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Tatler flies to the centenary edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world's oldest endurance motorcar race, to witness the historic occasion and discover how far the race, and the concept of timekeeping, have come 

- Zabrina Lo

On June 10 and 11 this year, 325,000 spectators flooded Le Mans, the small city in northwest France with a population not even half that number—and that wasn’t even including the car enthusiasts and excited families camping on every last inch of the public space outside Circuit de la Sarthe, the racetrack for the world’s most historic annual endurance motorcar race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

What made the city, which otherwise is best known for rillettes de porc, or pork pâté, even more special this year was the race’s centenary. The 2023 event was a cornucopia of historic moments: from the return of Italian car manufacturer Ferrari to the hyper class category for the first time since 1973, which features toptier cars with the best speed and acceleration; the very first entry of American organisation Nascar (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) since 1976; and NBA superstar LeBron James waving the starting flag.

The race on Sunday culminated with Ferrari taking home the trophy after an intense contest with Toyota, which had been the favourite after winning the last five events. The number 51 Ferrari AF Corse team, made up of drivers Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi, covered 342 laps in a 499P. Their win marks the Prancing Horse’s tenth overall victory at the race. Grand marshal Tom Kristensen, a record nine-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and “Rolex Testimonee”, presented the winning drivers with an Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona, specially engraved for the occasion.