As with Hypercar, LMGT3 is a battle of the brands, with nine in total present this year, and a ruleset that honours the Pro/Am tradition of the great French race.
24 GT3 cars will take the start, with each manufacturer represented by at least two cars via the full-season FIA WEC entry. These are joined by a smattering of teams from the ELMS, IMSA, Asian Le Mans Series, and GT World Challenge Europe fields.
The cars may have been silenced this year (rather controversially), but the on-track action itself is unlikely to be any quieter than in years past. In fact, the LMGT3 formula as a whole has begun to hit its stride now that we are into the weeds of year two. The teams and manufacturers – Mercedes-AMG aside – are all fully up to speed with the quirks of the ruleset, which mandates torque meters to help set the BoP, and it’s improved the racing exponentially.
So far in the WEC, we’ve had a different winner at each race, with Corvette, Porsche and Ferrari all finding their way onto the top step of the podium at Qatar, Imola and Spa, respectively. Will one of those brands hit the mark again, or will a fourth OEM emerge from the chasing pack? We can’t wait to find out…
Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3
#10 Racing Spirit of Léman – WEC – FRA
Derek DeBoer B (USA) Valentin Hasse Clot G (FRA) Eduardo Barrichello S (BRA)
#27 Heart of Racing Team – WEC – USA
Ian James B (USA) Mattia Drudi P (ITA) Zacharie Robichon S (CAN)
With the debut in 2025 at Le Mans for the Valkyrie LMH, Aston Martin becomes the latest marque to be represented in both full-season WEC classes.
So too is The Heart of Racing, both as the commercial force behind the factory Hypercar programme, whilst retaining their entry in LMGT3 with a single 2024-spec Aston Martin Vantage.
They are joined on the entry by the new-for-2025 WEC full season #10 entry from Racing Spirit of Léman, both teams assisted technically by Prodrive and Aston Martin Racing.
The Swiss-flagged squad have had an encouraging start to the season, Derek DeBoer stepping up after a season in the ELMS after plenty of experience stateside. Young Eduardo Barrichello, son of F1 legend Rubens, had a torrid Spa and will need a steadier hand and a clearer head here, whilst Aston Martin Factory Driver Valentin Hasse Clot is a steady hand on the tiller.
Heart of Racing Team Boss Ian James is a worthy anchor for the #27 crew, who have had good pace thus far in 2025. He’s joined by capable and rapid Silver Zacharie Robichon, and the increasingly impressive second-generation Pro Mattia Drudi – who’ll be keen to add a Le Mans win to the Spa 24H victory he claimed in 2024 with Comtoyou.
In particular, the team will be looking to put their dramatic exit from last year’s Le Mans into the history books, where the car rolled at Indianapolis. A strong finish here would write a happier chapter into the books for the US-flagged team.
BMW M4 LMGT3
#31 The Bend Team WRT – WEC – BEL
Yasser Shahin B (AUS) Timur Boguslavskiy S (N/A) Augusto Farfus P (BRA)
#46 Team WRT – WEC – BEL
Ahmad Al Harthy B (OMN) Valentino Rossi S (ITA) Kelvin van der Linde P (RSA)
BMW last won any class at Le Mans back in 1999, and they would love to reset that clock in 2025!
In LMGT3, their weapons of choice are a pair of M4 EVOs run by the crack Team WRT, who have won just about everywhere so far with the cars, but are finding LMGT3 a tough nut to crack.
The #31 sees Aussie gentleman racer Yasser Shahin return to Le Mans, having won the class on its debut in a Manthey Porsche last year. But he’s found the transition to the BMW something of a roller coaster ride.
Both cars have a podium finish this year. But the #31 crew, in particular, are looking to put a rough couple of races at Imola and Spa behind them. The speed has been there this season, but more discipline – and cooler heads – are needed if the form is to be converted into more real results.
In the sister #46 car there’s real star power. Omani Bronze driver Ahmad Al Harthy is increasingly rapid and shares once again with global superstar and MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi, the Italian is again bound to be amongst the most popular drivers in the whole race. In their second season together, the pair are gelling well. And the addition of Kelvin van der Linde to the mix has worked well.
