
The tweaks that could make a landmark Le Mans even better
OPINION: Old records were blown away when nine cars finished on the lead lap at the end of a frenetic Le Mans 24 Hours held in changeable conditions. The rules that have resulted in this development are here to stay, but that's not to say that the event couldn't be improved further
People always ask me a simple question: What is your favourite Le Mans 24 Hours? It’s an inevitable request when you’ve been to as many of the things as I have. My total now stands at 34.
Favourite for me means best, as in the best motor race. And each year as I travel down through France to the biggest event of my year the mind always turns to whether this one will jump somewhere near the top of my personal ranking.
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Gary Watkins has, for reasons best known to himself, devoted all his working life to covering sportscar racing. This season is his 33rd as a motorsport journalist, during which time he has reported on major long-distance events on four continents and approaching 80 24-hour races. He reckons a degree in political philosophy makes him well qualified for covering the sometimes Machiavellian world of international sportscars.
Gary, who also writes for Motor Sport, Autocourse, RACER and others, lives in Surbiton close to the former workshops of the Cooper Formula 1 team but spends more time on the road than at home for most of the year.
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