[LM24] Le Mans 2023 - 10/11 June - Who Is Going? (Closed)

[dwh43scale]

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAHz4Q Thoughts of the weekend to follow - but for now here's a quick album of Saturday / Sunday. Travelled extra lite - so basic DSLR and kits lenses only - rather pleased with some of the images.

[Mike E]

Made it home in one piece after a marathon Le Mans to Leeds triple stint.

[Peter Mallett]

Well done, on the subject of travel I'll put something in the FAQs.

[Mike E]

One of the nice things about this event is strolling through the paddock area behind the pits for some celebrity spotting.

On two aimless wanders I saw:
Kevin Estre
Laurens Vanthoor
Richard Westbrook
Alex Lynn
Fred Vasseur
Wolfgang Ulrich
Allan McNish
Benoit Treluyer
Hindy interviewing someone at Aston Martin
Malcolm Wilson
Matt Wilson
Larry Holt

Who did you spot?

[Greem]

Originally Posted by Mike E

Who did you spot?

I got to meet Ricky Taylor... albeit that was after his prang at the top of the Mulsanne when I went to see if he was OK. He was very open about the fact that he'd made a mistake, which was pretty refreshing to hear.

Given he'd just binned an LMP2 at high speed, he was calm, polite, and very thankful to us all for looking after him. Seemed like an affable sort of chap

[Peter Mallett]

Just going through my pictures and this one is for Greem, and of course all the marshalls.

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Just going through my pictures and this one is for Greem, and of course all the marshalls.

Got anymore pictures to show? Anyway great shot, really shows what the drivers and marshalls have to get to grips with at night.

[Peter Mallett]

Sheesh, gimme a break! There's about 400, I'm cullimg them down at the moment.

[Bentley03]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Sheesh, gimme a break! There's about 400, I'm cullimg them down at the moment.

Come on Peter, shake a leg, the next one will be upon us in just 367 days!

[Peter Mallett]

First part posted in the race thread.

[GT6]

Just had the ACO survey email, took ages to fill it all in

[Aysedasi]

Yeah, I did it too.

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by Mike E

Who did you spot?

In the village - Jim Glick, (I think) Wolfgang Ullrich, and later in the week I'm pretty sure Fred Vasseur just casually walked past me

Paddock - Antonio Felix da Costa, Ferdinand Habsburg, Hindy talking to Leigh Diffey, Graham Goodwin and Martin Haven, Jerome Policand after one of the RTLM races, Mark Webber, Sebastien Bourdais, Ben Keating, and pre-gridwalk Marshall Pruett and Robert Kubica

On the grid - managed to get pictures with JEV, Andre Lotterer and Doriane Pin

And honorable mention to running into Richard Craill on the spectator banking near the S/F line at 7:30 am on Sunday and having a short chat.

[dwh43scale]

Originally Posted by GT6

Just had the ACO survey email, took ages to fill it all in

Likewise - interesting to see a question on length of safety cars ...

That subject is also the subject of a somewhat critical editorial in Motorsport News this week. I "know" there is no simple answer to safety cars - but this, for these spectators the track at least, was not the answer ...

[Simmi]

As we established many on here did not know what a LeBron James was.

Anyone know who Dua Lipa is? https://www.instagram.com/p/Ctbi8A5s...M3MzIxNA%3D%3D

One of the biggest popstars in the world attended the race - I wonder if even the ACO were aware?

[Peter Mallett]

Actually I do know of her. She's a Kosovan Albanian and is quite famous in the UK and her own country.

[RL17]

Did Levitating and shot one video by the old Sheppey Bridge (bridge Frank Spencer? got stuck on)

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by Simmi

As we established many on here did not know what a LeBron James was.

I liked this response here:

https://twitter.com/MarcusSimmons54/...C-xZ26pKQuAAAA

[Gerard C]

I think this world is really cruel. At least he spoke few words of French. Dont even think about a French speaking a foreign language (or writing it!!!).
https://www.essentiallysports.com/nb...ed-on-twitter/

The weirdest thing in this story is that many enthousiasts love the hair rising phrase "Gentlemen…… start your engines!" while the french version sounds a lot less exotic!

[Peter Mallett]

Fair play to him. Why do people feel the need to pile on just because someone makes and effort? FWIW I always try to order food etc. in French (doesn't go down well at my local pub though) and then find it frustrating when French people respond to my requests in English!

[Aysedasi]

Fair play to him I accept. What I don't understand is why a basketball player (no matter how famous) gets chosen to flag off the Centenary 24 Hours....

[Peter Mallett]

Someone mentioned that he is sponsored by GM and that was the connection. Personally Jackie Icks or Richard Attwood would have been more appropriate.

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Fair play to him I accept. What I don't understand is why a basketball player (no matter how famous) gets chosen to flag off the Centenary 24 Hours....

I think it's heavily influenced by F1 and their current trajectory.

I could list many more social accounts but here's a couple who picked it up:
https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/sta...92159996903430
https://twitter.com/SInow/status/1667544343123460096
https://twitter.com/YahooSports/stat...44077263417346

Accounts/outlets who probably don't mention Le Mans without him being there are mentioning Le Mans. Simple as that really. I think the ACO respected the event's history enough throughout the week. Wheeling Jacky out again isn't going to move the needle really.

[Aysedasi]

The ACO's needle is immaterial to me. I'd have taken Ickx over an irrelevant basketball player.

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

The ACO's needle is immaterial to me. I'd have taken Ickx over an irrelevant basketball player.

Y'know, I knew I'd misspelled his name.