Robert Kubica's mammoth stint secures Ferrari hat-trick at 24 Hours of Le Mans 2025 as #83 AF Corse take surprise victory with Yifei Ye, Phil Hansom
Updated 15/06/2025 at 16:39 GMT+1
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The #83 AF Corse came out on top at the 24 Hours of Le Mans after a dominant display from the Italian manufacturer, with #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport finishing in second. The #51 and #50 Ferrari AF Corse cars were in the top three for much of the race, but a dramatic finish to the iconic race cost them dearly, with #50 having to settle for fourth place in the end.
Ferrari AF Corse #83 celebrate on podium after historic Le Mans triumph
Video credit: TNT Sports
The #83 AF Corse driven by former F1 driver Robert Kubica of Poland, China's Yifei Ye and Britain's Phil Hanson came out on top in the 93rd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, to cap a dominant display from Ferrari.
The #51 and #50 Ferrari AF Corse cars spent much of the race in the top three, but issues towards the end of the race allowed the #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport car to snatch second place.
The #51 Ferrari AF Corse came in third, with its sister car #50 having to settle for fourth.
The legendary 20-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer was the official starter for the 93rd edition of the famous race.
Justin Andlauer's #5 Porsche Penske took control during the early stages of the race, edging ahead of the #12 and #38 Cadillac cars.
However, Porsche and Ferrari battled it out at the front of the pack as the race progressed.
Ferrari AF Corse compounded their dominance by Lap 66, with #50, #86, and #51 occupying first, second and third place.
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'One of the toughest races' - Kubica on 'special' Le Mans victory with Ferrari
Video credit: TNT Sports
Ferrari remained on top as the sun set over the iconic track, but just after 10pm, the #50 Ferrari AF Corse received a yellow flag penalty that threatened to push the car out of the top three.
The #83 Ferrari AF Corse had led the way for the majority of the race as the eight-hour mark came and went, but Hanson ran into the gravel heading into the Mulsanne, allowing James Calado and the #51 Ferrari to take the lead.
Hanson retook the lead just before midnight, but he could not hold it for long, and by 3am, #6 Porsche Penske and #89 Toyota Gazoo were first and second.
Ferrari were able to regain control of the race by 4.30am, though, with #83 Ferrari AF Corse, #51 Ferrari AF Corse and #50 Ferrari AF Corse returning to the top three.
Not much changed as the morning progressed, with the three Ferraris still occupying the podium places by 6.50am.
By 8am, #51 was in first place, with #83 in second and #50 in third.
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'What a drive it's been' - Kubica steers Ferrari to victory at Le Mans
Video credit: TNT Sports
The top two started to build a lead as the race entered its final few hours, but Alessandro Pier Guidi spun into the gravel just after 10am.
That closed the gap and allowed the #83 AF Corse Ferrari to take the lead once again.
To make matters worse for #51, the error also meant they were leapfrogged by their sister car, #50 Ferrari AF Corse.
Matt Campbell in the #6 Porsche Penske moved into fourth place just before 1pm, with James Calado and #51 dropping into fourth.
The #6 Porsche Penske followed that up by storming into second place ahead of the #50 Ferrari AF Corse with one hour remaining.
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Antonio Fuoco in the #50 Ferrari AF Corse nearly hit the wall near the runoff, costing him seven seconds and potentially a place on the podium.
The mistake proved costly, with the #83 AF Corse Ferrari sealing the victory, ahead of the #6 Porsche Penske in second and the #51 Ferrari AF Corse finishing in third.
With his win, Kubica became the first ever Pole to win the overall title for Le Mans, with Ye becoming the first Chinese driver to win the title.
You can watch all the action from the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the UK with TNT Sports and discovery+.
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