The No.6 Porsche Penske 963 driven by Mathieu Jaminet set the benchmark in third and final Le Mans practice, sending a clear message to the competition.
The session running over three hours on Thursday was a crucial opportunity for teams to fine-tune their cars, cycle through all drivers, and adapt to the ever-changing conditions of the Circuit de la Sarthe ahead of the Hyperpole shootout and the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours race itself.
As the final Le Mans practice commenced in the early afternoon the weather was milder than previous days with cloud cover and a gentle breeze providing a relatively stable environment for teams to push their machinery to the limit.
There was a brief delay to the start of FP3, but once underway the action was relentless as teams sought to maximize track time and gather critical data for the race weekend.
Mathieu Jaminet sharing the No.5 Porsche 963 with teammates Julien Andlauer and Michael Christensen, emerged as the standout performer of the session with a best lap of 3m24.717s, set around 4:10pm local time and proved unbeatable for the remainder of FP3.
Behind Jaminet, the Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA entries proved formidable adversaries. Earl Bamber at the wheel of the No.38 Cadillac V-Series.R secured second with a lap of 3m25.533s, just 0.816s adrift of Jaminet’s benchmark.
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The No.12 Cadillac piloted by Will Stevens was a further fraction behind in third, clocking a 3m25.609s. Both Cadillacs left their best for the dying moments of the session, underlining the competitive tension that will carry forward into Hyperpole and the race itself.
The early pace in FP3 had been set by the No.51 AF Corse Ferrari 499P, with Antonio Giovinazzi posting a 3m25.705s on his first run. For much of the session, Ferrari appeared poised to top the timesheets but the late improvements from Porsche and Cadillac relegated the Italian marque to fourth by the checkered flag.
The privateer No.83 Ferrari entry followed closely, ensuring the Scuderia remained well represented at the sharp end of the Hypercar class.
The BMW M Team WRT’s No.20 entry driven by Sheldon van der Linde, also featured prominently, setting a best time of 3m26.367s to slot into sixth overall. The No.4 Porsche Penske machine piloted by Felipe Nasr was next in line with a 3m26.855s.
The No.311 Whelen Cadillac, with Jack Aitken at the helm, managed a 3m26.91s, while the reigning Le Mans-winning No.51 AF Corse Ferrari rounded out the top ten in the Hypercar category.
Wayne Taylor Racing’s No.101 Cadillac endured a challenging session. A potential technical issue was detected early prompting the team to undertake an engine swap.
Despite limited running—just nine laps completed—the car still managed to outpace three other Hypercar entries as teams juggled race pace simulations and reliability checks.
The final Le Mans practice featured a single red flag triggered when Francois Perrodo in the No.193 AF Corse Oreca 07 LMP2 overshot his braking point entering the Porsche Curves.
Perrodo managed to reverse and return to the pits with only minor front-left bodywork damage, but the interruption allowed marshals to clear the circuit and address other minor contacts with tire barriers that had occurred throughout the session.
In the LMP2 category, the No.29 TDS Racing car driven by Mathias Beche led the way with a 3m36.827s lap while Oliver Jarvis’ No. 23 United Autosports entry and the No. 43 Inter Europol Competition entry of Clement Novalak rounded out the top three.
Late in the session, IDEC Sport’s No.28 ORECA lost its front-left wheel but was able to return to the pits without further drama.
The LMGT3 class saw a flurry of fast times, with no fewer than four cars from three different manufacturers eclipsing the best qualifying time from the previous day.
The No.27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin piloted by Zach Robichon emerged on top with a 3m55.897s, narrowly ahead of the No.92 Manthey Porsche by just 0.037s.
Akkodis ASP’s No.78 Lexus and Racing Spirit of Leman’s No.10 Aston Martin followed closely, highlighting the intense competition in the new-for-2025 LMGT3 category.
