Le Mans 24 Hours Sunday morning report: Battles rage on across all classes

As daylight returns to the Circuit de la Sarthe, the 93rd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans moves into its final phase. In Hypercar, Ferrari has largely controlled the race through the night, with the factory #51 and privateer #83 499Ps trading the lead multiple times and the #50 always nearby. Their close and clean battle has shaped the race so far, while the rest of the field remains within reach.

Hypercar

Ferrari and Porsche continue to trade blows at the front, with the privately-run #83 Ferrari AF Corse 499P currently leading after reclaiming the top spot from the works #51 AF Corse Ferrari. The pair of cars have been locked in a fierce duel throughout the early morning hours, with position swaps and pit strategy shaping the rhythm of the race. Just after 11:00, however, the leading #51 Ferrari in the hands of Alessandro Pier Guidi, lost crucial time when the Italian spun entering the pits, continuing to his pit box after quickly digging the Ferrari out of the gravel trap. This left the #83 taking back the lead with the #50 Ferrari slotting into second place.

The #6 Porsche Penske 963 remains firmly in contention on a slightly offset strategy. Kévin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor and Matt Campbell delivered standout night stints, though a slow puncture for Estre forced an early stop just before dawn. Meanwhile, the sister #4 and #5 Porsches have been pegged back by drive-through penalties for slow zone infractions, slipping out of the top five.

Toyota’s #8 GR010 Hybrid surged to second during the Safety Car period just after 3:00 but has since dropped to fifth after a delayed pit stop and renewed pressure from the #50 Ferrari, which itself lost time with a time penalty and an unscheduled stop earlier in the night. Cadillac’s pole-sitting #12 V-Series.R has quietly crept back into the top six thanks to improved pace in cooler morning conditions, while Earl Bamber set the fastest lap of the race so far in the #38 JOTA-run Cadillac with a 3m26s effort.

LMP2

A new leader emerged overnight in LMP2 as Inter Europol Competition’s #43 Oreca reclaimed the top spot from the long-time leading #48 VDS Panis Racing entry. After a night of consistent pace and clean execution, Nick Yelloly now leads Esteban Masson following a crucial pit cycle shortly after 7:00. Their battle remains close, with under ten seconds separating the top two.

The #28 IDEC Sport entry sits in third, while the #9 Iron Lynx Proton and #199 AO by TF entries round out the top five. United Autosports recovered from early contact to bring the #22 car back into sixth with Pietro Fittipaldi and Renger van der Zande pushing hard. A notable retirement came during the night as the #18 IDEC Sport car — formerly a front-runner — lost a wheel in the 14th hour, ending André Lotterer’s final Le Mans campaign prematurely.

LMGT3

The battle for LMGT3 honours remains hotly contested, with the #92 Manthey EMA Porsche emerging back into the lead just after dawn. Richard Lietz reeled in and passed the #21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari, which had led for several hours thanks to a strong triple stint by Alessio Rovera. François Heriau’s off-track moment while being lapped by an LMP2 car cost the Ferrari valuable time and the lead.

TF Sport’s #81 Corvette has moved into third, consistently within striking distance, while the #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin has returned to fourth. The Akkodis ASP Lexus squad holds fifth, though their #87 car received a penalty after contact with the Iron Dames Porsche.

The #46 Team WRT BMW — early LMGT3 leader — fell out of contention after a spin due to a technical issue at the Porsche Curves in the hands of Kelvin van der Linde. Further misfortune struck the team when its #31 entry was brought in for repairs after a bizarre collision with a rabbit.

Few accidents, hot racing

Notably, the race has remained dry since the start, with clear weather allowing for uninterrupted running. A single major Safety Car period occurred at around 4:00 following a heavy LMP2 crash at Tertre Rouge, briefly resetting the field. Several Full Course Yellow phases have been used to recover stranded cars or debris, but overall the race has been remarkably clean considering the pace and traffic.

With seven hours remaining, nothing is settled. Ferrari holds the upper hand in Hypercar, but Porsche, Toyota, and Cadillac are all in the fight. Pier Guidi’s costly spin shows even the smallest of mistakes can cost the lead. LMP2 remains a knife-edge battle, while Manthey and AF Corse trade blows in LMGT3. Expect fireworks as Le Mans heads into its decisive phase.