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The 24 Hours of Le Mans is one of the most difficult competitions in the world. It is a privilege just to be around when the race is on.
That's why close to 1,600 passionate fans take part in the French classic every year as volunteers. They want to get closer to the action because watching from the grandstands isn't enough for them.
But volunteering was still not close enough for one Frédéric Sausset, a Frenchman decided he was going to race an LMP2 prototype instead.
The thing is... he has no legs and only one arm.
Sausset was living a perfectly normal life up to 2012. But that year, he almost lost his life when a wound to his finger became infected. He fell into a coma and woke up two months later. Both his legs, his left arm and his right arm had been amputated.
"I've loved motor racing for as long as I can recall," endurance-info.com quotes him as saying.
"To me, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is as good as it gets when it comes to racing. That's what got me thinking when I was lying on my hospital bed."
With the help of his countryman Christophe Tinseau, Sausset started asking questions; is it even possible to race at Le Mans with no legs and only one arm?
The motorsport community answered: nine-time world rally champion Sébastien Loeb has already shown his support. The FIA and ACO are also in favour of the project.
Sausset was able to test a sportscar adapted for him and showed impressive pace.
In preparation for the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans, Sausset is expected to race in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) starting next year.
That's why close to 1,600 passionate fans take part in the French classic every year as volunteers. They want to get closer to the action because watching from the grandstands isn't enough for them.
But volunteering was still not close enough for one Frédéric Sausset, a Frenchman decided he was going to race an LMP2 prototype instead.
The thing is... he has no legs and only one arm.
 |
| Sébastien Loeb, Frédéric Sausset et Christophe Tinseau (Photo: Jean-René Roger, ACO) |
Sausset was living a perfectly normal life up to 2012. But that year, he almost lost his life when a wound to his finger became infected. He fell into a coma and woke up two months later. Both his legs, his left arm and his right arm had been amputated.
"I've loved motor racing for as long as I can recall," endurance-info.com quotes him as saying.
"To me, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is as good as it gets when it comes to racing. That's what got me thinking when I was lying on my hospital bed."
With the help of his countryman Christophe Tinseau, Sausset started asking questions; is it even possible to race at Le Mans with no legs and only one arm?
The motorsport community answered: nine-time world rally champion Sébastien Loeb has already shown his support. The FIA and ACO are also in favour of the project.
Sausset was able to test a sportscar adapted for him and showed impressive pace.
In preparation for the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans, Sausset is expected to race in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) starting next year.