Le Mans 24 Hours interrupted by energetic DOG

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

24 Hours of Le Mans

Le Mans 24 Hours interrupted by stray ANIMAL

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

Originally written by Rhys Thomas. This version is a translation.

Monday 17 June 2024 01:00

Drivers were accompanied by a surprise visitor during the Le Mans 24 Hour race.

Just a few hours into the event, there had been many full course yellows and an array of strategies making for an exciting watch.

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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?

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 as the race approaches its conclusion.

With two hours to go at Le Mans, the no 50 Ferrari leads the Hypercar class, whilst the no 22 United Autosports and no 31 Team WRT lead the LM P2 and LMGT3 fields respectively.

Formula 1 also a dog on track when practice had to be paused in Bahrain in 2020 so a canine could safely be removed from the circuit.

Mercedes McLaren Fernando Alonso Le Mans 24 Hours