The starting line for the 24 Hours of Le Mans has been moved, the ACO has announced, in an effort to have the majority of the field take the tri-colour on the front-straight.

The “major innovation” will see the the line moved 145 meters (475 feet) further up pit straight, a change that will affect all car and bike races on the Bugatti circuit as well.

“This is a change which, at the moment of the flying start, will enable all the cars to line up on the pits straight when the start is about to be given thus avoiding the situation of having cars in the Ford chicanes when the pack is finally unleashed,” a statement from the ACO read.

The position of the finishing line, however, will not change.

It will result in the 145 meters having to be subtracted from the overall race distance in each event.