2025 FIAWEC 24 Hours of Le Mans World Endurance Championship

“From Redemption to Glory”

The Story of The 24 Hours Of Le Mans 2025

In endurance racing, there are wins—and then there are redemptions. The #83 AF Corse Ferrari didn’t just cross the finish line first at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans. It rewrote what a victory can mean: a comeback story, a strategic masterclass, and a message to every factory-backed titan on the grid.

Three drivers stood atop the podium—Robert Kubica, Yifei Ye, and Robert Shwartzman’s substitute, James Hanson—each representing different chapters of struggle, resilience, and brilliance. Theirs was not a dominant march; it was a tension-soaked crescendo built over 387 laps of near-perfect execution.

Race Day Open

As Roger Federer dropped the French Tricolore, the roar of 62 engines surged into the afternoon sun. Cadillac’s #12 leapt ahead into Turn 1, signaling its intent. But from the midfield, chaos and choreography unfolded simultaneously. Porsche’s #6, disqualified from Hyperpole, began slicing through traffic. Toyota, always a Le Mans protagonist, seemed curiously cautious—the #7 held back while #8 struggled for clean air.

Ferrari’s trio maintained composure. #83 held back in the early hours, lurking within striking distance while analyzing traffic patterns and pit delta windows. They weren’t the fastest—but they were the smartest.

Midnight Momentum

As darkness fell over La Sarthe, the rhythm changed. Stints became longer, tire degradation more punishing. The #83 Ferrari found its groove. Ye took command during the deep hours and delivered the cleanest night stint of the race—never locking a tire, never off line, always flowing.

Meanwhile, Porsche’s #6 launched its most thrilling assault of the weekend. Kevin Estre’s double stint under pressure catapulted them from P7 to P3. A late safety car bunched the field, allowing them to close on Ferrari’s #51.

Heartbreak brewed further down the field. Valentino Rossi’s LMGT3-contending #46 BMW suffered a terminal failure, ending what had been one of the race’s most fan-adored runs.

Dawn Glory

Le Mans dawn is deceptive. It’s not peaceful—it’s when races are lost or won. Kubica climbed into the #83 with steely focus just after 5 a.m. He hadn’t forgotten 2021, when a final-lap failure cost him LMP2 glory. This time, his stint was not heroic—it was mechanical perfection. No drama. No risk. Just relentless delivery.

Further back, the battle for P2 tightened. Porsche’s #6 and Ferrari’s #51 began trading purple sectors. The gap between them rarely exceeded six seconds. Every pit stop became a chess move; every traffic pass, a gamble. But the #83 remained untouched, unwavering.

Checkered Flag

When the final pit sequence ended, the #83 emerged with a 14-second lead over Porsche. It would prove enough. Hanson brought the car across the line to fireworks, tears, and a record: Ferrari’s third straight Le Mans victory since its return to top-class competition.

The paddock erupted for Kubica, the former F1 prodigy who once thought he’d never race again. Yifei Ye became the first Chinese driver to win overall at Le Mans, marking a new frontier for the sport. And for AF Corse, the privateer dream was no longer fiction—it was history.

This was more than a win. It was a masterstroke—technical, emotional, unforgettable.

Ferrari #83 finished first, followed by a roaring Porsche #6 and factory-backed #51. Maranello locked out the podium, stamping a three-year dynasty.

Technical Report: Stats, Results, Strategy

Final Standings – Hypercar (Top 5)

Position	Car	Team	Drivers	Laps	Gap
1	#83 Ferrari 499P	AF Corse	Kubica / Ye / Hanson	387	–
2	#6 Porsche 963	Penske Motorsport	Estre / Campbell / Vanthoor	387	+14.084s
3	#51 Ferrari 499P	Ferrari AF Corse	Pier Guidi / Giovinazzi / Calado	387	+28.487s
4	#50 Ferrari 499P	Ferrari AF Corse	Fuoco / Molina / Nielsen	387	+29.666s
5	#12 Cadillac V-Series.R	Hertz Team Jota	Lynn / Stevens / Nato	385	+2 laps

🏎️ Fastest Lap – Hypercar

• 3:24.782 – Antonio Giovinazzi (#51 Ferrari)

Final Standings – LMP2 (Top 5)

Position	Car	Team	Drivers	Laps	Gap
1	#43	Inter Europol Competition	Śmiechowski / Dillmann / Yelloly	367	–
2	#22	United Autosports	Blomqvist / Hanley / Jarvis	366	+1 lap
3	#34	Alpine Elf Team	Lapierre / Vaxivière / Milesi	365	+2 laps
4	#28	IDEC Sport	Lafargue / Chatin / Van Uitert	364	+3 laps
5	#37	COOL Racing	Chadwick / Coigny / Colombo	363	+4 laps

🏎️ Fastest Lap – LMP2

• 3:36.991 – Tom Blomqvist (#22 United Autosports)

Final Standings – LMGT3 (Top 5)

Position	Car	Team	Drivers	Laps	Gap
1	#92	Manthey EMA Porsche	Bachler / Schuring / Lietz	350	–
2	#27	Heart of Racing Aston Martin	Riberas / James / Mancinelli	349	+1 lap
3	#59	United Autosports McLaren	Bell / Cottingham / Gunn	348	+2 laps
4	#70	Inception Racing McLaren	Iribe / Millroy / Schandorff	346	+4 laps
5	#46	BMW M4 GT3 WRT	Al Harthy / Rossi / Van der Linde	DNF	Engine Failure

🏎️ Fastest Lap – LMGT3

• 3:57.204 – Alessio Picariello (#91 Manthey EMA Porsche)

Strategy Breakdown – Ferrari #83

• Tire management: Double and triple stints on hards, allowing fewer stops
• Fuel timing: Consistent undercutting with 10-lap stints early on
• Pit efficiency: Fastest average pit time in Hypercar (1:15.2)
• Stint average: 3:30.8 per lap pace across 3-driver rotation
• Traffic strategy: Best traffic-adjusted lap times during night shift (per WEC telemetry)

Retirements Notables

• #46 BMW WRT (LMGT3) – Engine failure
• #777 D’Station Aston Martin – Brake fire
• #93 Peugeot 9X8 – Gearbox

Weather Summary

• Day 1: Clear, 22°C / 71°F
• Night: 15°C / 59°F, no precipitation
• Day 2: Light wind, 25°C / 77°F

Fun Fact

• First Chinese driver to win overall: Yifei Ye
• First privateer win for Ferrari since 2005
• Robert Kubica joins elite group of ex-F1 drivers to win Le Mans

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