The 2021 edition of the Le Mans Classic has been cancelled. Already having been rescheduled once, the organisers felt that with the uncertainty facing Europe over the coming months it is necessary to postpone the event until 2022. It will take place in July as usual, but the final dates will be confirmed in September. But there seems to be some good news.
The event sees some 200,000 visitors each year and it would be impossible to deliver a scaled back weekend with no club displays and none of the villages that have been part of the display each year. And each year more is packed in, so to remove that would destroy the atmosphere of the event and it was felt that would not be representative of the Le Mans Classic.
Patrick Peter, of Peter Auto said:
“The maximum figures of people imposed by the government do not allow us to maintain this event on the initial dates (July 1 to 4, 2021). Moreover, even if it has been considered, a closed session would not do justice to this demonstration and would reduce considerably a beautiful tribute to the great history of endurance. Le Mans Classic without public, without exhibitors and without clubs, this is not Le Mans Classic. We will meet up nevertheless from August during the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the presence of Endurance Racing Legends automobiles in the support race. The passionate will thus have two successive years of Mans Classic since we will redo an edition in 2023 which will be an opportunity to reinforce the tribute to the centenary of the creation of the 24 hours of Le Mans.”
The one disappointment I always feel about the Le Mans Classic is that it is not every year. If the 2023 event is a success following 2022, I hope they make it annual. That would make things better.