All the ingredients are there for a big result. If the basic package proves quick enough at Le Mans all three drivers look capable of delivering.
Chevrolet Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R
#13 AWA Racing – INV – CAN
Orey Fidani B (CAN) Lars Kern S (GER) Matt Bell S (GBR)
#33 TF Sport – WEC – GBR
Ben Keating B (USA) Jonny Edgar S (GBR) Daniel Juncadella P (ESP)
#81 TF Sport – WEC – GBR
Tom van Rompuy B (BEL) Rui Andrade S (AGO) Charlie Eastwood G (IRL)
Four different generations of Chevrolet Corvettes have won their class at Le Mans since the dawn of the new millennium. And while technically, the Z06 (LM)GT3.R is an eighth-generation Corvette race car just like the preceding C8.R that won the final LMGTE race in 2023, a win for any of the three Pratt Miller-constructed Corvettes in this year’s field would be the first Corvette win for a privateer team.
Surrey-based TF Sport is back with its two full-season WEC entries, including the #33 of Ben Keating, Jonny Edgar, and Daniel Juncadella, who drove the Z06 GT3.R to an exhilarating first WEC win in Qatar.
Through driving talent alone, the golden yellow #33 car has to be a bookie’s favourite to win this class at a canter. Keating, the charismatic two-time Le Mans class winner, has long been regarded as the best Bronze driver in major sports car racing for many years. Edgar may be a Le Mans rookie, but he’s one of the premier ‘young Silvers’ in the sport, devastatingly quick in GT cars or prototypes. And of course, Juncadella has the quality and the CV to be rightfully regarded as one of the best factory GT drivers on the planet.
Should any misfortune befall the #33 car, the #81 team is solid in its own right. On their day, the trio of Tom van Rompuy, Rui Andrade, and Corvette Racing works driver Charlie Eastwood have excelled in their respective roles, even if their WEC results to date haven’t shown it.
TF Sport is also lending support to AWA Racing, which hails from just outside Toronto. AWA has been granted its Le Mans debut after Canadian businessman Orey Fidani won the Bob Akin Award as IMSA’s top GTD Bronze driver – and the ‘golden ticket’ to Le Mans that came with it. The team’s special red and white maple leaf livery is a show of Canadian pride in what has been a challenging and uneasy time for the entire nation.
Fidani and fellow Le Mans rookie Kern won this year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona alongside Englishman Matt Bell, who’s asserting himself as one of the standout drivers in North American GT3 racing this year. The often-overlooked Kern could be a difference-maker if he taps into his years of 24-hour experience that he honed at the Nürburgring.
In the 25th anniversary of Corvette Racing’s first trip to Le Mans, will the legacy continue through its privateer trio – and yield a tenth Le Mans win?
Ferrari 296 LMGT3
#21 Vista AF Corse – WEC – ITA
François Heriau B (FRA) Simon Mann S (USA) Alessio Rovera P (ITA)
#54 Vista AF Corse – WEC – ITA
Thomas Flohr B (CHE) Francesco Castellacci S (ITA) Davide Rigon P (ITA)
#57 Kessel Racing – SUI
Takeshi Kimura B (JPN) Daniel Serra P (BRA) Casper Stevenson S (GBR)
#150 Richard Mille AF Corse – ITA
Custodio Toledo B (BRA) Lilou Wadoux S (FRA) Riccardo Agostini G (ITA)
#193 Ziggo Sport Tempesta – INV – GBR
Jonathan Hui B (HKG) Chris Froggatt S (GBR) Edward Cheever G (ITA)
Ferrari has strength in numbers in LMGT3: Five 296 GT3s means the Prancing Horse fields more than any other marque in the class. Two of them are the full-season WEC Vista AF Corse pair.
The #21 has had a win at Spa and is second in a Championship that it would likely be leading, had it not been punted off at Imola. Of the driver trio, Bronze-ranked François Heriau looks more and more confident in the squad, and Silver driver Simon Mann has taken a big step. Ferrari factory driver Alessio Rovera is a top Pro.
