Panic as stray dog invades track at Le Mans 24 Hours

De Vries in battle for win at Le Mans — Photo: © IMAGO

24 Hours of Le Mans

Panic as stray animal invades track at Le Mans 24 Hours

There was an unexpected sighting as the race continued through the night

Rhys Thomas

Sunday 16 June 2024 22:57 Updated: 12:44

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Drivers were surprised to find that their cars were not the only things hurtling around Circuit de la Sarthe during the 2024 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The first hours of the race had already been chaotic, with multiple full course yellows and rainfall leading to mixed strategies.

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This year's Le Mans has been the stage for plenty of sights we have seen before at motorsport races: back-and-forth tussles for the lead, spins, crashes, and even an Alpine retiring.

However, there was an unexpected element added to the mix when an animal managed to get loose on the track as darkness fell.

The Le Mans 24 Hours has seen a lot of yellow flags in 2024

Fernando Alonso won the 2018 and 2019 editions of Le Mans

How did a dog get on the track at Le Mans?

Animals on a racetrack are rare but not unheard of - just last week F1 drivers had to navigate Circuit Gilles Villeneuve's famous groundhogs.

At Le Mans though, it was the turn of a local dog to make an appearance, and it was spotted at marshal posts seven and 10.

It was even pictured on the broadcast running down the track with over 16 hours of the race still to go.

??? Dog on track at Le Mans ??? pic.twitter.com/NEfyJmhk18
— Nathan Tucker (@SportWatcherPRO) June 15, 2024

Though still a dangerous situation, fortunately the dog ended up on the track during what was a lengthy safety car period.

The animal was eventually cornered by marshals, though there has been no official update on its condition.

Formula 1 also a dog on track in Bahrain back in 2020, when practice had to be paused so a canine (nicknamed Spaniel Ricciardo) could safely be removed from the circuit.