“The Red Line”, produced by Ferrari, tells the story of the legendary Italian manufacturer’s victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans Centenary race. The Ferrari AF Corse team takes you behind the scenes during a dream week for the Prancing Horse.

24H Le Mans

24 Heures du Mans

The 1976 24 Hours of Le Mans featured the second BMW 3.0 CSL Art Car, with a contrasting style to the previous year. After Alexander Calder’s explosion of colour came a black and white grid design by Frank Stella based on oversize graph paper.

The BMW 3.0 CSL by Frank Stella fielded at the 1976 24 Hours of Le Mans introduced a striking new Art Car: a technical drawing becoming a work of art as the car&rsquo;s livery.

Following on from the first Art Car, the <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/bmw-art-cars-at-the-24-hours-of-le-mans-bmw-3-0-csl-by-calder-the-pioneer-60204">BMW 3.0 CSL by Alexander Calder</a> fielded in 1975, BMW continued the series, offering racegoers a new artistic experience. Once again, the Bavarian manufacturer chose an American artist to design a livery. Motorsport aficionado Frank Stella was said to be delighted &ndash; honoured even &ndash; to accept the commission. Stella&rsquo;s design set colour aside to concentrate on structure.

<h2>An Art Car intended to attract attention</h2>

The distinctive black and white made the BMW 3.0 CSL stand out from the crowd, with the previous year&rsquo;s blocks of colour replaced by a reference to the squared paper used for technical drawing. The grid pattern highlighted the design of the car itself, as if it were wearing its structure on its bodywork. Applied by Walter Maurer, BMW&rsquo;s bodywork artist, the paintwork turned the 3.0 CSL into a fast-moving graphical object, in stark contrast to the many coloured liveries in the field. &ldquo;Painting cars, I think, is insanely difficult. You have to think of a new idea, and I didn&rsquo;t think of this idea. It was just luck. It was the first thing that I did, but it worked out quite well,&rdquo; said Stella.

The strict lines hint at the formidable machinery beneath. With 750hp, the BMW 3.0 CSL was quick, and required expert driving. In the hands of Brian Redman and Peter Gregg it lived up to its potential, clocking the eighth best time in qualifying. But Le Mans is unforgiving and an oil issue forced withdrawal from the race.The car was not necessarily destined to win Le Mans, but &ldquo;They just wanted to take the lead, so that they could be in the newspapers. [The car] turned out to be a bonanza, because black and white reproduces really well so it separated itself from the field, you could really see it in the photos. So, it really served its purpose.&rdquo;

<h2>The car on display for the 50th anniversary of R&eacute;tromobile</h2>

Frank Stella&rsquo;s career took a new turn thanks to the Art Car. A three-dimensional design was very different to flat surfaces. It fleshed out his work. &ldquo;The car must have had some influence because after that I tried to make shapes that were wavy and had more volume.&rdquo;

The BMW 3.0 CSL by Frank Stella confirmed the Art Car as an annual statement by BMW at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As a reflection on volume, speed and perception, Stella&rsquo;s work confirmed the Art Car&rsquo;s status as part of the culture of the world&rsquo;s greatest endurance race.

In a tribute to a half-century of fantastic liveries, <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/all-seven-le-mans-bmw-art-cars-on-display-at-retromobile-2026-in-paris-60209">this year&rsquo;s R&eacute;tromobile show </a>(28 January to 1 February at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles) will be showcasing the seven 24 Hours of Le Mans BMW Art Cars, including the BMW 3.0 CSL by Frank Stella.

BMW Art Cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – BMW 3.0 CSL by Frank Stella: the graph

Alpine Endurance Team has confirmed Victor Martins as their new recruit for the 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans (10-14 June 2026) and the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship. The Frenchman’s first experience of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will be at the wheel of one of the two Alpine A424s entered in the Hypercar class.

Aged 24, Victor Martins comes to endurance racing after a successful spell in single-seaters. An Alpine Academy pupil, he has earned a seat in the Alpine A424 Hypercar following three seasons in Formula 2. 
He replaces Mick Schumacher who will compete in the 2026 IndyCar Series.

