Porsche Penske steered clear of the chaos to go fastest in 2025 WEC 6 Hours of Spa FP2 which unfolded as one of the most dramatic and incident-filled practice runs in recent FIA World Endurance Championship memory.
Originally scheduled for 90 minutes the session was repeatedly interrupted by a series of high-speed accidents, red flags and on-track incidents that tested both the resilience of teams and the adaptability of drivers.
Despite the disruptions it was Kevin Estre in the #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 Hybrid Hypercar who ultimately seized the 6 Hours of Spa FP2 honours, delivering a commanding performance that put Porsche back on top after a challenging start to the 2025 FIA WEC season.
From the outset, anticipation was high as teams prepared for the second free practice session at the iconic Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. The session began at 16:30 CEST on Thursday with the Hypercar and LMGT3 classes sharing the legendary Belgian circuit.
However, the drama began almost immediately. Just a few laps into the session Antonio Giovinazzi, piloting the #51 Ferrari 499P lost control at the notorious Eau Rouge corner.
The high-speed spin resulted in a heavy impact with the barriers causing substantial damage to the front end of the Ferrari and triggering the first red flag of the day.
The incident brought the session to a halt for approximately ten minutes as marshals worked to recover the stricken car and repair the barriers. Thankfully, Giovinazzi was unharmed and a Ferrari spokesperson confirmed there were no consequences for the driver.
Once the session resumed, teams scrambled to make up for lost time but the rhythm was soon disrupted again. A full-course yellow was called following contact between the two Alpine A424s of Charles Milesi and Mick Schumacher which left debris scattered across the circuit.
The marshals efficiently cleared the track but the action was only just beginning. Shortly thereafter, another major incident occurred at Eau Rouge this time involving Stephen Grove in the #60 Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo.
Grove suffered a head-on collision with the barriers prompting the second red flag of the session. He was taken to the medical center as a precaution but was later cleared of any injury.
The severity of the crash forced the session organizers to extend the second practice by 30 minutes, bringing the total duration to two hours.
The session’s third and final red flag occurred with just 24 minutes remaining when Tom Gamble crashed the #007 Aston Martin Valkyrie at Pouhon. The incident brought a premature end to Gamble’s running, but, like the earlier accidents, the driver was unhurt.
The session resumed with limited time left on the clock, but no further extensions were granted, leaving teams with a truncated window to complete their programs. Most of the fastest laps in the Hypercar class were set in the window between the first two red flags.
Kevin Estre driving the #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 delivered a blistering lap of 2:01.475, putting him at the top of the timesheets. This marked the first time in the 2025 FIA WEC season that a Porsche had led a practice session, providing a significant morale boost for the German manufacturer after a tough start to their campaign.
Hot on Estre’s heels was Antonio Fuoco in the #50 Ferrari AF Corse 499P who clocked a best time of 2:01.566-just 0.091 seconds shy of the Porsche’s benchmark. The winners of the season-opening round in Qatar once again demonstrated their pace but their session was not without incident.
In the latter stages of FP2, Miguel Molina at the wheel of the same car suffered a crash that resulted in front-end damage. The team quickly set to work on repairs, determined to maintain their competitive edge for the remainder of the weekend.
Third fastest was Robin Frijns in the #20 BMW M Team WRT M Hybrid V8 with a best lap of 2:01.785. The Dutchman’s performance ensured that three different manufacturers occupied the top three positions, highlighting the depth of competition in the Hypercar class.
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The remainder of the top five featured Alex Lynn in the #12 Cadillac V-Series.R who posted a 2:01.876 to secure fourth place for the JOTA-run entry. Julien Andlauer in the second factory Porsche 963 rounded out the top five with a time of 2:01.984.
Further down the order the #83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P driven by Robert Kubica finished sixth followed closely by Kamui Kobayashi in the #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid who was the fastest Toyota representative in seventh.
The #15 BMW M Hybrid V8, the #36 Alpine and the #94 Peugeot completed the top ten each team making the most of the challenging conditions to gather valuable data for the race ahead.
In the LMGT3 category the battle for supremacy was equally intense. Zacharie Robichon set the pace in the #27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3 recording a fastest lap of 2:18.326.
Robichon’s time was just 0.052 seconds quicker than Clemens Schmid in the #87 Akkodis ASP Team Lexus RC F LMGT3, while Davide Rigon rounded out the top three in the #54 Ferrari, 0.555 seconds behind the leader.
