Toyota Edges Ahead in Hypercar at Thrilling 2025 Le Mans Test Day

Toyota just edged out Ferrari at the close of the 2025 Le Mans test day, holding a narrow lead in the Hypercar class as teams logged six hours of practice before the famous race.

Brendon Hartley set the best time for Toyota in their #8 GR010 Hybrid, lapping the full Circuit de la Sarthe in 3 minutes 26.246 seconds during the second of two sessions. His lap was only half a second quicker than James Calado’s effort for Ferrari, with Calado clocking a 3:26.777 in the factory 499P LMH.

The top three was rounded out by Robert Kubica, who drove AF Corse’s customer-run Ferrari 499P to a 3:26.902, improving slightly over his previous morning benchmark.

Alpine made an impact late in the day, with Mick Schumacher pushing the #36 A424 into fourth position. Schumacher’s best lap—3:27.313—moved the factory-run Alpine ahead of a tightly packed field.

Porsche’s Kevin Estre was just behind, and fellow Porsche driver Nick Tandy put the Penske Motorsport entry in sixth with a time of 3:27.489. Miguel Molina’s factory Ferrari was close behind in seventh at 3:27.516.

BMW also showed pace, with Robin Frijns setting the eighth-fastest lap at 3:27.554. However, that BMW stopped on track with an oil leak soon after, ending their day early.

Cadillac’s best result came from Alex Lynn in the Jota-run #12 V-Series.R, which finished ninth in combined times. The second Alpine, driven by Charles Milesi, completed the top ten.

Further down the order, The Heart of Racing’s Aston Martin Valkyrie was 18th, and both Peugeot 9X8 2024 LMHs faced challenges, occupying spots near the back of the 21-car Hypercar roster.

In the LMP2 division, Pietro Fittipaldi led the way for United Autosports in their Oreca 07-Gibson, posting a best time of 3:35.770. This was almost four-tenths of a second clear of Mathias Beche in the TDS Racing entry by the end of the day.

LMP2 teams showed steady improvement across both sessions as they dialed in their cars for the demands of the upcoming 24-hour race.

The top spot in the new LMGT3 category belonged to Jose Maria Lopez in an Akkodis ASP Team Lexus. Lopez’s afternoon best of 3:55.276 in the RC F GT3 was nearly a second and a half quicker than the closest competitor, Alessio Rovera, who led AF Corse’s Ferrari 296 GT3.

All test day action took place under stable, dry weather, setting the stage for race week. The next sessions are scheduled for Wednesday, beginning with practice at 14:00 local time and followed by qualifying at 18:45.

Teams will analyze their test data as they prepare setups for the race, which remains wide open following these tight session times. Fans and teams now look forward to further on-track battles as Le Mans week continues.

The fierce competition at the Circuit de la Sarthe is reminiscent of the strategic challenges seen in F1 Monaco Grand Prix qualifying, where every fraction of a second counts.

As rules continue to evolve across motorsport disciplines, including the recent F1 rule changes, teams will be watching closely for innovations to gain any competitive advantage.