The sister #54 is anchored by one of the oldest drivers in the field, but Thomas Flohr, on his day, can go wheel-to-wheel with almost any of the other Bronzes. He does, though, have the odd ‘off’ day! Francesco Castellacci is the heavy-lifting Silver, and Davide Rigon is another world-class Ferrari factory talent.
Two additional Ferraris have been selected from the ELMS full-season LMGT3 pack.
Swiss squad Kessel Racing have been race winners in ELMS and Asian Le Mans Series. Daniel Serra is one of the very best – already with GTE Pro wins at Le Mans for both Ferrari and Aston Martin on his CV. That experience will pay dividends with this effort.
The ‘Car Guy’ Takeshi Kimura is passionate about his racing, and about this race in particular. If his focus holds, he can be in the mix – with young British Silver driver Casper Stevenson completing the trio at a big race for him as he looks to secure a career moving forward.
The blue, white, and red tricolour-liveried Richard Mille AF Corse Ferrari won at Le Castellet last time out in ELMS. Lilou Wadoux is now a Ferrari-backed Pro driver and heads a well-balanced crew.
With a clean race, a good result is possible here. The car, meanwhile, is renumbered #150 for Le Mans because their regular ELMS number clashes with that of the full-season factory Hypercar.
The final Ferrari is an entry earned via success in SRO’s GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup Bronze Cup class (Snappy!) The #193 Ziggo Sport Tempesta effort, supported by AF Corse, will be looking to turn heads on the debut for the team and for two of the drivers, Jonathan Hui and Chris Froggatt. Eddie Cheever III, a long-time coach and confidant to Froggatt completes the trio for his third Le Mans start.
Ford Mustang LMGT3
#77 Proton Competition – WEC – DEU
Bernardo Sousa B (POR) Ben Tuck S ( GBR) Benjamin Barker G (GBR)
#88 Proton Competition – WEC – DEU
Stefano Gattuso B (ITA) Giammarco Levorato S (ITA) S Dennis Olsen (NOR)
The Ford Mustang GT3 had a troubled genesis. First with rear bodywork woes, now completely solved, then self-combustion issues linked to the requirement to quieten the previously impressively thundering Fords – now also solved.
2023 saw few truly impressive results, with one major exception: The Mustang thrived at Le Mans, scoring third and fourth on debut in LMGT3, with one of the full-season WEC cars scoring its first podium finish!
So with the car now more reliable, and hot on the heels of a very strong showing at Spa last time out, the Proton Competition-run team will make the journey to France in good spirits, looking forward to stretching the legs of their ponies on the wide open spaces of the Le Mans circuit.
There’s sure to be plenty of Blue Oval support around the event with the Mustang Challenge fielding two support races and more details expected, too, of the brand’s 2027 WEC Hypercar plans.
On track, though, it’s all about the racing package. And each car of the Proton duo features a very able factory driver: Ben Barker has heaps of Le Mans experience and plenty of pace and drive, Dennis Olsen meanwhile is relishing the opportunity for a breakthrough performance, the baby-faced assassin of the Ford squad should not be underestimated – not after giving the Mustang GT3 its first-ever victory in Daytona.
The two crews may not feature too many household names, but both are worth a watch, in particular the emerging talent of British Silver-ranked racer Ben Tuck in the #77, seen by many paddock observers as a real star of the future. If he can be error-free, his obvious pace could be telling.
Lexus RC F LMGT3
#78 Akkodis ASP Team – WEC – FRA
Arnold Robin B (FRA) Jack Hawksworth P (GBR) Finn Gehrsitz S (GER)
#87 Akkodis ASP Team – WEC – FRA
Petru Umbrarescu B (ROU) José María López P (ARG) Clemens Schmid S (AUT)
Lexus will enter their second-ever Le Mans 24 Hours with a significantly better set of prospects than on their debut!
