At the Lone Star Le Mans, Porsche delivered its finest performance of the season to claim a hard-fought first victory of 2025 under wildly unpredictable conditions at the Circuit of The Americas.
What is usually a circuit where pole position plays a pivotal role mattered little this weekend. Instead, strategy calls, torrential downpours, and endless plot twists dictated the outcome of this year’s 6-hour contest.
A Turbulent Beginning
Rarely has the Lone Star Le Mans begun in such chaos. Hours of unrelenting Texan rainfall turned the opening phase on its head, with the first two hours run almost entirely behind the Safety Car and under red flags.
Early drama arrived quickly: Porsche’s Matthieu Jaminet spun spectacularly in the standing water, BMW’s challenge ended prematurely with a hybrid failure, and Peugeot’s #93 squad fell afoul of pit lane regulations with a drive-through penalty.
It wasn’t until nearly two hours into the race that genuine wheel-to-wheel action unfolded. Phil Hanson in the #83 AF Corse Ferrari led the field back to green, but under extreme conditions the Briton could do little to resist the pace of rivals.
Ferrari and Porsche Take Centre Stage
Once racing resumed, the tactical battle between Ferrari, Porsche, and the challengers from Peugeot and Aston Martin ignited. Hanson pressed hard in the #83 Ferrari, with James Calado in the #51 close behind. Porsche’s factory-run #6 joined the head of the queue alongside its privateer stablemates, ensuring the Prancing Horse would face a relentless fight.
But repeatedly, accidents – including notable shunts for Alpine and Aston Martin at the Turn 4/5 complex – forced further safety car interruptions. Track crews worked tirelessly to restore barriers, setting a near-record pace of repair across the marathon event.
On the ensuing restarts, Ferrari defended stoutly until Porsche’s Matt Campbell, in the #6, produced a flawless middle stint. When Kévin Estre lined up Alessandro Pier Guidi for a decisive attack into Turn One, Porsche finally broke through. As the track steadily dried, Team Penske played the tyre game to perfection, timing each call with exact precision. Minute by minute, restart by restart, the gap incrementally grew in their favour.
Porsche Triumphs with Precision
Calm and measured in the crucial closing phase, Estre fended off every Ferrari challenge with metronomic consistency. Porsche Penske Motorsport secured its first win of the FIA WEC season with almost ten seconds in hand. Miguel Molina salvaged second place for the #50 Ferrari.
Peugeot celebrated its strongest performance yet in the Hypercar era, locking out third and fourth with its pair of 9X8s. Pier Guidi, meanwhile, suffered a late tyre failure that forced a furious recovery drive, limiting the #51 Ferrari to fifth. Even so, the Italian outfit clung to its fragile points lead.
The customer AF Corse Ferrari #83 managed seventh, enough to clinch the privateer outfit the Hypercar Teams’ title. Cadillac and Aston Martin, meanwhile, both fought into the top 10, though the São Paulo winners could finish no higher than eighth this time.
LMGT3: McLaren’s Breakthrough
The LMGT3 class proved no less dramatic. Initially, Proton Competition’s Ford Mustang #77 looked the car to beat, controlling large portions of the race. But as the asphalt dried, strategic gambles with tyre choice turned the order upside down.
In the final minutes, Ferrari briefly seized the lead with Davide Rigon, only to be undone by a time penalty for contact. That opened the door for United Autosports’ McLaren #95 to seize a sensational maiden WEC class victory. The Team WRT BMW #46 followed in second, with the Vista AF Corse Ferrari #54 completing the podium.
The early front-runners stumbled: the Mustang slipped to sixth, the Iron Dames entry dropped out of contention, and both Manthey’s Porsche and Akkodis ASP’s Lexus fell afoul of mechanical issues or penalties.
High Drama and Pivotal Moments
The 2025 Lone Star Le Mans produced drama in abundance: relentless accidents, finely balanced tactical duels, and a string of standout performances. Peugeot, in particular, made a statement by placing two cars within the top four—an undeniable step forward for the French marque.
In LMGT3, the ruthlessness of endurance racing was on full display. Risky late tyre calls, contact penalties, and star drivers pushed to the ragged edge ensured nothing was certain until the very end. McLaren’s maiden category triumph with United Autosports will be remembered as a milestone.
This race once again underscored the essence of endurance racing—strategy, adaptability, and composure. Porsche executed to perfection to seize its first victory of 2025, while McLaren entered the record books with its inaugural WEC class win. Ferrari must now regroup for Fuji, and Peugeot looks more than ever like a genuine contender at the elite level.
Complete results can be found here.
Images © Alessandro Sala