The 81st 24 Hours of Le Mans was a 24-hour automobile endurance racing event for teams of three drivers entering Le Mans Prototype and Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance cars held from 19 to 23 June 2013 at the Circuit de la Sarthe close to Le Mans, France. It was the 81st running of the event, as organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) since 1923. The race was the third and the premier round of the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship, with 32 of the race's 56 entries contesting the championship. A test day was held two weeks prior to the race on 9 June. Approximately 245,000 spectators attended the event.
The race-winning No. 2 Audi R18 e-tron quattro
The No. 2 Audi R18 e-tron quattro earned pole position in the hands of Loïc Duval during the first qualifying session.
Allan Simonsen died from injuries he sustained during the ninth minute of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The No. 2 Audi R18 e-tron quattro followed closely by the No. 8 Toyota TS030 Hybrid at Mulsanne corner
2013 FIA World Endurance Championship
The 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship season was the second season of the FIA World Endurance Championship auto racing series, co-organized by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The series was open to Le Mans Prototypes and grand tourer-style racing cars meeting four ACO categories. World Championships were awarded to drivers and to LMP1 category manufacturers, and several World Cups and Endurance Trophies were awarded for the series' other categories. The eight race championship began in April at the Silverstone Circuit and ended in November at the Bahrain International Circuit. The season was marred by the death of Allan Simonsen in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Audi won the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship for Manufacturers
Ferrari won the 2013 FIA World Endurance Cup for GT Manufacturers
OAK Racing won the 2013 FIA Endurance Trophy for LMP2 Teams