LE MANS, France – The third Free Practice session at Le Mans concluded in daylight, marking the final run before the sun sets on the event. Rain earlier in the day cleared quickly, leaving teams to re-lay rubber on a drying track during the early stages of FP3. All 62 cars took part in preparing the circuit for the evening’s Hyperpole sessions.
Hypercar: Porsche on Top, Cadillac Follows
The #51 Ferrari AF Corse team, winners of the 2023 centenary race, made an early statement. Antonio Giovinazzi was the first to break the 3:25 barrier, clocking a strong lap just six-tenths off the best FP1 time.
However, Porsche Penske Motorsport took control late in the session. Mathieu Jaminet posted a time of 3:24.717 in the #5 Porsche 963 with just over half an hour remaining. That put the team firmly at the top heading into Hyperpole.
The Cadillac entries from Hertz Team JOTA also impressed. Will Stevens pushed the #12 car to second before teammate Earl Bamber in the #38 took over that spot. The #51 Ferrari eventually dropped to fourth, while the yellow-liveried #83 AF Corse Ferrari completed the top five.
Incidents and Interruptions
The session wasn’t without drama.
Early on, Thomas Flohr went wide in the #54 Vista AF Corse Ferrari at the Ford Chicane. He took too much curb at the final corner and spun into the gravel. Marshals responded quickly and resumed the session.
Shortly after the first hour, Jonas Ried in the #9 Iron Lynx LMP2 car missed his braking point at Indianapolis. He locked up and went straight into the tire barriers. Another Slow Zone was needed while the car was retrieved. Although the car made it back to the pits, it suffered steering damage.
Celia Martin in the #83 Iron Dames Porsche spun at the Daytona Chicane after carrying too much speed. The #37 CLX – Pure Racing LMP2 car swerved to avoid her but crashed into the barriers. At the same time, the #183 AF Corse ORECA ran wide through gravel at the Porsche Curves. These incidents brought out a red flag as crews worked to clear debris and repair the tire wall.
Later, the #93 Peugeot 9X8 slowed dramatically. The car limped back to the garage with the Peugeot TotalEnergies crew anxiously watching. It was quickly lifted and disassembled for urgent repairs.
Toyota had a productive run. The #8 car completed the most laps—45 in total—covering an impressive 613 kilometers in the three-hour session.
LMP2: TDS Racing Tops the Table
In LMP2, the #29 TDS Racing ORECA took the top spot late in the session with Rodrigo Sales behind the wheel. The car edged ahead of the #23 United Autosports entry. The #43 Inter Europol car placed third, showing consistent pace. The #22 United Autosports car was fourth, followed by the #14 AO by TF entry in fifth.
There was a tense moment for IDEC Sport in the final minutes. The #28 car lost a wheel, sending it into the gravel and triggering a Slow Zone. Driver Job van Uitert was able to return the car to the pits safely.
LMGT3: Aston Martin Takes Late Lead
United Autosports looked poised for a double lead in both LMP2 and LMGT3. However, their #59 McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo could only manage sixth by the end of FP3.
Instead, the #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR stole the show on the final lap. The team surged to the top, pushing the #92 Manthey 1ST Phorm Porsche to second. Richard Lietz led the Porsche’s efforts but couldn’t hold off the Aston Martin. The #78 Akkodis ASP Lexus, previously dominant, dropped to third. Racing Spirit of Le Mans placed fourth with another Aston Martin, and the #46 Team WRT BMW rounded out the top five.
The #63 Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG, which was rebuilt overnight, made a successful return. The team completed 30 laps in FP3 after initial shakedown efforts.
Top 5 – Free Practice 3 (Hypercar)
#5 Porsche Penske Motorsport – Andlauer / Christensen / Jaminet – 3:24.717
#38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA – Bamber / Bourdais / Button – 3:25.533
#12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA – Stevens / Nato / Lynn – 3:25.609
#51 Ferrari AF Corse – Pier Guidi / Calado / Giovinazzi – 3:25.705
#83 AF Corse Ferrari – Kubica / Ye / Hanson – 3:26.322
Fastest in Class
LMP2 (Pro/Am): #29 TDS Racing ORECA – Sales / Beche / Novalak – 3:36.827
LMGT3: #27 Heart Of Racing Aston Martin – James / Drudi / Robichon – 3:55.897
What’s Next
All eyes now turn to the Hyperpole sessions starting at 20:00 local time. The top contenders from Free Practice 3 will compete for pole position in Hyperpole 1 and 2. The award ceremony is scheduled for 22:00, followed by nighttime running in Free Practice 4 at 23:00.
