Le Mans 24 Hours four-hour report: Ferrari flexes muscles as Porsche fights back

The 93rd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans roared into life under dry skies and a veil of grey cloud, setting the stage for an intense early battle in the Hypercar class. After four hours of racing, Ferrari heads the field, staking a strong early claim with two of its cars in the top three, while Porsche continues to fight tooth and nail in a thrilling scrap for supremacy.

Hypercar: Ferrari’s 499P takes charge

It was Porsche Penske Motorsport’s Julien Andlauer who made the biggest statement in the opening stints. Starting third in the #5 Porsche 963, the Frenchman carved his way past the Cadillacs of Will Stevens (#12) and Earl Bamber (#2) in the opening laps to seize the lead. By lap 10, Andlauer had opened a gap of over six seconds, executing a relentless run of hot laps while those behind squabbled for position.

Behind him, Stevens tried to respond but could only match the Porsche’s pace. Meanwhile, Kevin Estre lit up the opening hour with a storming charge from 21st to fifth in the #6 Porsche, benefitting from a clean first lap and fearless overtaking moves.

A brief scare came early for the #007 Aston Martin Vantage, which pitted with a puncture at the end of lap four, rejoining in 38th. It would be the first of many pit-related dramas in a fast and unforgiving opening phase.

Traffic became an immediate factor as the Hypercars began lapping the slower LMGT3 field after just six laps. Sébastien Buemi in the #8 Toyota was forced to take to the escape road before Mulsanne in a hair-raising moment of evasive action.

The race’s rhythm shifted after the first round of pit stops. Although the #5 Porsche maintained the lead, the chasing pack had closed in. A dramatic moment unfolded as Paul Di Resta lost the #93 Peugeot 9X8 under braking into the Porsche Curves, slamming the barriers before limping back to the pits.

As the sun began its slow descent, Ferrari began to hit its stride. The #50 Ferrari 499P, piloted by Nicklas Nielsen, sliced past Estre’s Porsche before reeling in the #5. Antonio Fuoco then took over and dispatched Mathieu Jaminet on lap 43 with a superb move between Mulsanne and Indianapolis. The #83 and #51 Ferraris joined the hunt, creating a three-pronged Maranello offensive.

Laurens Vanthoor briefly restored Porsche pride with a daring move around the outside at Porsche Curves to wrest the lead back for the #6, but it was short-lived. As pit strategies unfolded and the pace intensified, the Ferrari #50 found its way back to the front and, at the four-hour mark, held a commanding 18-second lead.

For others, fortunes diverged. The #7 Toyota, damaged early in traffic, lost further time after overshooting Mulsanne and taking the service road. The Cadillacs, so promising at the start, gradually faded from the top ten.

LMP2: Inter Europol benefits from early chaos

TDS Racing’s Mathias Beche got the LMP2 field off to a flying start, building an early five-second cushion over Louis Delétraz in the #199 AO by TF “Spike” entry. But an incident between David Heinemeier-Hansson (#22 United Autosports) and the #193 LMGT3 Ferrari at Dunlop, followed by contact between the #29 TDS and #37 CLX Pure Rxcing, shuffled the order.

The #43 Inter Europol Competition car picked its way through the chaos to inherit the lead. The team’s measured pace and survival instincts paid off as Jakub Smiechowski, Tom Dillmann, and Nick Yelloly ended the fourth hour in control of the class.

A brief full course yellow was triggered after the #25 Algarve Pro Racing hit the #16 RLR M Sport entry under yellow at Tertre Rouge, scattering debris and briefly neutralising the field.

LMGT3: Vista AF Corse leads the lottery

The LMGT3 class saw constant upheaval as pit stops, traffic, and incidents turned the order on its head. Mattia Drudi initially led in the #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin but struggled to pull away from Kelvin van der Linde in the #46 Team WRT BMW.

Several lead changes later, it was the #21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari of François Heriau, Simon Mann, and Alessio Rovera that emerged at the top. A consistent pace and trouble-free run allowed them to edge clear as others stumbled.

One of the earliest casualties of the race came in this category: Giammarco Levorato lost the #88 Proton Ford Mustang at Tertre Rouge, backing heavily into the tyres. While the driver was unhurt, the car was retired with significant damage – the first official retirement of the 2025 race.

After Four Hours – Top 5 Overall:

#50 Ferrari AF Corse – Ferrari 499P (Fuoco/Nielsen/Molina) – 65 laps
#6 Porsche Penske Motorsport – Porsche 963 (Estre/Vanthoor/Campbell) – +18.499s
#83 AF Corse – Ferrari 499P (Kubica/Ye/Hanson) – +19.132s
#51 Ferrari AF Corse – Ferrari 499P (Pier Guidi/Calado/Giovinazzi) – +20.132s
#20 BMW M Team WRT – BMW M Hybrid V8 (Rast/Frijns/Van der Linde) – +39.338s

Class Leaders:

LMP2: #43 Inter Europol Competition – 62 laps
LMGT3: #21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296 LMGT3 – 58 laps

Retirements:

#88 Proton Competition Ford Mustang LMGT3 – Crash at Tertre Rouge

As darkness approaches and the temperatures begin to drop, Ferrari has thrown down the gauntlet. Porsche is not going down without a fight, while others regroup after a turbulent opening stint. Le Mans has already delivered drama – and we’re not even a quarter of the way through.

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