For fans of prototype racing, the current era has been such a treat. Each year since the current regulations debuted, the level of factory involvement has risen in Hypercar and GTP, while LMP2 and LMP3 competition globally has continued to deliver superb action.
While there is a standout winner here that was near impossible to look past, there are a number of honourable mentions that warrant a moment in the spotlight.
In the USA, the form of DSC’s 2024 Prototype Team of the Year – Porsche Penske Motorsport – was exceptional. The team’s run through the start of the season was head-turning, with wins at Daytona, Sebring, Long Beach and Laguna Seca. It felt like a cricket team running up the score and declaring in the first innings of a test match.
The other factories caught up later in the season, in part due to changes made to the BoP system, but it’s undeniable that the Penske operation’s trophy gauntlet was more than just a result of raw speed. The team’s drivers were locked in, as were the engineers and mechanics in the pits and on the strategy desk. For that reason, PPM heads into 2026 as the firm favourite in the GTP pack. It’s just a shame that the WEC arm of the effort failed to reach the same heights before being axed.
Another team in GTP that caught the eye was Meyer Shank Racing. On its return to IMSA’s top class, and with an expanded two-car effort with HRC and the Acura ARX-06, the team from Ohio collected wins and podiums with both cars. There was no rust to be found, and the expectation is that we’ll see it fighting for the titles next year.
Aston Martin THOR Team, on the other hand, took no time at all to look like a contender with the new Valkyrie. The ambitious dual programme from the team made tangible progress at every race, and by the end of the season, the screaming V12 LMHs were fighting at the sharp end in both the WEC and IMSA. The podium finish at Petit Le Mans was particularly impressive.
In the world of LMP2, AO Racing was a force on both sides of the Atlantic. Its trophy haul from 2025 includes a Le Mans class win, plus LMP2 titles in the ELMS (Pro/Am) and IMSA. VDS Panis Racing, Inter Europol Competition and IDEC Sport also made headlines during Le Mans and their ELMS LMP2 Championship bout. Panis won the title, Inter Europol won Le Mans and IDEC Sport’s Genesis Trajectory Programme drivers won three races and the respect of the entire paddock through the season.
And finally, in LMP3, Ligier’s JS P325 enjoyed a remarkable debut season in the ELMS at the start of the new era, in part because CLX Motorsport was so strong, winning five of the six races and wrapping up the titles with a race to spare.
Now onto the award winner itself:
Dailysportscar’s 2025 Prototype Team of the Year
Ferrari AF Corse
Before a car had even turned a wheel in Qatar, Ferrari made it clear that its aim was to win the Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ World Championships in 2025. It was, after all, the programme’s “final target” after back-to-back Le Mans wins in 2023 and 2024.
To achieve this feat, it was laser-focused on improving reliability during the off-season and learning from its mistakes in the execution and strategy department during the 2024 season. Twelve months on, it’s clear that all the hard work paid off.
Not only did AF Corse win a third Le Mans in a row with the 499P with its privateer #83 entry, but it also clinched the Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ world titles in the WEC as Ferrari’s factory team.
The seeds were sewn with dominant performances in the opening races. A factory 499P won overall at Qatar, Imola and Spa, and in doing so, ignited a debate about Balance of Performance that raged on all season.
While the team’s romp through the first four races of 2025 was undeniably impressive, with three wins for the factory and a win for the #83 at Le Mans, the team’s performance in the back half of the season deserves its plaudits, too. Getting the titles over the line was no easy task, with Porsche’s #6 crew coming on strong after their run to second place at La Sarthe and Cadillac’s #12 V-Series.R taking its first win and finishing consistently in the points.
Racing on circuits which don’t play to the 499P’s strengths and dealing with BoP changes that shook up the form book, taking two top five finishes in the final three races for the #5 and a pair of podiums for the #50 sealed the deal. It wasn’t quite as dominant a title run as Toyota’s back in 2023, but it was such an excellent campaign that the post-race scenes in Bahrain felt like a changing of the guard at the top end of the formula.
Ferrari is the clear benchmark in Hypercar now. In 2026 we’re looking forward to seeing the other factories attempt to raise their game.
