24 Hours of Le Mans 2022 - How does it work? What are the rules? How long do the drivers drive for?

The 90th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans takes place at the Circuit de la Sarthe this week. The world’s most famous automobile endurance race will welcome a full crowd again after being held behind closed doors in 2020 and then with a restricted attendance last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ad/> The race — which takes place over a 24-hour period — has many rules and regulations for the drivers and teams to adhere to. So here is a run-down of how the race is formatted throughout the week, and everything you need to know.

/> Le Mans 24hr'Endurance at the highest level' — Kristensen explains why you should watch 24 Hours of Le Mans4 HOURS AGO How does a team win 24 Hours of Le Mans? The team that covers the most distance over the course of the race will win 24 Hours of Le Mans. Each team has three drivers that alternate over the course of the 24 hours.

When is qualifying for 24 Hours of Le Mans? And how does it work? Ahead of the start of the race on Saturday June 11 at 15:00, there are four free practice sessions, a qualifying session and hyperpole. They are structured as such: Wednesday, June 8 13:00 to 16:00 – Free practice 1 18:00 to 19:00 – Qualifying session 21:00 to 23:00 – Free practice 2 Thursday, June 9 14:00 to 17:00 – Free practice 3 19:00 to 19:30 – Hyperpole 21:00 to 23:00 – Free practice 4 In qualifying, drivers set out to record the fastest lap, and most starting positions for the race are determined during this session.

However, with up to 62 cars on the track in qualifying, laying down a flying lap is difficult. Therefore, the six fastest drivers in each class from the qualifying session will qualify for hyperpole, and the top six from that session will determine the top six places in each class