17 to go and the next one is also a classic: Le Mans gears up for it’s 25th consecutive year on the calendar and what a battle we’re getting ready to witness… Le Mans is a classic venue and the French Grand Prix is steeped in history; from one of the most passionate rounds of the year at Jerez to another in central France Welcome to the Michelin Grand Prix of France the next chapter in an epic 2025 title race making Le Mans even more unmissable than ever hang on tight and get ready for one of the most iconic venues in the world to host the fastest sport on Earth for a 25th consecutive year Round 6 of 2025 brings us to an all-time classic venue as we get ready to race in front of a jubilant capacity crowd Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) leads the Championship but this time there’s no question about if he’s going to clinch a MotoGP win A circuit that he loves and where he’s achieved a podium before A slender point advantage over his brother Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) is all that splits the fastest siblings in the world The #93 produced an epic fight back at the French Grand Prix in 2024 with a last lap pass on 2025 teammate Francesco Bagnaia for P2 Pecco in-turn has a tricky past at Le Mans – despite P3 12 months ago he’s only got one other top ten premier class finish there All three are covered by 20 points; any mistakes won’t go unpunished If ever there was a time to pull out top draw performances Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) chose the start of the European tour – just before Le Mans – as the perfect place The Frenchman rolled back the years with an unforgettable pole lap on Saturday and a first podium in two years in Sunday’s Grand Prix and following a successful Monday test with an engine upgrade ‘El Diablo’ has the tools and the form to put on a show at home Whilst it’s never quite fallen right in terms of victory the 26-year-old seeks to add to his sole podium from 2021 Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) has had a great start to 2025 with top five performances; fast in the test after a tricky Spanish Grand Prix two French riders in the top seven overall as we touch down at Le Mans… dare the home fans dream It was a long time coming but 'El Diablo' wait for a rostrum return ends with a classy Jerez P2 and some special celebrations The last two Grands Prix have shown signs of positivity for Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) and whilst he was penalised at Lusail for a tyre pressure infringement picking up KTM’s best result of the season With it being the team’s home round this weekend and a circuit where Viñales has won at before and was top five last year there’ll be even more to celebrate for the huge crowd Teammate and 2022 French GP winner Enea Bastianini took a third top ten of 2025 whilst all four KTMs were in the top ten at Jerez Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) lands at Le Mans after arm-pump surgery and teammate Brad Binder hopes the test found a solution for the persistent chatter issues Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) had a positive test at Jerez following what was a Sunday disaster Aprilia have been competitive at the French circuit in the past and despite the absence of 2024 World Champion and Le Mans winner Jorge Martin Another past winner on hallowed French turf was Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) taking the chequered flag in an unforgettable 2021 French Grand Prix Making his return - although subject to a mandatory medical check on Thursday - Miguel Oliveira (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) will be present again after his injury has kept him out since Saturday in Argentina Further up the order in the Championship in P4 Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) will need to pass a Thursday medical check after his crash at Jerez left him unfit whilst teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio closed him down in the standings Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) is top rookie but in recent rounds hasn’t had the pace to challenge Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) although the Spaniard’s error from a top four placing at Jerez was a costly one Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) has finished every Grand Prix this year and is challenging for the top ten but teammate Joan Mir has had opposite fortunes and seeks to stymie his streak of three DNFs in GPs Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) has four points-scoring finishes in a row but both he and Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) aim for a first top ten of 2025 Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) hunts his first points of 2025 and aims to do so following arm-pump surgery post-Jerez There'll be one extra - but familiar - face on the grid as Takaaki Nakagami will wildcard for HRC following his attendance at the post-Jerez Test after the Spanish Grand Prix a sell-out crowd packing out the terraces and two French riders looking to have their say amongst a fraught three-way scrap for the title which is always a topic of conversation… Le Mans will deliver the goods the storylines and the talking points in bucket loads… perhaps even some rain too See you this weekend for the Michelin Grand Prix de France Tune in for the rest of 2025 with MotoGP™ VideoPass and enjoy every second of every round who won the only grand prix in which a female driver has finished in the points and was also involved in Canadian Gilles Villeneuve's fatal 1982 accident due to complications from a stroke suffered in February was announced by his family on Instagram on Sunday Mass won for McLaren in a 1975 Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona's Montjuic circuit that was cut short with