Major progress has been made by Jerome Policand’s crack Akkodis ASP squad in unlocking the undoubted potential of the now somewhat elderly RC F GT3. And the wide open spaces of Le Mans should suit its strongest characteristics well – it’s where the team produced their best form last year.
The team still needs to find better second-stint pace on their tyres. So far in 2025 though, both driver crews are producing some convincing results with pole at Spa, and a podium at Imola.
In the #78, Jack Hawksworth has been drafted in to replace Ben Barnicoat, as the British star nears full recovery after a significant mountain biking shunt in training. The Silver in the same car, Finn Gehrsitz, won the pole at Spa and looks to have massive potential. He’s certainly caught the eye of Toyota’s top brass.
In the #87, Clemens Schmid has turned heads too, with their Platinum, overall race winner and WEC World Champion Jose Maria Lopez fully focused – but also with status as Toyota Gazoo Racing’s nominated reserve driver. He got that call-up last year at Le Mans, and finished second overall after another Mike Conway suffered a cycling injury of his own.
ASP will be hoping for a less disrupted lead in to the race in 2025.
McLaren LMGT3 Evo
#59 United Autosports – WEC – GBR
James Cottingham B (GBR) Sebastien Baud S (FRA) Grégoire Saucy G (SUI)
#95 United Autosports – WEC – GBR
Darren Leung B (GBR) Marino Sato G (JPN) Sean Gelael S (INA)
It’s an important week for both McLaren and United Autosports on a wide variety of fronts.
For the brand, it’s the 30th anniversary of their overall win on their debut in 1995. And we know already that we are set to hear more about their already-announced return to top-class sports car racing competition in Hypercar in 2027.
For United, they’ll be a team fighting on two fronts, hoping their full-season WEC LMGT3 effort can reach the highs of their Le Mans LMP2 effort last year.
There will be plenty of focus on keeping the race clean, as well as maintaining the speed that the team has unlocked in the McLaren in the first season of the programme.
The two crews both have rapid and talented Bronze drivers and have injected new Silver talent into the mix as well this season.
Bronzes Cottingham and Leung are old rivals, but the team are gelling well. Sean Gelael in the #95 has shown real speed, but will be hoping that his McLaren has less appeal than at Spa to the wayward behaviour of other competitors. Marino Sato has unlocked some speed into 2025 and the whole effort looks ready to take a step forward.
In the #59, James Cottingham’s growing confidence is a real fillip. Sebastian Baud has adapted well to the McLaren from the Corvette he campaigned last year. Qatar showed the potential for the effort, with Saucy battling to the flag for the win with the much more experienced Dani Juncadella. More mileage and more experience suggests that those sorts of battles will be closer and more aggressively fought going forward.
Mercedes-AMG LMGT3
#60 Iron Lynx – WEC – ITA
Andrew Gilbert B (GBR) Lorcan Hanafin S (GBR) Fran Rueda S (ESP)
#61 Iron Lynx – WEC – ITA
Martin Berry B (AUS) Lin Hodenius S (NED) Maxime Martin P (BEL)
#63 Iron Lynx – INV – ITA
Stephen Grove B (AUS) Brenton Grove S (AUS) Luca Stolz P (GER)
Mercedes-AMG returns to Le Mans after just over a quarter of a century has elapsed from the marque’s unhappy experiences with the CLR in 1999.
LMGT3 is an entirely different kettle of fish – and the three cars here, all fielded by Iron Lynx, bring a reminder of a happier campaign, with heritage liveries harking back to the marque’s overall victory in 1989 with the Sauber C9.
Italian outfit Iron Lynx are now aligned with AMG in the WEC and ELMS, after a major fall-out with Lamborghini at the end of the 2024 season saw the Italian Supercar brand out of the World Championship in both Hypercar and LMGT3.
The entry numbers three cars – the two full-season WEC machines joined by a car from the ELMS with an entry earned, somewhat ironically, via Championship success there with Lamborghini!
