Practice report

Le Mans 24 Hours: Kubica's Ferrari tops final practice

Robert Kubica heads fellow Ferrari driver Miguel Molina in a disjointed final practice session

Ferrari topped a session for the first time at the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours after Robert Kubica set the pace in final practice.

After the trio of 499P LMHs failed to impress during qualifying, Kubica's #83 customer Ferrari was fastest in the one-hour night FP4 session on Thursday, setting a 3m26.523s with around 20 minutes to go.

That time was nearly a second quicker than the 3m27.456s that Miguel Molina clocked in the #50 Ferrari 10 minutes beforehand.

A late full-course yellow when Daniel Schneider's #23 United Autosports ORECA-Gibson 07 stopped on the Mulsanne Straight restricted the potential for any further improvements.

Having secured a front-row lockout earlier in the evening, two Cadillacs were next fastest, the #311 Action Express-run V-Series.R LMDh of Felipe Drugovich posting a 3m27.780s, while the #38 Jota car of Jenson Button was a tenth slower on 3m27.893s.

The top five was completed by the best of the Porsche Penske Motorsport crews, the #6 963 LMDh of Laurens Vanthoor registering a 3m27.919s.

#38 Cadillac Hertz Team Jota Cadillac V-Series.R: Earl Bamber, Sébastien Bourdais, Jenson Button

Photo by: AG Photo

The polesitting #12 Jota Cadillac was sixth fastest thanks to a 3m27.991s from Norman Nato, while the third of the Ferraris was seventh with Antonio Giovinazzi at the wheel.

The top 10 was rounded out by the #5 Porsche, the best of the Toyotas – the #8 GR010 HYBRID LMH – and then the pick of the Alpine A424 LMDhs, the #35 crew.

Peugeot and Aston Martin occupied the bottom places of the Hypercar field, although the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 LMDh failed to register a representative lap time.

VDS Panis Racing set the LMP2 pace from the midpoint of the session, Esteban Masson registering a 3m38.302s in the #48 ORECA.

Clement Novalak was six tenths adrift in second in the #29 TDS entry on a 3m38.934s, while Matthieu Vaxiviere was third on a 3m38.975s for AF Corse.

Lexus returned to its regular top spot in the LMGT3 division with Jose Maria Lopez posting a 3m55.057s in the #87 ASP RC F shortly before the FCY.

#87 Akkodis ASP Team Lexus RC F LMGT3: Petru Umbrarescu, José Maria Lopez, Clemens Schmid

Photo by: AG Photo

Aston Martin was second fastest, over a second slower, courtesy of Eduardo Barrichello in the Prodrive-run Racing Spirit of Leman entry on a 3m56.225s.

The #54 Ferrari that spun out of the opening Hyperpole session earlier had topped the times courtesy of a 3m56.433s from Davide Rigon but was then relegated to third.

There was further strife for the Iron Lynx squad as its #63 Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 stopped on the Mulsanne Straight just minutes into the session.

Le Mans 24 Hours - Free Practice 4 results

1 - 2
Cla	Team	#	Drivers	Car	Laps	Time	Interval	km/h
1	AF Corse HYPERCAR	83	R. Kubica Y. Yifei P. Hanson	Ferrari 499P	10	3'26.523		237.521
2	FERRARI AF CORSE HYPERCAR	50	A. Fuoco N. Nielsen M. Molina	Ferrari 499P	12	+0.933 3'27.456	0.933	236.453
3	Cadillac Whelen HYPERCAR	311	J. Aitken F. Drugovich F. Vesti	Cadillac V-Series.R	12	+1.257 3'27.780	0.324	236.084
4	Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA HYPERCAR	38	E. Bamber S. Bourdais J. Button	Cadillac V-Series.R	12	+1.370 3'27.893	0.113	235.955
5	PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT HYPERCAR	6	K. Estre L. Vanthoor M. Campbell	Porsche 963	15	+1.396 3'27.919	0.026	235.926
6	Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA HYPERCAR	12	W. Stevens N. Nato A. Lynn	Cadillac V-Series.R	10	+1.468 3'27.991	0.072	235.844
7	FERRARI AF CORSE HYPERCAR	51	A. Pier Guidi J. Calado A. Giovinazzi	Ferrari 499P	11	+1.626 3'28.149	0.158	235.665
8	PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT HYPERCAR	5	J. Andlauer M. Christensen M. Jaminet	Porsche 963	10	+1.808 3'28.331	0.182	235.459
9	Toyota Racing HYPERCAR	8	S. Buemi B. Hartley R. Hirakawa	Toyota GR010 - Hybrid	14	+1.809 3'28.332	0.001	235.458
10	Alpine Endurance Team HYPERCAR	35	P. Chatin F. Habsburg C. Milesi	Alpine A424	14	+1.823 3'28.346	0.014	235.442
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