The spectacular grid walk
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After lunch it was time for the grid walk. The cars are lined up, parked diagonally, to one side of the pit straight, up against the pit wall and if you have managed to obtain a much-coveted pit walk wrist band, you get to look at the cars and even some of the drivers close-up.
The exclusive key to accessing the pre-race grid walk!
The gates open for the grid walk.
Automatically detected as a portrait the P20 Pro kicks in with a bokeh-enhanced background.
Keeping up with the times, therer are grid guys as well as gals. The P20 Pro shows off its bokeh prowess here.
The P20 Pro's Aperture mode is great for dialling in more or less bokeh blur after you have taken the shot.
He's looks like a Toyota fan because - that's his job!
Le Mans is a historic European event but it's a favourite with teams and spectators from the US as well
Le Mans is well known for the Dunlop bridge but arch-rivals Michelin are present in force, too.
Press photographers with more conventional camera gear!
There is a great sense of a friendly occasion at Le Mans
LMP2 may be the second -tier if endurance racing but the cars are just as dramatic to look at as their LMP1 counterparts.
Spanish tennis legend, Rafael Nadal, was this year's Le Mans race starter - can you spot him in the press scrum?
Being met at the grid walk by the official World Endurance Championship mascot, WECMAN.
It wasn't to be F1 champion Jenson Button's 24 Hours, with his car suffering reliability gremlins; here he is lined up with his BR/SMP Racing team during the pre-race grid walk.
It wasn't to be F1 champion Jenson Button's 24 Hours, with his car suffering reliability gremlins; here he is lined up with his BR/SMP Racing team during the pre-race grid walk.
A close-up view of the Chip Ganassi Ford GT on the grid walk.
This is a view at the end of the pits straight into turn1.
Motorsport media personnel with priviliged access to the pit lane must wear approved crash helmets and fire-proof overalls.
These girls on the grid were promoting the new FIA World Endurance Championship 'Super Season'.
The Toyota team was swamped during the grid walk - can you spot F1 champion and team leader, Fernando Alonso?
The winning Toyota Hybrid LMP1
No race could be held without any army of volunteers, namely, the marshals.
LMP2 may be the second -tier if endurance racing but the cars are just as dramatic to look at as their LMP1 counterparts.
The boys and girls of the Le Mans 24 hours grid.
Thousands with exclusive grid walk wrist bands are allowed onto the grid just before the race start.
The Le Mans 2018 24 hour race is all set!
Spot the 'flying' pit lane camera above the grid walk crowd.
Car numbers held aloft on the way to the grid for the grid walk.
I'd be delighted if anyone can confirm who this 'mayoral' figure is wearing an FIA livery collar!
The Le Mans pace car