Positive qualifying for the 499P at Le Mans

The most eagerly awaited week of the endurance season is now in full swing at the Circuit de la Sarthe, where qualifying for the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans took place. The best of the 499Ps was car number 51, with Antonio Giovinazzi behind the wheel, who set the third-fastest time. Three places further back was the other Ferrari – AF Corse entry, with Antonio Fuoco setting the time that put the number 50 car in sixth. The number 83 entry, run by AF Corse, finished twelfth in the hands of Robert Kubica.

The session, which determines the 15 cars that go through to Hyperpole 1, was held in dry conditions with air and track temperatures of 30°C and over 41°C respectively. At the end of the 30-minute session, Giovinazzi had completed eight laps, setting a best time of 3:23.163 – just 0.316 seconds off the pace of the fastest car, the number 12 Cadillac. Fuoco was only slightly further back, qualifying the number 50 499P in sixth place with a lap of 3:23.514 around the over-13-kilometre French circuit.

Completing the top 12 was the Giallo Modena-liveried Ferrari, which will be contesting the 93rd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Scuderia Ferrari official driver Yifei Ye, alongside Phil Hanson and Robert Kubica who posted a best lap time of 3:23.994.

The programme: On Thursday, 12 June, the cars will be back on track for two Hyperpole sessions (from 9:05 to 9:15 p.m., and from 9:40 to 9:55 p.m.), which will determine the starting positions of the top ten qualifiers. On the same day, a third and fourth free practice session will also take place (2:45 to 5:45 p.m. and 11:00p.m.to midnight). The 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans will get underway at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, 14 June.