Robert Kubica, Yifei Ye, and Phil Hanson guided the No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P to a historic 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours victory over the No. 6 Porsche Penske and factory Ferraris.
This result not only marked Ferrari’s third consecutive win at the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe but also signaled a remarkable achievement for the privateer AF Corse team and its trio of drivers, each making history in their own right.
The 93rd running of the world’s most prestigious endurance race unfolded with all the unpredictability and tension that Le Mans is famous for, culminating in a finish that kept fans and teams on edge until the final lap.
From the opening moments, the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours promised a fiercely competitive battle among the Hypercar class, with Ferrari, Porsche, Cadillac, Toyota, and others fielding formidable lineups.
The race began under clear skies on Saturday afternoon with the pole-sitting No. 12 Cadillac V-Series.R leading the field away. However, the early running saw the No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 control the Hypercar field after surging into the lead within the first hour.
Full 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours Race Results
As the daylight faded and the race transitioned into the night, the contest at the front intensified with Ferrari gradually taking command. By the overnight hours, the Italian marque had orchestrated a 1-2-3 at the head of the field with the factory-run No. 51 and No. 50 Ferrari 499Ps sandwiching the customer-entered No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari.
The privateer entry piloted by Robert Kubica, Yifei Ye, and Phil Hanson had started a modest 13th on the grid but steadily climbed through the order, capitalizing on consistent pace, faultless execution, and strategic acumen.
The night brought its usual share of challenges with safety cars and slow zones disrupting the rhythm of the race. Notably, the No. 6 Porsche and the No. 8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid benefitted from an early safety car, briefly vaulting them into contention.
However, as the hours ticked by, the Ferrari 499Ps reclaimed the top spots while the No. 6 Porsche 963 remained a persistent threat, especially as the race entered its final quarter.
The pivotal moments of the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours unfolded in the early hours of Sunday. By hour 18, Ferrari’s dominance was clear but intra team battles appeared to heat up.
The No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari with Robert Kubica at the wheel found itself embroiled in a tense duel with the factory No. 51 car driven by Alessandro Pier Guidi.
At various points, team orders directed the customer car yield to the works entries, but Kubica, confident in his pace, voiced his frustration over the radio arguing that he could run faster if allowed to pass.
Both the No. 83 and No. 51 Ferrari 499Ps along with several other contenders were handed drive-through penalties in the 17th hour for yellow-flag infractions, however, the setback did little to ease up the battle at the front, with only seconds separating the leading cars.
Kubica delivered a series of blistering laps, including the fastest of the race, to close in on Giovinazzi before assuming the lead after a crucial pit stop phase in hour 18.
From that point, the AF Corse squad executed a flawless strategy with Kubica, Ye, and Hanson rotating through their stints with precision, managing traffic, tire wear, and fuel consumption, ultimately taking the checkered flag first to claim the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours victory.
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Robert Kubica finally stood atop the podium as an overall winner, becoming the first Polish driver to claim an outright Le Mans victory.
Yifei Ye also made history as the first Chinese driver to win the French endurance classic while Phil Hanson added to his own impressive résumé, having previously won Le Mans in the LMP2 class.
Meanwhile, the No. 6 Porsche, piloted by Kevin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor, and Matthew Campbell, mounted a late charge, ultimately finishing just 14.084 seconds behind the winning Ferrari.
The No. 51 Ferrari after its own final stop was unable to close the gap, settling for third overall, while the defending champions in the No. 50 Ferrari finished fourth after being instructed to hold position behind their teammates.
Cadillac’s pole-sitting No. 12 car, driven by Will Stevens, Norman Nato, and Alex Lynn, led the early stages but ultimately finished fifth after a challenging night and morning stints.
The No. 7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid piloted by Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and Nyck de Vries, was the best of the Japanese marque’s entries, coming home sixth after a race that saw Toyota struggle to match the outright pace of Ferrari and Porsche.