&ldquo;I&rsquo;m overjoyed to be joining the Alpine Endurance Team for 2026,&rdquo; said the 2022 Formula 3 champion, who did a test drive in the Alpine A424 in the 2024 FIA WEC Rookie Test in Bahrain. &ldquo;This will be my first 24 Hours of Le Mans and first FIA WEC. It&rsquo;s truly extraordinary. It&rsquo;s an important career milestone. I&rsquo;m grateful to Alpine for believing in me. We&rsquo;ll do all we can to put Alpine among the leaders.&rdquo;

Last October, Alpine Endurance Team announced that <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/antonio-felix-da-costa-set-to-join-alpine-s-fia-wec-programme-from-2026-60056">Ant&oacute;nio&nbsp;F&eacute;lix da Costa</a> had joined the team. The team&rsquo;s FIA WEC and 24 Hours of Le Mans squad is therefore composed of: Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Makowiecki, Jules Gounon, Charles Milesi, Ferdinand Habsburg, Ant&oacute;nio F&eacute;lix da Costa and Victor Martins.

Related story &ndash;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/alpine-endurance-team-one-win-in-2025-how-many-in-2026-60143" target="_blank">Victory for Alpine Endurance Team. A sign of things to come in 2026?</a>

Alpine Endurance Team hires Victor Martins

A multicoloured BMW 3.0 made a splash at the 1975 24 Hours of Le Mans. The car, designed by Alexander Calder and driven by Hervé Poulain failed to reach the finish line, but successfully launched the lineage of BMW Art Cars. Motor racing and art: a winning combination.

Alexander Calder&rsquo;s artwork on the BMW 3.0 CSL sparked a lasting trend that combines creative expression and powerful machinery.

Art auctioneer and ardent motor racing fan Herv&eacute; Poulain had the idea of commissioning an artist to decorate his BMW 3.0 CSL to compete at the 1975 24 Hours of Le Mans. He chose Alexander Calder, a Francophile American sculptor who had lived in Paris in the 1920s. The result was a splendidly colourful 3.0 CSL. Response was phenomenal and the Art Car was born.

Developed from the 3.0 CS and the 1971 3.0 CSi, the 3.0 CSL was awarded a special racing homologation in 1972. Crowned European Touring Car Champion in 1973, the car was class winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and subsequent two-time winner of the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. 
Poulain and his teammates Sam Posey and Jean Guichet had to retire from the 1975 24 Hours of Le Mans but not before the Calder-Mobil art had made its mark on all who laid eyes on it.

The BMW 3.0 CSL by Calder was the first of a series of 24 Hours of Le Mans BMW Art Cars that saw liveries by such legends as Roy Lichtenstein, Frank Stella, Andy Warhol and Jeff Koons. The German manufacturer became known and respected for its artistic penchant, with iconic designs celebrating the meeting of speed and creativity.

In a tribute to a half-century of fantastic liveries, <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/all-seven-le-mans-bmw-art-cars-on-display-at-retromobile-2026-in-paris-60209">this year&rsquo;s R&eacute;tromobile show</a> (28 January to 1 February at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles) will be showcasing the seven 24 Hours of Le Mans BMW Art Cars with the BMW 3.0 CSL Calder in pride of place.

Photo:&nbsp;Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

BMW Art Cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – BMW 3.0 CSL by Calder: the pioneer

Hearts and cars begin racing long before the weekend at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This year, the show begins on Wednesday 10 and Thursday 11 June with the free practice and qualifying sessions. The Hypercars, LMP2s and LMGT3s get to grips with the track over the two days, offering excellent spectator entertainment as they vie for position ahead of the race. Experience Le Mans as if you were in the driving seat, with a commanding view of the track. Book a grandstand seat to be sure of your place.

At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the practice and qualifying sessions are more than a rehearsal for the big day. They are important in themselves. Pure speed plays a big role in the run-up to the race. You&rsquo;ll be speedier on foot too! Fewer spectators means you can zip around the grounds much quicker than at the weekend. It&rsquo;s the ideal time to try out different vantage points and enjoy all the circuit has to offer. 
Watch as the teams fine-tune their settings and feel the tension mount before the first night session, when the cloak of darkness casts a spell over the track.

