The 24 Hours of Le Mans, billed by fans as ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’, gets under way at the Circuit de la Sarthe in France this weekend.

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And as thousands descend upon Sarthe, setting up temporary residences in either campervans or tents near the circuit, it can safely be said that no motorsport event has ever brought together so many iconic brands, drivers and fans in one place since the first race in May 1923.

At a time when Grand Prix racing was the dominant form of motorsport throughout Europe, Le Mans was designed to present a different test.

Instead of focusing on the ability of a car manufacturer to build the fastest machines, the 24 Hours of Le Mans instead concentrated on the ability to combine performance with reliability. This encouraged innovation in producing strong and fuel-efficient vehicles, because endurance racing requires cars that last and spend as little time in the pits as possible.

The event has a rich pedigree with some of the most iconic car brands having raced around the Sarthe – Bugatti, Bentley and Alfa Romeo during the early years with Porsche, Ferrari, Chevrolet, Aston Martin, Audi, Toyota making their mark down the line and Nissan the latest addition at the 83rd running of the event this weekend.

Porsche has been the most successful at Le Mans winning 16 titles, to Audi’s 13 and counting.

Originally, the race showcased cars that were sold to the general public, referred to then as ‘Sports Cars’, compared to the specialised cars used in Grand Prix racing.

Over time, though, the vehicles evolved away from their road car roots. The goals though remain the same: attracting the interest of road users and innovation, particularly in the area of fuel economy.

Such has been the impact of the event in the racing world that Le Mans has inspired replica races worldwide, popularising the 24-hour format at places like Daytona, Nurburgring, Spa-Francorchamps, and Bathurst.

As part of the FIA World Endurance Championship, Le Mans is the only round where competitors score double the points on offer, an acknowledgement to the status the event enjoys.

In recent years, the race has proven to be a second career choice for a number of former F1 drivers – the grid this year led by Mark Webber, Nick Heidfeld and Giancarlo Fisichella. And a current F1 driver, Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg, has also joined the bandwagon.

The last driver to compete in both F1 and at Le Mans at the same time was Sebastien Bourdais for Toro Rosso and Peugeot in 2009. 

Closer to home, Le Mans has drawn the interest of drivers from the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Khaled Al Qubaisi is doing his second WEC campaign with Abu Dhabi-Proton Racing, the team finishing third overall in class LMGTE Am on its debut last year.

Along with German Christian Reid and Klaus Bachler of Austria, the team campaign in a Porsche 911 RSR. Abdulaziz Turki Al Faisal is also competing at Le Mans, behind the wheel of a Ferrari 458 Italia.

It is expected that with interest growing in endurance racing with the annual 24 Hours of Dubai a massive hit, more drivers from the Middle East, particularly the UAE, will take a shot at the WEC and hopefully Le Mans glory.

More than a quarter of a million people are expected to attend which is testimony to the fact that for one weekend of the year there is a race just as iconic and not quite as predictable as Formula One.