8–10 May | Round 3 of the 2025 season
The third round of the FIA World Endurance Championship season at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps carried extra weight. Spa represented the final competitive dress rehearsal before the season’s centrepiece, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and teams arrived knowing this was their last real chance to validate performance, reliability, and race execution under pressure.
Practice - chaos before clarity
The opening two free practice sessions were heavily disrupted by a sequence of Full Course Yellows and red flags, severely limiting representative running. Meaningful long stints were almost impossible, leaving teams frustrated and data-starved. One of the most notable incidents came at the bottom of Eau Rouge, where contact between the #46 WRT BMW and the #50 Ferrari briefly halted proceedings.
Only FP3 finally delivered sustained green flag conditions. Antonio Fuoco emerged fastest in the #50 Ferrari 499P, underlining Ferrari’s growing authority in the Hypercar field. Both JOTA Cadillacs followed closely, completing the top three, while Simon Mann topped the LMGT3 timesheets in the AF Corse Ferrari, continuing his strong form.
Qualifying - history rewritten.
Qualifying delivered one of the defining moments of the weekend. Fuoco produced a stunning lap of 1:59.617 in the #50 Ferrari 499P, setting a new Spa lap record and eclipsing the benchmark previously held by Kamui Kobayashi since 2021.
Robert Kubica split the two works Ferraris with a superb P2 in the privateer entry, while Antonio Giovinazzi completed a Ferrari top three. Stoffel Vandoorne lined up fourth, six tenths adrift, but the result marked a major step forward for the Peugeot Hypercar programme.
In contrast, Porsche, Toyota and Aston Martin all failed to reach Hyperpole, a stark reminder of just how fine the margins have become at the front of the field.
LMGT3 qualifying delivered its own surprise. Finn Gehrsitz secured the first ever pole position for Akkodis ASP and the Lexus RC F GT3. Eduardo Barrichello followed closely in the Racing Spirit of Léman Aston Martin, just two tenths behind. Ford and Proton Competition locked out row two, while Ben Keating endured a difficult session. Carrying heavy success ballast, the TF Sport Corvette failed to reach Hyperpole, a rare setback for one of the paddock’s most experienced drivers.
The race - momentum swings and heartbreak
The race began in explosive fashion. Sébastien Bourdais received a drive-through penalty early on, while Kevin Magnussen raised eyebrows with a high-risk pass that took him onto the grass. After just over an hour, the privateer Ferrari #83 was forced to retire due to extensive damage, ending its challenge prematurely.
Frédéric Makowiecki was one of the standout performers in the opening phase. Starting sixth, he carved through the field to reach P2, including a committed overtake through Eau Rouge that briefly disrupted Ferrari’s control of the race.
Strategic sharpness came to the fore after two and a half hours. A well-timed call and driver change elevated Jules Gounon’s Alpine into the race lead, setting up what looked like a genuine victory challenge. However, endurance racing rarely forgives. With just 83 minutes remaining, tyre damage forced an unscheduled stop, crushing the hopes of Makowiecki, Gounon and Mick Schumacher after an otherwise exceptional run.
Ferrari capitalised once again, securing another dominant 1-2 finish and taking a decisive step toward the manufacturers’ championship as the road to Le Mans narrowed.
LMGT3 - penalties and perfect timing
LMGT3 honours went to the #21 AF Corse Ferrari after a late Full Course Yellow coincided perfectly with their pit stop, vaulting them ahead in the pit lane. Proton Competition’s #88 Ford Mustang delivered its strongest performance of the season to claim second, with the sister AF Corse Ferrari completing the podium.
Further back, the second Proton Ford finished fourth, while pole sitters Akkodis ASP saw their race unravel. Finn Gehrsitz was penalised for leaving the pit lane under a red light, dropping the Lexus crew down to eighth despite their headline qualifying performance.
Final thoughts
Spa delivered exactly what it always promises - unpredictability, momentum shifts, and hard lessons. Ferrari leave Belgium with confidence and control, but Alpine, Peugeot and Ford all showed flashes of genuine progress. With Le Mans now firmly in sight, the margins are tightening and Spa has ensured that nothing can be taken for granted.
For the paddock, the countdown is officially on.
