Le Mans 24 Hours: Ferrari Extends Lead Midway Through Race
Le Mans, France – As the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans reaches its four-hour mark, Antonio Fuoco of Ferrari AF Corse has established an 18-second lead over Laurens Vanthoor’s #6 Porsche. Fuoco’s consistent laps have allowed him to pull away, despite Vanthoor’s misfortune involving a slow zone.
The competition is fierce among the top three Ferraris and the sole Porsche in the top five, with Robert Kubica aggressively pursuing Vanthoor for second place in the #83 499P. Meanwhile, Robin Frijns’ #20 BMW has climbed to fifth position, right behind the leading pack.
In a notable incident, the #5 Penske Porsche received a drive-through penalty for a slow zone infraction, causing it to drop to 14th place.
The LMP2 category remains dominated by Kuba Schmiechowski in the Inter Europol entry, maintaining a strong lead over TDS Racing’s #29 ORECA and the #48 from VDS Panis.
In GT3, Alessio Rovera has taken charge for Vista AF Corse, opening a significant 14-second gap over the #46 WRT BMW, with the #92 Porsche following in third.
Tragedy struck with the first major retirement of the race: Gianmarco Levorato’s #88 Proton Competition Ford Mustang collided with the barriers after losing a wheel at Tertre Rouge. Initial assessments suggest no contact with other vehicles caused the incident. Ford Performance has confirmed that Levorato has exited the car, and updates regarding his condition are pending.
The situation escalated further when, during the slow zone created by Levorato’s incident, the #25 Algarve Pro Racing ORECA rear-ended the RLR M Sport entry, resulting in front-end damage and a subsequent penalty for the driver, Matthias Kaiser.
As the race progresses, the dynamics remain unpredictable, highlighting the intense competition and critical strategies at play in the iconic endurance race.