There has been quite the driver switcheroo in recent weeks after Claudio Schiavoni suffered a painful back injury in testing at Paul Ricard. Schiavoni has stepped away from the #60 car for the rest of the year – as have Matteos Cressoni and Cairoli – and in their place is a new trio of Lorcan Hanafin, Andrew Gilbert, and Fran Rueda. It’s the only LMGT3 car without a Gold or Platinum driver, though Hanafin in particular has shown Pro-level pace in his young career.
Season starter Christian Ried stepped away for Spa, and the remainder of the season from the #61 (except Interlagos) – to be replaced by ELMS full-season Iron Lynx racer Martin Berry, the Singaporean-domiciled Aussie proving to be quite the emerging Bronze-ranked prospect going back to his first races in the Super Taikyu Series. He’s joined by teenage Dutch racer Lin Hodenius and AMG factory man Maxime Martin, the Belgian switching from BMW this off-season.
The third car, meanwhile, numbered #63, sees AMG factory man Luca Stolz teamed with ‘Dad and Lad’ duo Stephen and Brenton Grove. It’s a steep hill to climb here, particularly for Stephen – who struggled for consistency in a warm-up run at the WEC race at Spa last month.
Whilst overall the results for the cars thus far have been poor, as the whole effort adapts to their new platform, there were flashes of form emerging last time out that suggest some competitive running isn’t too far away. Le Mans should suit the car, but has June come too early for the effort as a whole?
Porsche 911 LMGT3 R
#85 Iron Dames – WEC – ITA
Celia Martin B (FRA) Rahel Frey S (SUI) Sarah Bovy S (BEL)
#90 Manthey – INV – GER
Antares Au B (HKG) Loek Hartog S (NED) Klaus Bachler P (AUT)
#92 Manthey 1st Phorm – WEC – DEU
Ryan Hardwick B (USA) Riccardo Pera S (ITA) Richard Lietz P (AUT)
Porsche 911 GT cars have contributed to most of the Stuttgart brand’s staggering 111 all-time class victories at Le Mans. Last year, the latest 992 GT3 R, entered by German powerhouse Manthey, took the first LMGT3 class win in Le Mans history.
Manthey’s LMGT3 fleet has grown from a duo to a trio, and there’s a new look to the group of (LM)GT3 Rs this year, with compelling stories in each.
Iron Dames returned to the Porsche fold this year and has another chance to make history, 50 years after Michele Mouton led the last all-female class-winning team at Le Mans in ’75. It would also absolve the pain of what’s been another tough WEC season for the Dames, so far.
And already the build-up to the race has been challenging, after Michelle Gatting’s broken foot put her out of the race. Sarah Bovy takes her place alongside new Bronze driver Celia Martin, and the experienced Rahel Frey. For the new-look #85 Porsche to have a strong result, they just need Martin to be as quick and consistent as her other Bronze peers, they need Frey and Bovy to reach a higher standard… and most of all, they just need a little luck at Le Mans, for a change.
The most experienced man in this year’s field – in any class – is five-time and reigning Le Mans class winner Richard Lietz, making his 19th consecutive start in the race.
This year, the 41-year-old Austrian ace is behind the wheel of the 1st Phorm-sponsored #92 Porsche, accompanied by Tennessee-born Bronze Ryan Hardwick and Silver Porsche specialist Riccardo Pera – who drove last year’s race for Ford and Ferrari respectively. Strategic cunning and error-free driving were the biggest catalysts to their Imola victory, and those factors will make a difference in determining a winner at Le Mans.
The 2024/25 Asian Le Mans Series GT title secured an automatic entry for a third Manthey Porsche, the #90, which now carries the special Chip Hart Racing livery to promote the upcoming F1: The Movie. For reigning WEC LMGT3 Drivers’ Champion Klaus Bachler, this race represents a chance at redemption: A mechanical issue in 2024 deprived Bachler and Pure Rxcing a real chance at a class win, and was the only blemish in their title-winning season.
Bachler is joined in the Chip Hart #90 by two Le Mans rookies: The luminous personality and steady hands of Hong Kong’s Antares Au, and all 200 centimetres of Loek Hartog – born in the Netherlands, but making a real name for himself in American racing as a Porsche North America Selected Driver.
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