Ferrari Secures Historic Third Successive Le Mans Win
Ferrari clinched its third consecutive overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, held at the Circuit de la Sarthe, with the #83 499P Hypercar triumphing by a narrow 14 seconds. This marks a significant milestone, as drivers Robert Kubica, Yifei Ye, and Phil Hanson each secured their first Le Mans win.
Race Overview
After a string of successes from the factory #50 and #51 cars in the early rounds of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the spotlight shifted to the privately entered #83, which showcased a dominant performance throughout the race. The Ferrari Hypercars faced early setbacks due to penalties for various infractions, but strategic racing allowed them to regain composure, particularly benefiting from a safety car period that reset the gaps under 13 hours into the race.
Ye expressed his elation, stating, "It’s a dream come true… winning Le Mans back to back to back.” Kubica echoed these feelings, highlighting the emotional weight of his victory: “This will be emotional for a long time. It’s a special day.”
Race Dynamics
The racing was marked by a clean execution, with only one safety car deployment impacting the race tenor. Despite the pressure from competitors, particularly the #6 Porsche 963, Ferrari maintained a significant lead. The Porsche team, which started from the back due to qualifying exclusion, managed a commendable second after a strong finish, underscoring their potential for future races.
Laurens Vanthoor from Porsche noted on their near-miss, “It will hurt for a while… We ran a perfect race today, with no mistakes, so we’ve got to be proud of what we achieved.”
Ferrari’s #51 and #50 cars finished third and fourth, respectively, solidifying the brand’s dominance in the Hypercar category.
Final Standings
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#83 Ferrari 499P
- Drivers: Robert Kubica, Yifei Ye, Phil Hanson
- Race Time: 24h 00m 00s
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#6 Porsche 963
- Drivers: Kevin Estre, Matt Campbell, Laurens Vanthoor
- Race Time: +14s
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#51 Ferrari 499P
- Drivers: James Calado, Alessandro Pier Guidi, Antonio Giovinazzi
- Race Time: +28s
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#50 Ferrari 499P
- Drivers: Notable finishers
- #12 Cadillac V-Series.R
- Competitors: Hertz Team JOTA
Key Insights on Performance
Ferrari’s performance this season has been exceptionally strong, underscored by wins at Qatar, Imola, Spa, and now Le Mans. The cumulative results reinforce their potential for clinching the manufacturers’ championship, with significant lead over Toyota.
Conversely, Toyota suffered setbacks with the #7 placed sixth and the #8 dropping dramatically to 16th after mechanical failures. Cadillac, having made its Le Mans debut, secured a top-five finish, demonstrating promising potential despite challenges.
Looking Ahead
With these developments, questions surrounding the Balance of Performance regulations are likely to arise, as several competitors, including Toyota and Cadillac, seek improvements for future events. The next challenge awaits as teams regroup and strategize for their return in the upcoming WEC season.
