Together, they took part in a group photo on the track before the opening of the gridwalk, encouraging fans to make road safety a priority.

Promoting simple and universal messages to save lives on roads, the #3500LIVES Campaign was also showcased throughout the week at a stand located in the heart of the village, hosted jointly by the FIA and the local Préfecture de la Sarthe.

Campaign Ambassador Patrick Dempsey emphasised the importance to slow down in high-risk areas and school zones while visiting the FIA stand on Saturday afternoon with FIA President Jean Todt. Indeed, every day 500 children are killed on the world’s roads and it is estimated that a 5% reduction in average speed can result in a 30% decrease in number of fatal crashes.

On the stand, fans were also warned of the dangers of texting while driving through pedagogical activities organised by volunteers of the Préfecture and had the opportunity to test their driving skills on a virtual reality simulator.