The 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans will go down in historical past as one of many races with probably the most distinctive and sudden consequence—but additionally some of the romantic—which noticed Ferrari triumph for the third consecutive time, because of the personal 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 vehicles are those to beat within the Hypercar class, however few would have wager 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 may’t calm down as a result of something can occur. That’s why I didn’t have fun till Robert crossed the end line—then I exploded,” stated a visibly moved Hanson through 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 unique consequence this time,” laughed the Chinese language driver, the primary to win the 24h total in a Ferrari.
“We all know our automobile could be very sturdy 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 straightforward as a result of the Security Automobile disrupted the rhythm and introduced everybody again into the race.”
“In the long run, it was a really tight contest, and one mistake may have been extraordinarily expensive. That’s why we needed to keep most focus till the tip. Additionally, with just one Security Automobile, 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 try to change into knowledgeable driver. The final time I obtained 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 dwell 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 at all times acquired what he deserved. Profitable the 12 months’s most essential 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 feel again to my first Le Mans in 2021 after I misplaced the LMP2 class on the final lap, within the worst potential means. I already knew that in racing, you need to watch for the end line, however the consciousness that solely a technical subject may take the victory away from us had been with me for some time as I used to be driving.”
“Once I first got here right here, I used to be 35 years outdated, had raced in lots of classes, and every part had change into type of routine, let’s say. However Le Mans, with its uniqueness and particular challenges, gave me emotions and sensations as if I have been going through one thing fully new, one thing I didn’t understand how I’d react to or what to anticipate. It introduced me again to my karting days, when every part was a primary.”
“I liked that feeling, and I fell in love with Le Mans. In 2021 I informed my teammate Louis Deletraz that if I ever received, I wouldn’t come again. And truly, 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 informed me, ‘I heard in the event you win, you’ll retire.’ And I replied, ‘If I win, I’ll return to rallying.’ I often maintain my phrase. We’ll see what the longer term 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 tough conditions?
“At present’s race was lengthy, however I managed the ultimate half as a result of we have been conscious of what we have been racing for, what was at stake, and what we’d been working in the direction of for thus many hours. We lastly managed to finish that closing 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 at all times dangerous—put on will increase, and even a small lower can deflate a tire. So a contemporary tire, moreover providing higher efficiency, additionally provides you extra confidence and security to complete with out points. We did every part to keep away from issues.”
“However to be sincere, I wasn’t anxious in regards to the chasers. We had tempo, and when wanted, I confirmed it—particularly within the early a part of the race. Within the closing hours I simply managed the lead, figuring out I needed to keep forward with out taking dangers, as a result of only one Security Automobile and it might all restart from zero. So I attempted to protect the tires and maintain a security margin, as a result of at Le Mans, you by no means know.”
“Once I obtained within the automobile, I didn’t anticipate to complete the race. However I do no matter I’m informed. I’m blissful to have contributed—though I feel the most important contribution got here at first, 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 Automobile got here out—on the worst time for us.”
“We had an enormous benefit over a lot of the area, and that erased every part. Issues have been comparatively beneath management, however in a 24-hour race, you by no means know what to anticipate. You at all times attempt to construct a niche, create a margin. However on the identical time, while you’re within the lead, it’s by no means straightforward. You want frequent sense and stability between threat and reward. And it’s really easy to make a mistake right here and lose every part. So I’m blissful I managed to drive these final 5 hours with none errors. In the long run, I solely slept a few hours—and for a 40-year-old man, I’d say that’s not dangerous.”
As we talked about, the Robert Kubica fairy story takes on actually lovely and romantic tones, and Robert himself provides a touching interpretation, in his sometimes sincere and considerate means.
“I don’t suppose that is an important success of my profession. An important one has nothing to do with racing, to be sincere. 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 onerous to just accept issues, to restart, to search out peace of thoughts, to cease residing with the ‘what if it hadn’t occurred’ mindset, and as a substitute to deal with targets and milestones. Accepting your limits could appear straightforward, however for me, it was something however.”
“Let’s say that at this time destiny gave me one thing again, at the very least in sporting phrases. It’s an enormous end result. I’m the type of one that didn’t even get pleasure from my Formulation 1 win on the time—possibly tomorrow I’ll handle to get pleasure from this yet another. Proper now, I’m additionally drained—we’ve gone many hours with out sleep, at the very least the previous 38. I solely slept two hours, however possibly as soon as I get some sugar into my system, my mind will change on and I’ll get pleasure from it extra.”
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