EVERY JUNE, MOTORSPORT ENTHUSIASTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD GATHER in a small town southwest of Paris. Here, at the Circuit de la Sarthe, A 24-HOUR DRAMA UNFOLDS, where speed, teamwork, technology, and sheer willpower determine who writes their name into the history books. LE MANS IS NOT JUST A RACE - IT IS A MYTHOLOGY IN CONSTANT MOTION.
24 Hours of Adrenaline
Kevin Magnussen is racing in Le Mans 2025.
Kevin Magnussen, former Formula 1 driver for teams like McLaren and Haas, is no stranger to endurance racing. In 2021, he drove for Peugeot in the IMSA series and participated in the 24 Hours of Daytona - Le Mans’ American cousin. That same year, he and his father entered Le Mans with the Danish team High Class Racing.
For many years, Jan Magnussen had dreamed of racing Le Mans alongside his son Kevin, and in 2021, that dream finally came true when the two, together with Anders Fjordbach, competed in an all-Danish car for High Class Racing.
However, the result wasn’t what they had hoped for. The car lacked top speed on the long straights - a huge disadvantage on the Le Mans circuit. This made the team more vulnerable to small issues during the race that cost them valuable time.
They ended up near the back of the field, but the team finished the race. For the Magnussen family and their many Danish fans, it was a memorable experience to finally see father and son in the same car.
This year, Kevin Magnussen returned to Le Mans - this time driving a BMW M Hybrid V8 Hypercar. In a 2025 interview with Bilmagasinet, Kevin said that after ten years in Formula 1, Le Mans marks the start of an exciting new chapter:
“Now I’m embarking on a new and exciting chapter, and I look forward to taking on the challenge in the most innovative and advanced sports cars in endurance racing history.”
Unfortunately for Magnussen, he did not achieve the desired podium finish. Technical problems with the car meant he ended far down the order - actually in last place.
The Greatest Moments - and the Tragic, the Heroic
Le Mans has delivered some of motorsport's most iconic moments. It is a race that has featured epic comebacks and technological breakthroughs. Perhaps the greatest of all was the 1966 race, where Ford and their chief engineer, Carroll Shelby, achieved their biggest triumph.
That year, Ford secured a legendary 1-2-3 victory in a direct duel with Ferrari. It was a day of revenge following the Italians’ humiliation of the Ford team the previous year - a magical duel later immortalized in the film *Le Mans ’66 (Ford v Ferrari)*. Ford did everything to cement the victory so no one would doubt they had finally dethroned Ferrari. Near the end of the race, Ken Miles, who was leading, was ordered to slow down to create an iconic photo of the three Ford GT40 cars crossing the finish line together. Unfortunately for Ken Miles, this meant he technically finished second.
Ken Miles - the unlucky hero
Ken Miles was the Englishman with gasoline in his veins and a technical intuition that made him indispensable to Carroll Shelby and Ford. Ford’s PR stunt cost him the victory. Tragically, he lost his life just two months later during test runs in California.
Since then, he has become a symbol of everything that makes Le Mans so special: skill, dedication, and tragedy. As Shelby later said:
“Ken deserved more than anyone else to win Le Mans. And perhaps that’s exactly why he didn’t.”
The Future: Hypercars and Green Technology
Le Mans has always been a playground for innovation. Today, we look ahead to hybrid technology, hydrogen engines, and autonomous aids. Ferrari is back - the iconic Italian brand won the race in 2024, with Danish driver Nicklas Nielsen behind the wheel. Porsche is also making a big push alongside Toyota, and new teams like Peugeot and Cadillac are lurking in the background.
The new Hypercar class, which Kevin Magnussen will compete in, combines sustainability with speed and opens the door for Le Mans to once again be the testing ground for the future of the automotive industry. Danish drivers Nicki Thiim, Michael Christensen, and Marco Sørensen are among those who have already made their mark in these classes.