As the 93rd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans heads into its final 6 hours, Ferrari has firmly taken control of the race. The Italian manufacturer occupies the top 3 positions in the Hypercar category. Here is the summary of the 2025 Le Mans 24h after 18 hours of racing. Text: Luca W. © Images: 24h-lemans ©
Hypercar: Ferrari triple threat and some tension
The #51 Ferrari 499P, driven by Alessandro Pier Guidi, currently leads the race. He is followed by Robert Kubica and Yifei Ye in the #83 AF Corse, 24 seconds behind. In third, Antonio Fuoco and Miguel Molina hold station in the #50 Ferrari, completing a remarkable 1-2-3 for the Maranello-based marque.
However, harmony hasn’t fully prevailed within the Ferrari camp. Team radio revealed underlying tension, as Robert Kubica in the #83 AF Corse Ferrari was explicitly instructed not to overtake Antonio Giovinazzi in the factory-backed #51. Despite closing the gap multiple times, the Polish driver appeared visibly frustrated by team orders. The message was clear: Ferrari’s priority is securing victory for its official works entry, not for customer teams, regardless of pace. To summarise, the winning Ferrari should be red, not yellow.
Both leading Ferraris (#51 and #83) were handed drive-through penalties for yellow flag infractions. In total, 13 cars across all classes received similar penalties during the night.
Behind the Ferraris, Porsche Penske Motorsport’s #6 963, driven by Matt Campbell and Kevin Estre, sits in fourth around 60 seconds off the lead, after gaining 17 positions since the race start. Toyota’s #8 GR010 Hybrid follows in fifth, while BMW M Team WRT and Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA trail further behind.
Cadillac’s woes continued: the #311 V-Series.R from Action Express Racing retired after a drive loss, following an earlier brake change. It’s the second Hypercar retirement after Wayne Taylor Racing’s #101 Cadillac exited the race earlier.
Several incidents caused neutralizations throughout the night, including Slow Zones and Full Course Yellows. Notably, Jules Gounon’s #36 Alpine A424 went off in the gravel at Mulsanne, triggering a FCY in hour 17. Another FCY was called an hour later due to debris on the track.
2025 Le Mans 24h after 18 hours – LMP2: Inter Europol vs. VDS Panis Racing
The #43 Oreca 07 Gibson of Inter Europol, driven by Tom Dillmann, leads the category. In second place, the #48 VDS Panis Racing car with Oliver Gray behind the wheel was over 20 seconds adrift before making a pit stop.
LMGT3: Porsche leads, Ferrari and Corvette chase
Manthey 1st Phorm’s #92 Porsche 911 LMGT3 R leads the LMGT3 field.
Despite a drive-through penalty, the car has built a commanding gap of 1 minute and 7 seconds. #46 and #31 BMW M4 LMGT3s from Team WRT both retired for different issues.
In second is the #21 Ferrari 296 LMGT3 from Vista AF Corse, piloted by Simon Mann. The #81 Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R from TF Sport, with Charlie Eastwood at the wheel, rounds out the provisional podium.
Akkodis-ASP’s #78 Lexus RC F LMGT3, driven by Jack Hawksworth, holds fourth position.