BMW returned to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2025 with renewed ambition and a two-car effort within the Hypercar class, hoping to construct on its endurance racing momentum from the FIA World Endurance Championship. However whereas the Bavarian model managed to maintain each of its M Hybrid V8s operating to the checkered flag, the workforce finally got here up brief—missing the tempo to problem the front-running Ferraris and Porsche in a race that was lengthy on consistency however brief on chaos.
Buyer Ferrari Outshines Manufacturing facility Rivals
On the entrance, it was Robert Kubica who wrote the fairy story. The previous BMW-Sauber F1 driver, whose profession comeback journey has spanned triumph and tragedy, guided the #83 AF Corse-entered Ferrari 499P to a outstanding general victory. Flanked by co-drivers Phil Hanson and Yifei Ye, Kubica turned the primary Polish driver to win general at Le Mans, whereas Ye made historical past as the primary Chinese language victor within the occasion’s 101-year historical past.
Although the #83 is a buyer Ferrari, it ran on equal technical footing with the works #50 and #51 entries. On Sunday morning, Kubica took cost of his personal future, asking to be let by the #51 automobile of Antonio Giovinazzi, arguing he had extra tempo and had supported different Ferrari efforts earlier within the race. The request was granted, and the #83 by no means appeared again.
Porsche Fights Again from the Rear
Behind them, Porsche’s cost got here from deep within the subject. Kevin Estre within the #6 Penske Porsche mounted a ferocious pursuit that noticed the automobile claw again from the rear of the Hypercar grid to complete simply 14.7 seconds behind the successful Ferrari—an admirable however finally fruitless chase.
Ferrari’s twelfth Le Mans win locations the marque only one behind Audi’s 13 within the all-time standings, with Porsche nonetheless far forward on 19. The ultimate podium spot was taken by the #51 manufacturing facility Ferrari, whereas the defending champions within the #50 machine—Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, and Nicklas Nielsen—have been informed to carry station and got here dwelling fourth after fading on Sunday morning.
Cadillac’s pole-sitting #12 entry dropped to fifth, and Toyota—as soon as the dominant drive—may solely handle sixth with its #7 GR010 Hybrid. Former F1 champion Jenson Button, making his Le Mans return within the #38 Motion Categorical Cadillac, completed eighth, whereas Mick Schumacher’s #36 Alpine introduced up twelfth in a tricky debut.
No Luck For BMW. Once more
BMW’s personal Hypercar effort by no means really ignited. Early hopes of a strong top-ten end started to unravel within the ultimate hours. First, the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8—sharing driving duties between Robin Frijns, René Rast, and Sheldon van der Linde—was compelled into the storage for a 37-minute restore to handle an engine-related problem. It rejoined the race however completed 18th general.
Minutes later, the sister #15 automobile—pushed by Raffaele Marciello, Marco Wittmann, and Dries Vanthoor—encountered persistent hybrid cooling points, resulting in a number of lengthy stops that dropped it to the again of the Hypercar subject. It crossed the end line 26 laps adrift, categorized because the final of the Hypercar finishers.
LMGT3: BMW M4 GT3 Exhibits Promise Regardless of #46 Crash
Within the LMGT3 class, BMW’s fortunes have been blended. Staff WRT fielded two M4 GT3 Evo entries—the #46 automobile pushed by Ahmad Al Harthy, Valentino Rossi, and Kelvin van der Linde, and the #31 automobile piloted by Yasser Shahin, Timur Boguslavskiy, and Augusto Farfus. The #46 machine, which had certified on class pole, was compelled to retire within the evening after a high-speed crash on the Porsche Curves. Rossi’s dream of a Le Mans podium got here to an abrupt finish, although the automobile had proven frontrunning tempo early on.
Redemption got here within the type of the #31 automobile, which stayed within the struggle by way of the total 24 hours and finally completed second in school, simply behind the successful Manthey EMA Porsche. The M4 GT3 Evo accomplished 341 laps and proved a aggressive package deal in its Le Mans debut, exhibiting improved drivability and effectivity following its 2025 replace.
For BMW, it was a weekend of near-misses and “what ifs.” Each Hypercars noticed promising runs finish in frustration, and though the M4 GT3 salvaged a podium, the model will depart Le Mans nonetheless chasing its first general victory within the Hypercar period.
Because the solar set over the Circuit de la Sarthe, the second belonged to Kubica—returning to the highest step of a serious worldwide podium for the primary time since his 2008 Canadian Grand Prix victory with BMW-Sauber. And whereas BMW’s endurance venture continues to evolve, Le Mans 2025 might be remembered extra for historical past made by others than success seized by Munich.
