Le Mans

World Endurance Championship

Yifei Ye becomes the first Chinese driver to win the Le Mans

Yifei Ye (Ferrari AF CORSE #83) 

Yifei Ye drove the #83 Ferrari 499P. He started with a 19th-place finish in Free Practice 1, showing a steady beginning. Ye excelled in Free Practice 2, securing 3rd place, demonstrating strong pace. The team maintained consistency, achieving 5th in Free Practice 3 and topping Free Practice 4 with a 1st-place finish. The #83 qualified 18th. Ye helped navigate early challenges during the race and made a strong recovery, contributing to a fastest lap of 3:23.994. His overcut during the night, secured the lead for the #83. The #83 Ferrari completed 387 laps to win, marking Ye to be the first Chinese winner in The 24hrs of Le Mans. 

Toyota Gazoo Racing scores a top 5 finish

RYO HIRAKAWA (#8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid for Toyota Gazoo Racing)

Ryo Hirakawa drove the #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid for Toyota Gazoo Racing. He started with a 4th-place finish in Free Practice 1, showing a competitive pace. The team excelled in Free Practice 2, topping the timesheets, with Hirakawa contributing to the strong performance. They dropped to 14th in Free Practice 3, due to setup tweaks. In Free Practice 4, Hirakawa set the fastest lap, reinforcing their pace. Qualifying saw challenges, with a puncture in Hyperpole resulting in a 10th-place grid position. Hirakawa helped maintain a top-six position after six hours. Despite consistent early pace, the #8 Toyota faced setbacks. Hirakawa’s performance showed consistency in practice and early race stints, but team challenges impacted the final result.

KAMUI KOBAYASHI (#7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid for Toyota Gazoo Racing)

Kamui Kobayashi drove the #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid for Toyota Gazoo Racing. He began with a 6th-place finish in Free Practice 1, establishing a steady pace. The team excelled in Free Practice 2, topping the timesheets with a 3:26.013 lap. They maintained consistency, securing 6th in Free Practice 3 and improving to 4th in Free Practice 4. In qualifying, challenges resulted in a 17th-place grid position. Kobayashi helped the team climb to 4th after six hours, maintaining a top-six position through 16 hours. Despite a strong recovery, they finished 5th (after the disqualification of the #50 post scrutineering) with 386 laps, one lap behind the winner. Kobayashi’s consistent driving and early race pace were notable, though team setbacks prevented a higher finish.

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A heartbreaking end to Jack Aitken’s #311 after 15 hours of running

Jack Aitken driving, the #311 Cadillac V-Series.R at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans started with a 16th-place finish in Free Practice 1 on June 11, showing a steady pace. The Cadillac team improved in subsequent practice sessions, achieving 5th in Free Practice 2, 8th in Free Practice 3, and a strong 3rd in Free Practice 4. Aitken  started the race from 8th after qualifying. Aitken maintained competitive pace, setting the fastest race lap at 3:22.742 breaking the track record for the race. However, the #311 Cadillac retired after 247 laps, about 15 hours into the race, retired due to mechanical issues, ending his run early and  prevented a competitive finish. 

A recovery drive for Proton Competition driven by Neel Jani

Neel Jani drove the #4 Porsche 963 for Proton Competition. He started with a 13th-place finish in Free Practice 1, showing a steady pace. The team improved to 7th in Free Practice 2. They held steady at 9th in Free Practice 3 and achieved 6th in Free Practice 4. In qualifying, a penalty resulted in a 21st-place grid position. Jani helped the team recover to 10th after six hours, maintaining a competitive pace. By the race’s end, they finished 14th with 379 laps, eight laps behind the winner. Jani’s consistent driving and recovery from a low grid position were notable. 

A strong P6 finish for the Manthey Racing team in LMGT3

Antares Au drove the #90 Porsche 911 GT3 R for Manthey Racing in the LMGT3. He contributed to a steady start during practice, focusing on bronze driver track time. In qualifying, they secured a 21st-place grid position. Au helped maintain a reliable pace through the race, navigating tire wear and strategy challenges. The #90 Porsche finished 39th overall, securing 6th in the LMGT3 class. Au’s consistent driving as a bronze driver supported the team’s faultless strategy, despite a perceived Balance of Performance disadvantage, contributing to a solid class finish in a competitive field.

Sato, Leung, and Gelael-piloted United Autosports car retires after 6 hours

Marino Sato, Darren Leung, and Sean Gelael’s United Autosports team ended their Le Mans campaign early driving the #95 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo for United Autosports in the LMGT3 class. Their best position was 9th through the race. In qualifying, United Autosports qualified 12th. The #95 car retired after 6 hours due to a power unit issue. 

Kessel Racing and Kimura bring home a commendable P8 in LMGT3

Takeshi driving the #57 Kessel Racing Ferrari 296 GT3, experienced a varied pre-race performance. The team finished Free Practice 1 (FP1) in 8th position , improved significantly to 4th in Free Practice 2 (FP2) , but then dropped to 12th in Free Practice 3 (FP3). In Qualifying, the #57 Ferrari secured the 15th starting position in the LMGT3 class. Despite these fluctuating pre-race results and starting from 15th on the grid, the team demonstrated strong race pace and strategic execution. The #57 Kessel Racing Ferrari ultimately climbed through the field to finish in a commendable 8th place in the LMGT3 class. This result highlights the team's resilience and ability to perform under race conditions.