Key Takeaways from the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans

Written by Sharifah Zaqreeztrina, Edited by Marit Everett

The 93rd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans delivered a day of thrilling action, interesting strategy executions and nail-biting battles to witness. DIVEBOMB unpacks the key takeaways from the endurance classic.

1. No.83 Ferrari’s win reshapes endurance history

Credit: Ferrari Hypercar

The highly-predicted win of the 499P finally came true on that eventful Sunday. Previously, the No.83 experienced its fair share of challenges, all captured within those 24 hours. This makes their win all the more deserving.

The No.83 crew were initially set for third place as the sister cars of No.50 and No.51 were leading for the majority of the race. A radio message from the team even further suggested to allow them to remain in those coveted spots. 

As the DNF in last season’s Le Mans became an unpleasant core memory for the No.83 crew, they ensured this year will be the reversal of their misfortunes, not backing down from the challenge.

Their moment of luck came when the No.51 botched their pit entry which inevitably cost them their lead. Robert Kubica, in his usual determined demeanour, then sprung up to the lead in the final 37 laps. The Polish driver then led an impressive performance given that he had completed 40% of the total laps in the customer Ferrari.

Of course, the stellar efforts of his teammates Phil Hanson and Yifei Ye are not to be discredited. As they also brilliantly managed to maintain their car on the top three results throughout their stints, overcoming mechanical issues and two penalties.

Ye and Kubica can finally wave their national flags proudly at the La Sarthe as they become the first drivers from their respective countries (China and Poland) to emerge victorious in the prestigious race. Hanson meanwhile joins the list of other 34 fellow Brits who have scored a Le Mans win in history.

Ferrari’s hat trick of wins also signal that they’re miles ahead of the rest of the pack, revelling in a dominance that one might find difficult to topple.

2. Double trouble for Toyota 

   
   

   

   Credit: Toyota Gazoo Racing

   A fifth and a 14th. Quite underwhelming result for a Japanese marque that conquered the French circuit for five consecutive years until 2022. This outing was even deemed their worst since 2017.

   
   

   Their Balance of Performance (BoP) was encouraging, with a contention in mind. However, it was not the case for their Le Mans campaign this time. A finely-executed tyre strategy placed the No.8 into the lead, but that strong performance was a fleeting moment.

   
   

   The car had a near-perfect race, until mechanical issues on Sunday morning forced them to settle just at the bottom of the top five.

   
   

   It was not flawless at either side of the garage. The No.7 got into contact with a Peugeot in the first corner, losing a couple of positions.

   
   

   With the runner-up Porsche looking to challenge Ferrari’s Le Mans dominance, will Toyota eliminate their mistakes and return to title contender status? 

   
   

   
   

3. Frustrations for the French

   
   

   

   Credit: Newsroom Alpine

   A local team winning the world's most prestigious race would've been a wonderful sight. Though it last happened back in 2009, ironically with Peugeot. 

   
   

   Tough weekend indeed for the French manufacturers. High hopes were set for Alpine, which stood on the podium for the preceding WEC rounds in Imola and Spa. This sudden downhill of a performance shattered aspirations of a home victory. 

   
   

   Despite this, the blue machines crossed the finish line with respectable results of ninth and tenth (after the disqualification of No.50 Ferrari).

   
   

   As for Peugeot, they qualified outside the Hyperpole in 17th and 18th. On race day, the No.93 had to undergo an emergency pit stop after a trip to the gravel ended up having its bodywork removed. The 9X8s took home 11th and 16th.

   
   

   Although leading the LMP2 field for several laps, wheel-related issues hampered IDEC Sport's continued progress at the top. This eventually forced the ELMS championship leaders to be logged among the 14 retirements in the race.

   
   

   However, not all French teams faced similar blows. Even though Lexus had to retire their No.78 due to suspension failure, the sister car No.87 took up a stunning points-finish in fifth place.

   
   

   
   

4. The greens experienced gradual growth

   
   

   

   Credit: Aston Martin Media

   Despite the less-than-ideal run in the early rounds, it was a rather solid first Le Mans outing for the Aston Martin Valkyries. 

   
   

   Based on this particular race’s BoP, these cars were the lightest in the Hypercar class. The No.009 entered Hyperpole for the first time in 15th, following No.6 Porsche’s disqualification. As for the No.007, it started on 20th.

   
   

   Slammed with a tyre puncture and gearbox issues, No.007 headed back to the pits, a worrying sight for the fans as it occurred at the beginning. By the time it rejoined, it was already several positions behind, including the LMP2 field. 

   
   

   Like many other cars, the No.009 was awarded with a drive-through penalty for violating FCY (Full Course Yellow) procedures. Regardless, they successfully survived the night. 

   
   

   The No.007 and No.009 made it to the finish line with a respectable 14th and 12th, without major issues. 

   
   

   “It's a great result for the team, a huge milestone for the programme,” commented endurance racing manager Adam Carter. “We come to Le Mans and the WEC because it's hard, because we want to fight against the best. We need to improve our performance, we are racers and we want to be more competitive.” 

   
   

   Reliability of these cars are certainly present, it’s a matter of chasing for more points in the future. 

   
   

   
   

5. BoP once again sparked mixed reactions

   
   

   

   Credit: Stellantis

   When the Le Mans-specific BoP was revealed, it raised high expectations for a couple of teams such as Toyota, Cadillac (and of course Ferrari) to excel on the French enduro as they received significant power increases since last year’s edition of Le Mans. 

   
   

   While Ferrari’s win was a joyous occasion all around, the rule became a subject of heated discussions among the non-winners, though not explicitly naming it. 

   
   

   The BoP adjustments were different from the other WEC rounds, as the previous three were calculated using race data collected from those events. This round’s BoP, however, was based on simulation and homologation data of the cars. This made it unique and nearly incomparable.

   
   

   As a result, this also made the comments related to the rule more apparent.

   
   

   “There was never any potential of performance,” Toyota technical director David Floury remarked: “It was a two-class race, one with the cars that had top speed and one with the cars that had no top speed.

   
   

   “Unfortunately, we got the wrong ticket and we were in the second class with Cadillac and Aston Martin.”

   
   

   Peugeot, which had the worst power-to-weight-ratio, strongly hinted for fairness while reiterating its commitment to the championship.

   
   

   “Our wish is to stay for a long time while being competitive, so the goal is set,” Stellantis Motorsport senior vice-president Jean-Marc Finot said. “Then we are in talks to define a path that I cannot describe as of today, as many unknowns remain in the equation.

   
   

   “Our goal is to continue, and everyone wants to, as Peugeot’s involvement is an asset for the championship too, but we need to find the path that will make it fair for everyone and possible.

   
   

   “The good thing is we have bosses who care about sport, who understand the context and can contextualize today’s performance. We’re lucky to have them.”

   
   

   Both fans and teams were also critical of the integrity of the BoP, especially how it influenced the competitiveness of the field. 

   
   

   Whether it's highly favoured or not, it did leave a massive impact on how it all played out on the 24 Hours of Le Mans.