A series of penalties for Ferrari has handed the #6 Porsche the lead of the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours at the midway mark, despite having started last in class.
Ferrari had established a staggering one-two-three in the opening hours and maintained it into the night; however, trouble struck the Italian manufacturer.
It all started with the #50 Ferrari which had been leading at the six-hour mark receiving a drive-through penalty, for a yellow flag infringement.
Various delays then hurt the Italians, allowing the #6 Porsche and #8 Toyota into the lead fight. The situation quickly worsened for Ferrari, as the #51 received a five-second time penalty, and moments later a 20-second stop-and-go penalty.
Remarkably, the #50 then received another penalty, this time a five-second time penalty. It meant that its one-two-three had been completely destroyed, with the #83 the only Ferrari in the top three.
Astonishingly, the #6 Porsche led at the 12-hour mark, ahead of the #8 Toyota and #83 Ferrari. The 12-hour mark was met with green flag racing, following the race's first safety car which lasted 45 minutes.
Other classes - Disaster for #46
The first safety car of the race was triggered by a very heavy crash for the #24 Nielsen Racing LMP2, to the extent that the blue light in the car flashed which signified a high G-Force impact.
At the 12-hour mark, the #48 VDS Panis Racing led the second prototype class, ahead of the #9 Iron-Lynx Proton.
In LMGT3, it was misery and heartbreak for the #46 Team WRT BMW crew featuring Valentino Rossi, as the car suffered a reported power loss which saw it stop on circuit, before eventually making its way to the garage.
The GT class is being led by the #92 Manthey. Just two retirements had taken place past the six-hour mark; however, that number increased to five.
RacingNews365's next report will be at the 12-hour mark, with any updates for noticeable incidents in the meantime.
Check out the top three in each class below!
2025 Le Mans 24 Hours - Hypercar at 12 hours
| Position | Car | Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | #6 Porsche Penske | L. Vanthoor, K. Estre, M. Campbell |
| 2 | #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing | S. Buemi, B. Hartley, R. Hirakawa |
| 3 | #83 AF Corse | Y. Ye, P. Hanson, R. Kubica |
2025 Le Mans 24 Hours - LMP2 at 12 hours
| Position | Car | Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | #48 VDS Panis Racing | O. Gray, E. Masson, F. Perera |
| 2 | #9 Iron Lynx-Proton | J. Reid, M. Capietto, R. de Gerus |
| 3 | #43 Inter Europol Competition | J. Schmiechowski, T. Dillmann, N. Yelloly |
2025 Le Mans 24 Hours - LMGT3 at 12 hours
| Position | Car | Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | #92 Manthey 1st Phorm | R. Hardwick, R. Pera, R. Lietz |
| 2 | #81 TF Sport | T. Van Rompuy, R. Andrade, C. Eastwood |
| 3 | #78 Akkodis ASP Team | A. Robin, F. Gerhsitz, J. Hawksworth |
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