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The 24 Hour Le Mans is nearly upon us, but how much do you know about this famous race? Here’s a chance to surprise your motorsport-crazy friends with 10 fascinating facts about this unrivalled endurance event…

1. The first 24 Hour Le Mans took place in 1923 and has always been held in the French town from which it takes its name.

2. Contrary to what you might think, a single driver is not behind the wheel for a solid 24 hours; there are three of them in each team, sharing driving duties.

3. The Circuit de la Sarthe comprises a section of race track as well as closed-off public roads - having been designed to test both speed and endurance.

4. There are two classes of car permitted to enter the race: specialised enclosed-bodywork two-seater prototype cars; and certain classes of grand touring cars.

5. The race begins in mid-afternoon, runs all night, finishing at the same time it started.

6. Each car will have travelled 3,110 miles (or 5,000km) by the end of the race.

7. Porsche has the most wins under its belt with 16 (seven consecutively) and is tipped to do well this year.

8. All Le Mans sports cars must consume 30 per cent less fuel than last year, reflecting real-world concerns over CO2 output and driving costs.

9. Aside from Porsche with its 919 Hybrid, Toyota is a key favourite for the title with its TS040 Hybrid, along with Audi and its R18 e-tron quattro.

10. This year's race will take place from 14-15 June, beginning at 3pm. You can watch it live on British Eurosport or download a special app that lets you watch the whole race on your chosen device.

It’s going to be a tough race – we just hope they have some good annual breakdown cover – they can’t afford not to!