A successful pit stop can save drivers precious seconds. And none of this would be possible without the mechanics responsible for changing the wheels. The pit lane at the Circuit de la Sarthe was the scene of the traditional pit stop challenge for the fourth consecutive year.
There were no trials or qualifications on Tuesday, June 10, for the drivers competing in the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans, but there was a challenge that highlighted the strategic role of the tire changers. “We also have the right to our podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It’s a great idea and we are very proud to be part of it. We are two-time European champions in ELMS,” says Vivien, one of the mechanics on Team IDEC SPORT.
Vivien Moricet, Mathias Aubry, Baptiste Blot, Sebastien Rogard, on #28, and Aymeric Pivin, Loris Chagny, Dylan Loof, and Jérémy Valbon, mechanics on #18, are taking this moment very seriously. “We train regularly: almost every day on the circuits and two to three times a week in the workshop, because pit stops are a strategic and precious moment in a race. It’s both stressful and rewarding to enable the driver to gain hundredths of a second, because yes, races are also won in the pits,” continues the workshop manager.
“We have to be able to perform ‘this dance’ with our eyes closed. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, there are four of us, compared to three in ELMS. A wheel weighs about 20-25 kg and the pneumatic gun weighs 6 kg. We carry it with one hand while running, which is very physical and explosive. We have to be fast. It can be tough, especially when it’s hot or raining. Today, the best LMP2 team can change all four tires in just over 10 seconds.“
Like the drivers, they are constantly striving for performance. Calmness, speed, and methodology guide their every move in a perpetual quest for efficiency against the clock.
This moment is also an opportunity to take a quick look with Nicolas Drouelle, chief engineer, at tire management during the week of the 24 Hours of Le Mans:
- How many tires in total are allocated per car for the week?
- 3 allocations: Testing and qualifying = 6 sets
- Hyperpole 1 and Hyperpole 2 = 3 extra sets if participating
- Race = 14 sets of 4 tires
- These are all slicks, identical for all LMP2 cars
- If rain tires are needed, they are free
- How many people: 1 tireman per car (pressure, mounting, and dismounting), in this case Olivier Masson and Paolo Giraldii, + 2 people who help out in close collaboration with the car engineer
- Pressure: 1.85 bar minimum
- How many stints can be done with one set of tires? At IDEC, 3 to 4
- How many laps in a stint? Approximately 11 laps
- Can the tires be warmed up? No, for the past 2 years, mainly for environmental reasons.
- Manufacturer: Goodyear
The IDEC SPORT Racing Team now invites you to join them on Wednesday, June 11 for free practice, which will begin at 2:00 p.m., before participating in the hyperpole in its new format.
