Kubica’s Ferrari tops final practice

Ferrari topped a session for the first time at the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours after Robert Kubica set the pace in final practice.

After the trio of 499P LMHs failed to impress during qualifying, Kubica’s #83 customer Ferrari was fastest in the one-hour night FP4 session on Thursday, setting a 3m26.523s with around 20 minutes to go.

That time was nearly a second quicker than the 3m27.456s that Miguel Molina clocked in the #50 Ferrari 10 minutes beforehand.

A late full-course yellow when Daniel Schneider’s #23 United Autosports ORECA-Gibson 07 stopped on the Mulsanne Straight restricted the potential for any further improvements.

Having secured a front-row lockout earlier in the evening, two Cadillacs were next fastest, the #311 Action Express-run V-Series.R LMDh of Felipe Drugovich posting a 3m27.780s, while the #38 Jota car of Jenson Button was a tenth slower on 3m27.893s.

The top five was completed by the best of the Porsche Penske Motorsport crews, the #6 963 LMDh of Laurens Vanthoor registering a 3m27.919s.

The polesitting #12 Jota Cadillac was sixth fastest thanks to a 3m27.991s from Norman Nato, while the third of the Ferraris was seventh with Antonio Giovinazzi at the wheel.

The top 10 was rounded out by the #5 Porsche, the best of the Toyotas – the #8 GR010 HYBRID LMH – and then the pick of the Alpine A424 LMDhs, the #35 crew.

Peugeot and Aston Martin occupied the bottom places of the Hypercar field, although the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 LMDh failed to register a representative lap time.

VDS Panis Racing set the LMP2 pace from the midpoint of the session, Esteban Masson registering a 3m38.302s in the #48 ORECA.

Clement Novalak was six tenths adrift in second in the #29 TDS entry on a 3m38.934s, while Matthieu Vaxiviere was third on a 3m38.975s for AF Corse.

Lexus returned to its regular top spot in the LMGT3 division with Jose Maria Lopez posting a 3m55.057s in the #87 ASP RC F shortly before the FCY.

#87 Akkodis ASP Team Lexus RC F LMGT3: Petru Umbrarescu, José Maria Lopez, Clemens Schmid

Photo by: AG Photo

Aston Martin was second fastest, over a second slower, courtesy of Eduardo Barrichello in the Prodrive-run Racing Spirit of Leman entry on a 3m56.225s.

The #54 Ferrari that spun out of the opening Hyperpole session earlier had topped the times courtesy of a 3m56.433s from Davide Rigon but was then relegated to third.

There was further strife for the Iron Lynx squad as its #63 Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 stopped on the Mulsanne Straight just minutes into the session.

This car had undergone a change in chassis after a hefty crash for Stephen Grove in opening practice on Wednesday, and its drivers have therefore not completed any night running ahead of Saturday’s race.

Le Mans 24 Hours – Free Practice 4 results