The 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans will go down in historical past as one of many races with probably the most distinctive and surprising consequence—but additionally some of the romantic—which noticed Ferrari triumph for the third consecutive time, due to the non-public AF Corse workforce.
The 499P continues to dominate the Circuit de la Sarthe and, after its victories in 2023 and 2024, accomplished the hat-trick with the Giallo Modena #83 automobile pushed by Robert Kubica, Phil Hanson, and Yifei Ye. The trio made only a few errors, maintained a powerful tempo, and secured the lead within the morning after an error by the official #51 Ferrari.
The fourth spherical of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship confirms that the Maranello automobiles are those to beat within the Hypercar class, however few would have guess on the third entry taking the highlight in France.
The newest addition to the Piacenza-based workforce was Phil Hanson, a younger driver with immense potential who instantly demonstrated distinctive high quality in endurance racing—a lot in order that he has already taken house a Le Mans win.
“I’m overwhelmed with feelings proper now, and I do know that right here, till the final lap, you possibly can’t loosen up as a result of something can occur. That’s why I didn’t have a good time till Robert crossed the end line—then I exploded,” mentioned a visibly moved Hanson in the course of the press convention.
One other nice story is that of Ye, a Ferrari works driver since final 12 months and already a winner with the 499P at Austin in 2024, however with a traumatic Le Mans expertise in 2021 that solely a Hypercar victory may lastly put behind him.
“My first Le Mans was in 2021 with Robert, and everyone knows the way it ended; this week he joked with me, saying that the 2 occasions we’d raced collectively on the 24h, we by no means completed. So I hoped for a distinct consequence this time,” laughed the Chinese language driver, the primary to win the 24h general in a Ferrari.
“We all know our automobile may be very robust on this monitor; the #51 received in 2023 and the #50 in 2024. Profitable ourselves is a superb supply of satisfaction, even when it wasn’t simple as a result of the Security Automotive disrupted the rhythm and introduced everybody again into the race.”
“Ultimately, it was a really tight contest, and one mistake may have been extraordinarily pricey. That’s why we needed to keep most focus till the tip. Additionally, with just one Security Automotive, we needed to push like in qualifying each lap to achieve on the competitors.”
“For me, it’s particular as a result of I moved to France after I was 11 to attempt to turn out to be knowledgeable driver. The final time I bought on the rostrum right here was in 2016 in French F4, so my dream was to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, particularly since I used to stay in an condo close to Tertre Rouge. I did it with Ferrari—I’ve no phrases. It’s a dream come true as a result of that is probably the most well-known race on this planet together with the Monaco GP and the Indy500.”
After which there’s Robert Kubica, some of the proficient, decided, and beneficiant drivers, who hasn’t all the time obtained what he deserved. Profitable the 12 months’s most vital race in a automobile from probably the most prestigious model provides a candy chapter to a real fairy story.
“It’s positively a big day. I believe again to my first Le Mans in 2021 after I misplaced the LMP2 class on the final lap, within the worst potential approach. I already knew that in racing, it’s a must to await the end line, however the consciousness that solely a technical challenge may take the victory away from us had been with me for some time as I used to be driving.”
“After I first got here right here, I used to be 35 years previous, had raced in lots of classes, and the whole lot had turn out to be type of routine, let’s say. However Le Mans, with its uniqueness and particular challenges, gave me emotions and sensations as if I had been going through one thing fully new, one thing I didn’t know the way I’d react to or what to anticipate. It introduced me again to my karting days, when the whole lot was a primary.”
“I cherished that feeling, and I fell in love with Le Mans. In 2021 I advised my teammate Louis Deletraz that if I ever received, I wouldn’t come again. And really, I discussed it two days in the past to a pal of mine—somebody who works at Ferrari and can be a rally driver. He advised me, ‘I heard if you happen to win, you’ll retire.’ And I replied, ‘If I win, I’ll return to rallying.’ I normally preserve my phrase. We’ll see what the long run holds.”
As for the race, the Polish driver drove for over 10 hours and by no means held again—in any case, who higher than him to deal with difficult conditions?
“Right now’s race was lengthy, however I managed the ultimate half as a result of we had been conscious of what we had been racing for, what was at stake, and what we’d been working in direction of for therefore many hours. We lastly managed to finish that last lap that I couldn’t in 2021 with Yifei, who was additionally my teammate again then.”
“The tire change close to the tip was a precaution. We may’ve completed with a triple stint, however we had a superb lead and I attempted to increase it as a lot as potential. A 3rd stint on the identical tires is all the time dangerous—put on will increase, and even a small reduce can deflate a tire. So a contemporary tire, apart from providing higher efficiency, additionally offers you extra confidence and security to complete with out points. We did the whole lot to keep away from issues.”
“However to be trustworthy, I wasn’t nervous concerning the chasers. We had tempo, and when wanted, I confirmed it—particularly within the early a part of the race. Within the last hours I simply managed the lead, figuring out I needed to keep forward with out taking dangers, as a result of only one Security Automotive and it will all restart from zero. So I attempted to protect the tires and preserve a security margin, as a result of at Le Mans, you by no means know.”
“After I bought within the automobile, I didn’t count on to complete the race. However I do no matter I’m advised. I’m glad to have contributed—regardless that I believe the largest contribution got here at the start, once we climbed from tenth to the entrance. We had nice battles, overtakes, and I knew I needed to take some dangers to deliver the automobile again the place it belonged. It labored, then the Security Automotive got here out—on the worst time for us.”
“We had an enormous benefit over a lot of the subject, and that erased the whole lot. Issues had been comparatively beneath management, however in a 24-hour race, you by no means know what to anticipate. You all the time attempt to construct a niche, create a margin. However on the identical time, while you’re within the lead, it’s by no means simple. You want frequent sense and stability between threat and reward. And it’s really easy to make a mistake right here and lose the whole lot. So I’m glad I managed to drive these final 5 hours with none errors. Ultimately, I solely slept a few hours—and for a 40-year-old man, I’d say that’s not unhealthy.”
As we talked about, the Robert Kubica fairy story takes on actually lovely and romantic tones, and Robert himself offers a touching interpretation, in his sometimes trustworthy and considerate approach.
“I don’t assume that is an important success of my profession. Crucial one has nothing to do with racing, to be trustworthy. It was the victory I earned—the battle I fought—when my thoughts or mind wouldn’t settle for my limitations after the accident. Throughout restoration, I fought for months, labored exhausting to just accept issues, to restart, to seek out peace of thoughts, to cease dwelling with the ‘what if it hadn’t occurred’ mindset, and as a substitute to concentrate on targets and milestones. Accepting your limits could appear simple, however for me, it was something however.”
“Let’s say that at this time destiny gave me one thing again, a minimum of in sporting phrases. It’s an enormous outcome. I’m the sort of one that didn’t even take pleasure in my Formulation 1 win on the time—possibly tomorrow I’ll handle to take pleasure in this another. Proper now, I’m additionally drained—we’ve gone many hours with out sleep, a minimum of the previous 38. I solely slept two hours, however possibly as soon as I get some sugar into my system, my mind will swap on and I’ll take pleasure in it extra.”
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