Since 2021, what local time has the Le Mans race usually started?

Since 2021, the Le Mans race has usually started at 4:00 p.m. local time.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans traditionally begins on Saturday afternoon at the Circuit de la Sarthe in France. The local start time is generally 4:00 p.m. Central European Summer Time, or UTC+2, placing the finish at roughly the same time on Sunday afternoon.

The wording “usually” matters because organizers can adjust the schedule for exceptional circumstances, ceremonies, or unusual editions. The 2021 running began at 4:00 p.m., and the standard afternoon slot continued in subsequent editions. A common confusion is converting the time for another country: 4:00 p.m. is the local French time, not a universal broadcast time.