24h Le Mans
The Ferrari Challenge and Porsche Carrera Cup Brazil competitors hit the track for their respective first races this afternoon and qualifying was held for Road to Le Mans.
The 58 teams entered in the 11th Road to Le Mans had a single one one-hour qualifying session to secure the best possible starting position for the race.
Enzo Peugeot initially seized the upper hand in 3:51.776 (R-Ace GP's #85 Duqueine D09–Toyota), but a yellow flag and subsequent slow zone interrupted the flow of the qualifying session, already cut short by more than 10 minutes by red flag at the very beginning. Only 32 minutes were left to clock a serviceable time. Arthur Rogeon took the wheel of the #12 and went on the offensive for the remaining six minutes. His time of 3:48.898 topped the timesheet when the circuit was once again neutralised two minutes from the chequered flag. Second in the class (23Events Racing's #5 Ligier JS P325-Toyota shared by Isaac Barashi/Matteo Franco Segre) trailed by more than 0.8 seconds. At the wheel of the #77 McLaren 720S, Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer scored the quickest time in GT3. In LMP3 Pro/Am, pole position went to a team also competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans: DKR Engineering (Quentin Antonel in the #3).
Pole position in each class:
The start of the three-hour race will be given tomorrow, Friday 12 June at 10:00.
The second day of competition in the Porsche Carrera Cup Brazil definitely delivered on action. The competitors, all driving Porsche 911 (992) GT3 Cups, took real measure of each other for the first time. After yesterday's free practice, a qualifying session this morning clarified the hierarchy. Marcos Regadas (#17) clinched the pole in 4:04.809, but Marçal Müller (2019 and 2024 champion) was hot on his heels only 0.008 seconds behind. In the end, five drivers finished in the same second.
From the outset, the crowd in the grandstands was treated to an electrifying battle. At the Dunlop Chicane, Marcos Regadas was holding fast to his lead with his immediate pursuers — starting with Marçal Müller — right on his tail. In a one-make series, drivers push to use every millimetre of the track to gain an advantage. Müller proved it by overtaking Regadas around the outside at the Michelin Chicane! The driving was clean, the defensive maneuvers masterful. On the opening lap, Jeff Giassi (#97) joined the fight for the lead.
Giassi (white Porsche with red stripes) found it difficult to keep up with Müller and Regadas. The latter set a whirlwind pace in the lead. Behind that group, Silvio Morestoni (#2) had an incident at Mulsanne and Marco Bili (#83) left the track at the Ford Chicane. The slow zone caused by Morestoni tightened the pack. With 30 minutes left, while existing Mulsanne, Giassi doubled Müller before Indianapolis with two wheels outside the lines. However, he made a mistake that would cost him dearly. Class legend and five-time champion Miguel Paludo took his chance and overtook one, then two, then three rivals to snatch P1!
Giassi had reclaimed P1 within a few laps by the time raindrops started falling. Being in the lead under these tricky conditions is actually a disadvantage. Giassi's rivals could observe how his Porsche 911 GT3 Cup reacted and anticipate accordingly. He was unable to pull away from Müller, his closest pursuer..
With less than two laps to go, after Müller attempted the impossible at the Indianapolis Corner, he went off into the gravel trap, clipped the outer wall, lost a mirror — and rejoined the race! Miraculously, not only did he keep the car under control, he also regained the lead despite the damage!
On the last lap. Müller at the wheel of his yellow Porsche, snaked through the Hunaudières to avoid getting sucked into Giassi's slipstream. The strategy paied off, but Giassi did better coming out of the Mulsanne Corner and the roles reversed up until the Indianapolis Corner. Finally, Giassi managed to keep his advantage and won by only 0.144 of a second, trailing by only a few centimetres. Pietro Fantin (#117) rounded out the podium. The Brazilians lit up Le Mans with their talent. The show will return on Saturday for Race 2 at 10:30.
Top 3 after Race 1:
1. Jeff Giassi (#97)
2. Marçal Müller (#544) +0.144
3. Pietro Fantin (#117) +1:729
Seeing Ferraris on the track the 24 Hours circuit is always special. it is precisely on these premises that part of the Italian manufacturer’s legend was forged (with 12 victories between 1949 and 2025).
The field of 61 Ferrari 296 Challenge cars held its first race today, their V6 engines roaring in unison. It was a hard-fought contest from start to finish, with drivers battling it out and making full use of the slipstream effect along the Mulsanne Straight. Dylan Medler (#15, The Collection) and Fernando Monje (#74, Quadis Gallery-GOAT Racing) worked together to pull away from the pack. As the laps wore on, championship leader Sergio Paulet (#1, Ineco-Reparto Corse RAM) began to lose ground and was overtaken by Hendrik Viol (#92, Scuderia Prana Racing) who moved up to third place. The purple and fluorescent yellow livery of Viol’s 296 was worthy of an Art Car, standing out sharply against the dominant red of most of the other machines, like a knight on a mission, proudly flying his colours to secure victory.
For a time, it seemed the battle for victory was strictly between Medler and Monje, but Viol and Paulet joined the fray. A four-way battle took shape during the penultimate lap, lasting more than 20 km! The purple and yellow cars loomed large in the leader’s mirrors, right up until a collision occured. Viol does not ease off, however, and powers past! Medler lost momentum during his final acceleration out of Mulsanne, leaving Viol to finish alone.
In the other classes, Giacomo Rinaldo (#75 Rossocorsa) won the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli AM race and championship leader Michael Verhagen failed to finish. In the Ferrari Challenge Coppa Shell, Yahn Bernier (#399, Ferrari of Seattle-MG1 Motorsport) secured the win with a lead of more than 15 seconds. Jean Ryu (#108, Kessel Racing) triumphed in the Ferrari Challenge Coppa Shell AM.
Race 2 is set for Saturday 13/06 from 09:15 to 10:00 as a curtain-raiser to the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans.
