It felt appropriate that Sunday’s 6 Hours of Fuji, the 100th race in FIA WEC history, was comfortably the most entertaining and gripping race of the 2025 season so far.
And it was also fitting that, in the aftermath of what was a thoroughly entertaining and rather chaotic six hours of action, we’re left with a bundle of talking points to look over, across both classes, as the paddock’s focus shifts to the season finale in six weeks.
For the overall winners at Alpine, it was an unforgettable Sunday, one that produced several notable milestones. Ferdinand Habsburg, Paul-Loup Chatin, and Charles Milesi collected their first-ever top-class wins in the WEC, for a brand that hadn’t won in Hypercar since the 6 Hours of Monza in 2022.
And in a broader sense, Alpine’s result, which served as a major boost to the effort after a string of tough outings, is significant for several reasons. It was the first win for the A424 globally, a third consecutive win for an LMDh prototype after Cadillac and Porsche’s victories at Interlagos and CoTA, and the first-ever WEC win for the ORECA LMDh spine.
All three drivers, plus team boss Philippe Sinault and sporting director Nicolas Lapierre, were visibly emotional from the moment the car crossed the finish line. The nature of the winning car’s yo-yo afternoon was clearly draining.
The #35 looked out of contention until the final two hours, after contact with the #8 Toyota led to a stop-go penalty and a front clip change. But a stroke of luck with the timing of a pit stop before a full-course yellow and a late gamble on tyre strategy turned things around and allowed Milesi to show off his ability to soak up pressure and manage a lead.
“We knew it was going to be difficult to overtake on track, so we decided to do it differently than the others (on tyre strategy),” a jubilant Lapierre told DSC. “It was perfect, we got in front, had a faster warm up and managed the gap; the Porsche and the Peugeot fighting helped us a bit.
“We had good pace in practice, but qualifying was disappointing, and so many things happened at the beginning of the race. We made mistakes that cost us. It was difficult, but the full-course yellow came at the right time; it brought us back in the game for the win.
“Last year we got a first podium with the car, this year we got a first win, and it was essential for us. We’ve struggled for results; we couldn’t put everything together, so this win comes as the perfect result at the perfect time.”
While Milesi and Chatin couldn’t quite believe the change in fortunes for their side of the garage, Habsburg told reporters that he felt sure the #35 crew were in for a big result before arriving in Japan.
“I anticipated this. I was convinced we were going to win here a week ago,” he said. “I didn’t know how, but I knew it. I’m a guy who prays a lot. I’ve never prayed so much for a win. Ten days ago, I had a feeling I had to start praying. I don’t know if this stuff works, but it continues to prove to me that it does.”
Sunday’s race will long be remembered for Alpine’s breakthrough with the A424. But it produced much more than just a historic result for Les Bleus, as in championship terms, it was hugely important for both classes.
The disastrous day for Ferrari in Hypercar and a frustrating end to Manthey 1st Phorm’s race in LMGT3 has set up a tantalising showdown in Bahrain. All the major title battles are going down to the wire, with eight hours of racing to go and 1.5x points on offer.
In the Hypercar Drivers’ World Championship, Le Mans winners Robert Kubica, Yifei Ye and Phil Hanson somehow ended up with a net gain of two points over the leaders in the #51 factory car, after spending almost the entire race nursing a car that was carrying significant right-side damage. Kubica crossed the line 10th in the yellow-livered #83 499P, but the team would eventually be classified ninth after the #94 Peugeot was hit with a time penalty that demoted it to the final points-paying position.
They’re now just 13 points behind Antonio Giovinazzi, James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi, whose chance at a top 10 finish was derailed by two penalties for track limits violations.
Giuliano Salvi, Ferrari’s race and test team manager, appeared stung and miffed by the penalties, which caught the team off guard. “The track limits are something we need to revise internally, as we didn’t have the information, something on our side that didn’t go through. It was strange, usually we have the information and advise the drivers to take care,” he explained.
“I can’t say if there was anything on the IT system. We were warned when it was too late, and I don’t have an explanation.”
Meanwhile, at Porsche Penske Motorsport, Laurens Vanthoor and Kevin Estre bounced back mightily from a dismal outing in qualifying, which saw them start the race 17th. They have also edged closer to the top of the standings with a hard-fought third-place finish that puts them within shouting distance, 21 points adrift with 39 points still up for grabs.
In the Manufacturers’ standings, it’s a similar situation, with Porsche making gains on its Italian rival. Both of the Penske-operated factory cars scored well in third and fourth, so the German marque now sits 39 points behind Ferrari with 66 points on offer for pole and a 1-2 finish in the desert.
“We expected a damage limitation race; I never thought a podium was possible,” Salvi, who stressed that securing the manufacturer’s title remains Ferrari’s number one priority for Bahrain, summarised. “We thought more points were possible, but we didn’t think we’d close the championship here. It will be a good show and finale in Bahrain.”
The Drivers’ and Teams’ title fights in LMGT3 have also tightened up after the topsy-turvy encounter. Vista AF Corse’s Simon Mann, Francois Heriau and Alessio Rovera’s fightback to second puts them 11 points behind Ryan Hardwick, Richard Lietz and Riccardo Pera, who were left bitterly disappointed with fifth place.
“We did everything right to win this race, it went right on pit lane and we controlled the race,” Hardwick explained. “That final safety car just hurt us; we lost a 20-second lead, and in the championship, we’ve lost ground. What’s frustrating is that I thought it was over; I thought we were winning and would close the title early. But that’s how it goes, we still have the lead (in the points) and I’ve been here before with safety cars.”
It could have been considerably worse, though, for Manthey 1st Phorm’s title hopefuls, as the five-second time penalty handed to Vista AF Corse in the final minutes of the race ultimately cost the #21 trio seven valuable points.
LMGT3 remains more than just a two-horse race, though, as TF Sport’s #81 Corvette crew shouldn’t be counted out. Rui Andrade, Charlie Eastwood, and Tom Van Rompuy’s dramatic victory in the #81 has promoted them to third in the standings, 24 points behind the #92.
On to Bahrain we go then, with so much still to play for. There’s plenty to reflect on after the WEC’s 100th race, which, after countless twists and turns, provided further evidence that in sportscar racing, it’s never ‘over’ until the chequered flag falls.
