Circuit Bugatti, Le Mans

Circuit guide by Chris Pollitt · dates updated 2 November 2026

The Bugatti Circuit is the permanent track at Le Mans, run by the ACO, and it borrows the start of the 24 Hours lap: the same pits, the same main straight and the run up to the Dunlop bridge. Its first race was at the end of 1965, and the current 4.185 km, 14-corner layout has been in place since the early 2000s. It's home to the French MotoGP round and the 24 Heures Motos, so the bike world knows it far better than most car drivers do.

Don't turn up expecting the Mulsanne. This is a short, stop-start lap of hairpins and chicanes linked by straights, with the longest of them only around 700 metres. That makes it a brake and traction circuit, and it rewards tidy driving more than bravery. French organisers run open pit lane days for cars and plenty of bike days, often with rental bikes on offer. It suits novices well because the corners are slow and the run-off is generous, and there's the bonus of standing on the same grid as the 24 Hours.

A lap of Circuit Bugatti, Le Mans

Layout: Bugatti Circuit, 4.185 km (2.60 miles)

The lap starts on the 24 Hours pit straight, and the first corner is a fast right that sweeps up the hill towards the Dunlop bridge. It feels quick in a road car, but it's only the run-in to the first big stop. Brake hard before the bridge for the Dunlop chicane, now sponsored by Goodyear, which is one of the heaviest braking zones on the lap and the main overtaking spot on bike race days. Don't overcook the entry, because the exit is what matters.

From here the Bugatti layout leaves the 24 Hours course and drops downhill to La Chapelle, a long right with two apexes. Turn in too early and you'll be hanging on at the second apex, so be patient and let the car settle before you commit to the throttle. Musée follows, a left that leads you down to Garage Vert, the right-hand hairpin. Garage Vert is a classic late-braking spot. A clean, early exit is worth far more than a few metres gained on the brakes.

Out of Garage Vert you get the longest straight on the circuit, roughly 700 metres, before braking for the Chemin aux Boeufs chicane. It's another big stop, and it's easy to lock a front wheel here when you're carrying straight-line speed. Hop over the kerbs neatly and carry on to the Garage Bleu section, a series of S-bends where you want one smooth line rather than three separate corners.

The lap finishes through the Raccordement, the slow, tight corners that lead back onto the pit straight. They feel fiddly and you'll be tempted to rush them. Don't. Get the car turned, get it straight and get on the power early, because the drive out of here carries you all the way up the straight and back to the Dunlop chicane.

Track day tips

• This is a brake circuit. Five or six heavy stops a lap will cook tired pads and old fluid, so fit fresh high-temperature fluid and check pad depth before you go.
• Noise limits on French days are commonly around 102 dB dynamic. Check your organiser's figure and don't rely on a loud aftermarket exhaust getting through.
• French organisers usually ask for proof of insurance that covers track use, so sort it with your insurer or the organiser before you travel.
• Exits matter more than entries. Garage Vert and the Raccordement both lead onto straights, so sacrifice the entry to get a better drive out.
• Avoid the weeks around the 24 Hours, the 24 Heures Motos and the MotoGP. Hotels in Le Mans fill up and prices jump.
• Bike days often include rental machines, which makes it a decent option if you'd rather fly than ride down.

Getting there

From Calais it's roughly 430 km to Le Mans, about four and a half hours via the A16 and A28 through Rouen and Alençon. A shorter option is the Portsmouth to Caen ferry, which leaves you about 170 km from the circuit, or St Malo, around 190 km away. The track sits on the south side of the city and is well signposted from the ring road. For flights, Paris and Nantes have the widest choice of UK routes, and the TGV from Paris Montparnasse gets to Le Mans in about an hour. The city itself has plenty of hotels.