When Ford announced its return to the highest level of endurance racing the day before the 83rd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the American marque had clearly set the tone: to win exactly 50 years after its first victory at Le Mans. And it did just that…

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Ferrari made it three consecutive victories in the FIA World Endurance Championship in Belgium today (10 May), as the Prancing Horse fended off the challenge of an inspired Alpine to triumph in an enthralling six-hour contest.

In front of the biggest crowd in 14 visits to Spa, the 98,874 on-site spectators were treated to a race that will live long in the memory. While the results sheet might confirm a Ferrari one-two &ndash; the #51 taking the chequered flag just four seconds ahead of the sister #50 scarlet prototype &ndash; the truth was that the 2025 TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps marked the first time this season that the Italian marque&rsquo;s hegemony was truly threatened&hellip;

<h2>Ferrari beats old rival in LMGT3 duel</h2>

Two legends of GT racing went head-to-head in the LMGT3 category, as Ferrari and Ford reprised their classic duel from the 1960s &ndash; and on this occasion, it was the Italian marque that emerged on top.

After hitting the front of the field, the #21 VISTA AF Corse Ferrari 296 LMGT3 &ndash; shared by Alessio Rovera, Fran&ccedil;ois Heriau and Simon Mann &ndash; made good its escape. The trio duly clinched the Italian outfit&rsquo;s first victory of 2025 &ndash; and third from the last five races &ndash; by a shade over 40 seconds.

The complete race results can be found <a href="http://fiawec.alkamelsystems.com/" target="_blank">HERE</a>.

Round four of the 2025 FIA WEC campaign &ndash; the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans in northern France &ndash; will take place on 11-15 June.&nbsp;

Ferrari holds its nerve to triumph in Spa-Francorchamps thriller

Antonio Fuoco continued Ferrari’s sensational start to the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship campaign by securing the top spot on the grid for tomorrow’s TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, as Lexus celebrated a maiden pole position in the LMGT3 category.

Antonio Fuoco continued Ferrari&rsquo;s sensational start to the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship campaign by securing the top spot on the grid for tomorrow&rsquo;s TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, as Lexus celebrated a maiden pole position in the LMGT3 category.

Three weeks after being consigned to the rear of the grid on Ferrari&rsquo;s home soil for multiple track limits transgressions, Fuoco made no such mistakes at Spa. Fastest in the initial qualifying session by more than a third-of-a-second, the Italian replicated that performance in the 12-minute Hyperpole shootout to atone for his Imola error in fine style. Nobody was able to hold a candle to the 2024 Le Mans winner&rsquo;s stellar effort aboard the #50 Ferrari AF Corse 499P prototype.

&ldquo;To be honest, this what I love about this job, because after Imola there was so much talk going around,&rdquo; Fuoco revealed. &ldquo;I know my potential and I know the potential of the team, so it was just a matter of putting everything together and I think today we showed how we react. Imola was a mistake that cost us quite a lot and for sure, the pressure was on my shoulders, but I think I&rsquo;ve shown it doesn&rsquo;t make any difference.&rdquo;

<h2>Gerhsitz grabs milestone maiden pole for Lexus</h2>

In LMGT3, Akkodis ASP Team has been threatening a breakthrough performance all season with its pair of Lexus RC F cars, and in Belgium today, the J&eacute;r&ocirc;me Policand-led outfit delivered on its promise, building upon a maiden podium finish at Imola with an historic pole position at Spa &ndash; the first for both team and manufacturer.

The man behind the wheel, 20-year-old Finn Gerhsitz, is an FIA WEC rookie &ndash; and fast making a name for himself in the world&rsquo;s premier endurance racing championship&hellip;

<a href="https://fiawec.tv/page/679a56921229db49627128a6" target="_blank">Watch FIA WEC live or on-demand</a> via the official FIA WEC TV app &ndash; your full-access pass to the FIA World Endurance Championship including the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans. Don&rsquo;t miss a moment. For further information, check out the app.

Fired-up Fuoco prolongs Ferrari’s peerless pole run

In 2023, during the Centenary edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a Nascar car was at the start. Produced by NASCAR Studios, ‘American Thunder: NASCAR to Le Mans’ retraces this adventure in a full-length documentary, broadcast exclusively on Prime Video on 12 June. Check out the trailer.

Prime Video has unveiled the trailer for American Thunder: NASCAR to Le Mans, a documentary about <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/why-is-there-a-nascar-on-the-2023-24-hours-of-le-mans-grid-57532" target="_blank">a historic Nascar entry in the 2023 Le Mans 24 Hours</a>. The film, which will be available in more than 240 countries from 12 June, looks back at Nascar President Jim France&#39;s ambitious plan to enter a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the centenary edition of the classic race.

Produced by NASCAR Studios and Hendrick Motorsports, American Thunder traces the 18 months of preparation needed to transform a car designed for the American oval into a machine capable of enduring 24 hours of racing. The documentary follows this unique adventure with three renowned drivers at the wheel: Jenson Button, Jimmie Johnson and Mike Rockenfeller.

Spoiler Alert! We all remember that the #24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 won the hearts of the fans. The drivers <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/mission-accomplished-for-the-hendrick-motorsports-chevrolet-camaro-zl1-57685" target="_blank">demonstrated the speed of this car</a> by placing it ahead of those in the LMGTE Am category at the end of qualifying. In the end, the car finished 39th overall. Transmission problems at the end of the race hampered its performance. 
 
