LE MANS, France – The 89th 24 Hours of Le Mans has been rescheduled to Aug. 21-22 in an effort to welcome spectators to the event.

The race was originally scheduled for June 12-13.

The Automobile Club de l’Ouest made the decision early in order to give competitors, partners and spectators as much visibility as possible and to maintain the current FIA WEC calendar. The dates of the other races and events to be held at the Le Mans Circuit remain unchanged.

“Although it was a tough decision to make, it is the right one,” said Pierre Fillon, president of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest. “Holding the 24 Hours of Le Mans behind closed doors for the second year running would be unthinkable. We are therefore doing all we can to avoid that happening and to give competitors a clear view of the whole season. We are working very hard to put on a safe event, with all the necessary health precautions in place. This year’s race promises to be another thriller as the new Hypercar class makes its debut.”

This year’s race will see the new Hypercars make their on-track debut and ACO officials are keen to have fans in attendance to see the cars make their debut.

Information on tickets and full details on the race format will be released at the end of April.