No 24 Hours of Le Mans Test Day in 2020

You had to go back to 2010 not to see Test Day 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 2009 and 2010, against the backdrop of the economic crisis that began in 2008, the traditional meeting had not been organized before having been there since 2011 without interruption.

But, due to the coronavirus pandemic, and its repercussions on the various motorsport championships around the world, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest had no choice but to cancel this run in 2020.

“This is a practical problem and a request for teams, comments Pierre Fillon, president of the ACO. As recently announced, the 24 Hours of Le Mans have been postponed to September 19 and 20.

Traditionally Test Day, which I remind you did not always exist or take place (The tests were established in 1959 and took place until 1974. They resumed in 1986 and 1987, then were canceled again before reappearing in 1993), when it has been implemented in a more systematic way, is held two weeks before the test. We should have considered organizing this Day, certainly important for the teams and very demanding in terms of organization, a week after the 24 Heures Motos, which will take place on August 29 and 30.

Holding these two major events, the 24 Heures Motos and the 24 Heures du Mans in three weeks, required a rearrangement of organizational priorities.

We have therefore opted to cancel the Test Day this year. We will reschedule the testing schedule during the 24 Hours week, in order to have running time for both beginners and new machines. »

The impossibility of holding the Test Day two weeks before the race also comes from the remodeling of the calendar IMSA, with the postponement of the Laguna Seca round (California) on September 6, where several competitors from the 24 Hours of Le Mans will also be taking part.

The schedule for the 2020 double clock tour would therefore be as follows:

September 13 and 14: Administrative and technical checks (location to be confirmed)
September 16 and 17: Free practice and qualifying
September 19 and 20: Race
September 21: Post-race technical checks