24h Le Mans
Porsche Penske Motorsport produced a masterful display to claim its first victory of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship campaign in challenging conditions at Circuit of The Americas today, as United Autosports put McLaren in the winners’ circle in LMGT3.
Unseasonable rain in Texas resulted in the early stages of the six-hour race taking place behind the safety car, and following a red flag interruption, the competitive action finally got underway just before one-third distance.
Initially, it was the front row-sitting #83 and #51 Ferraris that held sway in the 18-strong Hypercar field, but the #6 Porsche in the hands of Laurens Vanthoor was never far behind in third, which became second when Philip Hanson lost more than half-a-minute due to a pit-stop delay.
Following a solid middle stint by Matt Campbell, the crucial moment came approaching the four-hour mark, when Kévin Estre exploited a tentative safety car re-start by Alessandro Pier Guidi to prise the door open into Turn One and assume a lead he would not subsequently relinquish.
Thereafter, the Frenchman was flawless, and each time his advantage was wiped out by a neutralisation, he immediately set about rebuilding it, going on to take the chequered flag a shade under ten seconds clear of the #50 Ferrari, with Peugeot celebrating its best-ever collective result in the championship in third and fourth.
“The conditions were very difficult, especially when the track began to dry,” Estre explained. “The Ferrari behind was very strong towards the end and kept us under pressure, and it was a matter of deciding whether to put slicks on or not. It was tricky, but I was pretty confident the guys would make the right choice and it feels really good to be back on the top step where we belong.”
VISTA AF Corse looked to have pulled off a last-gasp LMGT3 category win with its Ferrari 296, but a late sting in the tail handed victory to United Autosports’ #95 McLaren.
For much of the race, qualifying star Proton Competition was in charge with the #77 Ford Mustang, but the drying conditions in the closing stages prompted several teams to roll the dice on strategy by trading in their wet tyres for slicks. With less than five minutes to go, Davide Rigon sliced past Ben Barker to grab the lead, but contact incurred the Italian a five-second penalty – and secured McLaren its maiden FIA WEC success.
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