Le Mans 24 Hours Live Commentary and Updates

Leader Giovinazzi has continued to stretch out his advantage, which is now at 8.4s over Kubica. Can Fuoco in third make inroads into this fight as temperatures start to rise?

With Iron Dames back in the race after its earlier dramas that left Rahel Frey stranded by the side of the road (and triggered numerous penalties for yellow flag infractions), we still have 52 cars running which is a very impressive feat.

Meanwhile, in the LMGT3 class the #92 Manthey Porsche looks in a pretty commanding position with Richard Lietz 57s ahead of Simon Mann's #21 Ferrari. Both of those two cars got a good chunk of their six-hours of bronze driving time out of the way early by starting with Ryan Hardwick and Francois Heriau respectively, although the Frenchman's opening stint was rather more scrappy and involved a spin. We noted yesterday that Hardwick's quad opening stint had put the crew in a very good position, and so it has proved.

Into the pits has just come the #43 Inter Europol Competition ORECA from the lead in LMP2. Tom Dillmann is behind the wheel of that car, which has been in the mix almost all the way through, fighting with the #48 VDS Panis Racing example of Oliver Gray. The Briton has been very impressive in this race and sits 19s behind the sportscar veteran.

Best of the rest currently is Kevin Estre, star of the opening hour, in the #6 PPM Porsche 963. He is 54s off the lead in fourth, while Brendon Hartley in the #8 Toyota which had a spell in the lead overnight with Ryo Hirakawa on board is 99s off the lead in fifth. It seems, he says with some trepidation, like this could be Ferrari's race to lose.

That said, Ferrari does appear to be in a commanding position in the Hypercar ranks with a top three lockout as things stand. The #51 499P of Antonio Giovinazzi has a little over 6s over Robert Kubica in the customer #83 machine, while Antonio Fuoco is 37s behind in third aboard #50.

Thank you Ewan. We have six hours to go in the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours. In other words, the distance of a regular WEC race. This is by no means over.

Well, with that, I'm handing back to James Newbold for the next three hours while I go and find the same Weetabix Mr Drudi had this morning!

Oh my word what a move! Hawksworth knew what was coming so he defended the inside into the second chicane. That didn't matter as the Aston swept around the outside. Sublime!

There's over a minute between this battle and the third-placed TF Sport #81 but that doesn't matter now. 

In the slipstream and Drudi ducks out super late into the Daytona chicane. He runs deep and Hawksworth takes the Lexus back into fourth.

The #27 Aston now has Drudi at the wheel and has fought back up to the tail of the #78 Lexus of Hawksworth for fourth in LMGT3. The Aston has more energy, so will be out for slightly longer and will hope to get ahead before the next cycle of stops.

The #183 is going to lose time at its next stop as its light panel on the side is no longer illuminated. Seems harsh now we are back in daylight but such is life. Perrodo is at the wheel of what is 10th in LMP2 at the moment.

The #7 Toyota hasn't had a great week but Kobayashi is closing on the #38 Cadillac, which admittedly has had a tardy morning. This is the battle for eighth and the gap is down to three seconds.

The #6 pits from its inherited lead - it will drop behind the third Ferrari and rejoin in fourth, albeit well over a minute ahead of the #8 Toyota.

There must have been traffic for Kubica because the gap is out to almost five seconds. Ouch.

Here comes the #51 to pitlane. Let's see where this filters out...

Another adventure for the #38 - Bourdais now driving - as the Cadillac takes a trip to the gravel on the exit of Mulsanne.

Meanwhile, the #50 Ferrari stops from third.

The battle for sixth has seen Will Stevens take the pole-sitting #12 Cadillac to the back of the #15 BMW. But traffic stunts his progress and gives D. Vanthoor a breather.

We are only a few laps away from the next round of Hypercar stops, which means the kettle is going on! 

The 'coffee every time the leader pits' strategy is working handsomely so far...

I was wondering why the gap was suddenly so large at the top of LMP2 but it seems I missed the #48 pitting during the Ferrari hoo-hah. Now the #43 pits so a more representative gap will present itself. 17 seconds is much more like it!

Kubica gets back to within two seconds of Giovinazzi at the front of Hypercar so the fun is about to resume.

In LMP2, there's a 1m33 gap between #43 and #48 now, while the LMGT3 gap is just over 60 seconds between #92 and #21.

Now the #51 has been told that a swap will take place. Kubica's pressure seems to have worked, though it was caveated by 'when Robert is back with you'.

The gap has stretched slightly since the call so it seems Giovinazzi is getting a move on to ensure he keeps the race lead for his crew.

Bad news for Giovinazzi as he gets traffic through Tertre Rouge and that puts Kubica right on his tail! The Pole is getting riled having been told he would be given a wave through. This is turning somewhat sour.

Interesting! Kubica has been told to close the gap and Giovinazzi will allow him through, with the Pole told: "No arguments anymore."

He will be thrilled to know the #51 has been told to extend the gap. The last time we saw this nonsense from the Ferrari crews, the #83 drove through the gravel with Hanson at the wheel. Will they not learn?

Just under seven hours to go, here are the top threes:

Hypercar: #51, #83, #50

LMP2: #43, #48, #28

LMGT3: #92, #21, #81

Dillman has managed to find two easy seconds over Gray in the battle for first and second in LMP2, though that investigation still hangs over the Inter Europol squad.

Kubica is NOT happy that he has been told to stay behind the #51 while Ferrari figures out a "fair" strategy.

"We gave up position twice, I am clearly faster." It seems clear the factory Ferrari outfit wants the win over the pseudo-private entry.

An apology over team radio from Gounon as the entry gets hoisted out of the gravel by a recovery vehicle. He will be able to get back going but having lost a whole lot of time.

A potentially huge investigation in the LMP2 category as the leading #43 car, which is just 0.8s ahead of the #48, is being assessed for potentially leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage at the Ford Chicane.

So as expected the #83 boxed, as have the #12 and #5 cars. The #51 and #6 will follow next time by from first and second on the road.