<h2>Karting Zone: THE NEED FOR speed</h2>

The Karting bank offers an exceptional view of the Porsche Curves exit and the Karting Curve, where the cars whiz through at incredible speed, pinned to the track thanks to their downforce. 
This demanding section is a great place to admire the Hypercars&rsquo; excellence and the drivers&rsquo; mastership.

<h2>Tertre Rouge: the entrance to the Mulsanne Straight</h2>

Tertre Rouge is an iconic spot. The Corner exit marks the start of the Mulsanne Straight. Prototypes and GT3s exceed 180 kph coming out of this turn as drivers brush the outside kerb to shave off a tenth of a second. 
Here, you are so close to the track, you can feel the thunder of the pace in your stomach as you revel in the precision of the racing line. Pure Le Mans.

<h2>Indianapolis and Arnage: stealth and accuracy</h2>

At this end of the circuit, speed gives way to precision. Arnage Corner, the slowest on the circuit, is taken at 60kph. 
The banked spectator areas offer superb views of the cars as drivers brake. Note the difference between the Hypercars, LMP2s and LMGT3s.

<h2>Alessandro Pier Guidi&rsquo;s opinion of the circuit</h2>

2023 24 Hours of Le Mans winner with the Ferrari-AF Corse #51 Ferrari 499P Alessandro Pier Guidi knows the circuit like the back of his hand. &ldquo;Le Mans is one of the most beautiful circuits and one I&rsquo;m especially fond of, both because we&rsquo;ve achieved extraordinary results in France and because I love high-speed tracks,&rdquo; says the Italian, who also won the LMGTE PRO class in 2019 and 2021.

Indianapolis is his absolute favourite section: &ldquo;You go in at very high speed, just brush the brakes in the first kink, then prepare for the second left-hand turn, where you brake much harder.&rdquo; 
At Arnage you have to keep your wits too: &ldquo;[It] only seems simple &ndash; in reality, it&rsquo;s very tricky, especially on entry, where it&rsquo;s really easy to lock the rear wheels.&rdquo;

The last section is &ldquo;one of the most fun sequences &ndash; several corners in a row where managing tyre grip is vital,&rdquo; before preparing for the Karting esses, &ldquo;where you clip the left-hand kerb slightly and let the car flow to carry speed into Raccordement, keeping it balanced so you can rejoin the start/finish straight and complete the lap.&rdquo; This is a superb vantage point during practice and qualifying.

<h2>Hyperpole, entertainment and the first taste of darkness</h2>

On Thursday 11 June, the pace steps up with the Hyperpole session, which determines the starting grid, not to mention the support races, fan zones and trackside entertainment. The circuit is a hive of activity! 
When darkness falls, the atmosphere changes. Glaring headlights, glowing brake discs and growling engines slice through the night.

<h2>Book now to experience the thrill of Race Week at close quarters</h2>

The practice and qualifying sessions are ideal to get your bearings at the circuit and find the best spot to settle in and watch the action in comfort. 
Don&rsquo;t miss out! Reserve your place to witness the intensity of the FIA World Endurance Championship field as the 24 Hours of Le Mans field gears up for the big day. Head to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/tickets">24 Hours of Le Mans ticket office</a>&nbsp;now.

2026 24 Hours of Le Mans: find the best vantage point early in Race Week

24 Heures du Mans 2023

The Red Line is a two-part documentary that looks back at <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/ferrari-wins-the-24-hours-of-le-mans-centenary-57668" target="_blank">the exploits of Ferrari AF Corse</a>&nbsp;at the Centenary edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the fourth round of the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship season. Viewers are taken behind the scenes of the iconic race, from Scrutineering through to the finish. Throughout an intense week in June, the team members experienced the full gamut of emotions&nbsp;both on and off the track. You can share their thoughts and feelings in this 54-minute film below.

24H LE MANS

Relive Ferrari’s historic Le Mans win in “The Red Line”

Related News

BMW Art Cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – BMW 3.0 CSL by Frank Stella: the graph

Alpine Endurance Team hires Victor Martins

BMW Art Cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – BMW 3.0 CSL by Calder: the pioneer

2026 24 Hours of Le Mans: find the best vantage point early in Race Week

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