While you wait for the documentary to be released, take the Hendrick Motorsport Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for an in-car lap and enjoy the roar of its V8 engine in the video below.&nbsp;

24 Heures du Mans 2023 - FULL ONBOARD LAP I NASCAR CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1 56

Profitez du V8 de la Nascar du Garage 56 lors d’un tour de circuit des 24 Heures du Mans

The trailer for the documentary ‘American Thunder: NASCAR to Le Mans’ unveiled

American Thunder: NASCAR to Le Mans | Official Trailer

American Thunder : de la NASCAR au Mans | Bande-annonce officielle

The second round of the 2025 European Le Mans Series (ELMS) takes place this Sunday 4 May at the Circuit Paul Ricard, as part of the 4 Heures du Castellet. An impressive 44 cars are expected on the grid, with a large French contingent on home soil in terms of both drivers and teams.

No fewer than 33 French drivers and 7 French teams will be competing on the C&ocirc;te d&#39;Azur. Among them, several winners of the opening round in Barcelona will be aiming for another success on French soil: Fran&ccedil;ois Perrodo, Matthieu Vaxiviere, Mathys Jaubert, C&eacute;lia Martin, Paul Lanch&egrave;re and Adrien Closmenil.

Already victorious in the LMP2 category in Spain, the IDEC Sport team arrives confident with two cars entered. The Mathys Jaubert/Jamie Chadwick/Daniel Juncadella trio in the #18 Oreca 07-Gibson will be aiming for a second consecutive win, while the #28, with Paul Lafargue and Paul Loup Chatin alongside Job Van Uitert, will also be aiming for victory in this home race. 
Frenchmen Charles Milesi and Esteban Masson (VDS Panis Racing) will be looking to improve on their second place in Barcelona. The Duqueine Team, meanwhile, will be hoping to turn Reshad de Gerus&#39; pole position in Spain into a solid result. 
Other French drivers competing in LMP2 include Th&eacute;o Pourchaire (Algarve Pro Racing), Tom Dillmann and Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer (Inter Europol Competition), Tristan Vautier (CLX - Pure Rxcing) and Maceo Capietto (Iron Lynx-Proton).

<h2>AF Corse in search of a LMP2 Pro/Am double</h2>

A surprise overall winner in Barcelona, the Pro/Am team in the #83 AF Corse Oreca - Fran&ccedil;ois Perrodo, Matthieu Vaxiviere and now Nicklas Nielsen - will be looking to repeat the feat at Le Castellet. 
TDS Racing, the only French team in the category, is also riding high after a podium finish in Spain for the Cl&eacute;ment Novalak / Mathias Beche / Rodrigo Sales trio. Also to watch is Thomas Laurent, entered in the Oreca #3 DKR Engineering with Laurents Horr and Georgios Kolovos.

<h2>LMP3: CLX Motorsport leads the way after Barcelona</h2>

In LMP3, the Spanish victory of Paul Lanch&egrave;re, Adrien Closmenil and Theodor Jensen (CLX Motorsport) gives them the status of favourites at the start of the 4 Hours of Le Castellet. 
Reigning champions RLR MSport are also serious contenders, with Gillian Henrion among their ranks. Three 100% French teams - Racing Spirit of L&eacute;man, Ultimate and M Racing - will be keeping a close eye on the action. The public will also be able to count on Fabien Michal (Eurointernational) to carry the hopes of the French.

<h2>Iron Dames aim to repeat</h2>

Winner in Barcelona, C&eacute;lia Martin (Iron Dames) will be looking to repeat the feat in the company of Sarah Bovy and Michelle Gatting in the #85 Porsche 911 GT3 R. 
The French clan is well represented in the LMGT3 category, notably with Racing Spirit of L&eacute;man (#59 Aston Martin) and its three French drivers: Cl&eacute;ment Mateu, Erwan Bastard and Valentin Hasse Clot. Lilou Wadoux will be sharing the wheel of a Ferrari 296 with Riccardo Agostini and Custodio Toledo. 
Charles-Henri Samani will also be on track with AF Corse, while the much-anticipated James Calado, winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2023, will drive the #57 Kessel Racing Ferrari.

The 4 Hours of Le Castellet is shaping up to be a major event in the ELMS 2025 season, both for the fans and for the French drivers in search of home success. This second round could prove decisive in the race for the title and will provide a great spectacle on the Var circuit, just a few weeks before endurance racing&#39;s showpiece event: the 24 Hours of Le Mans, on June 14 and 15.

See the <a href="https://storage.googleapis.com/doc-prod/m033Wu4h6nyxoP-mLXE2uoiA.pdf" target="_blank">entry list</a> for the 4 Heures du Castellet 2025.

ELMS: 44 cars on the starting grid for the 2025 4 Hours of Le Castellet

The&nbsp;Ford GT didn&#39;t take long to&nbsp;demonstrate&nbsp;it was now one to watch in terms of the top step on the podium. After a difficult first race in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (Rolex 24 at Daytona) and in the World Endurance&nbsp;Championship&nbsp;(WEC) at&nbsp;Silverstone, the American manufacturer quickly headed toward a podium finish before reaching the top step in its&nbsp;first attempt since its return to the&nbsp;24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans. Check out this video look-back at Ford&#39;s 2016 season!

Video: YouTube - Ford Performance

24H LE MANS

The Ford GT's 2016 endurance racing season (video)

Related News

Ferrari holds its nerve to triumph in Spa-Francorchamps thriller

Fired-up Fuoco prolongs Ferrari’s peerless pole run

The trailer for the documentary ‘American Thunder: NASCAR to Le Mans’ unveiled

ELMS: 44 cars on the starting grid for the 2025 4 Hours of Le Castellet

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