively unknown French drivers Chenard and Valcker recorded an average speed of just 92 km/h over the 24-hour interval. But by 1939, the average speed over the course of the race had increased to 140 km/h - a significant jump for cars of that era.