half points awarded after compatriot Rolf Stommelen's Lola left the track and killed four spectators in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder Canadian Villeneuve's Ferrari crashed after a collision with Mass's March The German retired from Formula 1 later that year it was a racing incident," Villeneuve's son and 1997 world champion Jacques assured him later "I am deeply saddened to hear the news that my friend Jochen Mass has passed away," said Formula 1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali "He had an incredible life at the heart of our sport and was a wonderful person who embraced life and loved Formula 1." who raced in 114 grands prix and had a later career as a broadcaster also won the Le Mans 24 Hours with Swiss-based Sauber in 1989 winner of the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans with Mercedes competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans twelve times between 1972 and 1995 While he initially made his debut in the French endurance classic with Ford he became a prominent name at the event when he switched to Porsche he drove both the Porsche 956 and 962 during the Group C era Although he finished second alongside Schuppan in 1982 it wasn’t until he moved to the Sauber-Mercedes program that he claimed overall victory at Le Mans His sole overall win at the event came in 1989 sharing the Sauber-Mercedes C9 with Manuel Reuter and Stanley Dickens He would go on to enjoy a long affiliation with Mercedes beyond his active driving career serving as a mentor to the brand’s young driver talent and often driving historic Mercedes machinery in demonstrations during events in later years Other notable achievements from Mass include victories in the 1987 Twelve Hours of Sebring and 1972 24 Hours of Spa as well as winning the Spanish Grand Prix in 1975 “Today we mourn the loss of a husband grandfather and a racing legend,” a statement issued by the Mass family read “It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that Jochen Mass has died today due to complications following a stroke he suffered in February “Thank you for to everyone for the incredible support we have received Every single message of positivity was relayed to him giving him piece and comfort in his last days A life that he loved sharing with all of you A life that he lived to the absolute fullest “He is racing with all his friends again.” Davey Euwema is Sportscar365's European Editor Euwema covers the FIA World Endurance Championship European Le Mans Series and Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Two-time Indianapolis 500 starter turned sports car racing team owner passes away at 61.. Longtime crew chief for Jason Daskalos passes away after battle with cancer.. 1993 Rolex 24 at Daytona winner passes away at age of 74.. Get quick access to your favorite articles Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers Make your voice heard with article commenting Formula 1 race winner and Le Mans 24 Hours victor Jochen Mass has died aged 78 The German’s death was announced on his Instagram page by his family over a month after it had revealed that he had suffered what was described as a “medical emergency”.  grandfather and a racing legend,” the family stated “It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that Jochen Mass has died today due to complications following a stroke he suffered in February “Thank you to everyone for the incredible support we have received giving him peace and comfort in his last days “He is racing with all his friends again.” Mass’s solo triumph during his nine-season 105-start F1 career came at the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix at the Montjuic Park street circuit in Barcelona He had re-taken the lead in his McLaren-Cosworth M23 from Jacky Ickx’s Lotus before the race was red-flagged in the wake of the accident in which four people were killed – a spectator a track worker and two photographers – after Rolf Stommelen’s Hill went over the barriers following rear wing failure Because the race was stopped before 60% distance had been completed Mass notched up a further seven podiums during his career all in his spell with McLaren that started in 1974 and continued through to the end of 1977 His biggest successes came in sportscar racing A stalwart of Porsche’s factory squad from the beginning of the Group C era in 1982 he won nine world sportscar championship races in the German manufacturer’s 956/962 design before moving to Sauber for 1988.  Mass went on to triumph in a further 10 world series rounds aboard the Sauber C9 and the team’s Mercedes-badged C11 in 1988-90 and took the laurels at Le Mans in 1989 when he was partnered by Manuel Reuter and Stanley Dickens.  He finished second in the points in ’89 to regular team-mate Jean-Louis Schlesser in what was called the World Sports-Prototype Championship after being forced to withdraw from the opening round at Suzuka with a virus that affected his vision Had Le Mans been a championship round that year he would have taken the title ahead of Schlesser.  Mass acted as a mentor and driver coach on the Mercedes young driver programme in the last of his three years at Sauber Karl Wendlinger and Heinz-Harald Frentzen over the course of the season.  He triumphed at Spa with Wendlinger and then in Mexico City with Schumacher.  Mass finished his career with 32 world championship victories in sportscar racing with Alfa Romeo second only to the 37 of endurance legend Jacky Ickx over the 40-year span of the original series.  Photo by: David Hutson / Motorsport Images After a three-year stint as a merchant seaman, Mass began competing in hillclimbs with machinery borrowed from the Alfa Romeo dealership where he worked.  he was picked up by Ford for its touring car campaigns with the Capri.  Mass won the Spa 24 Hours in 1972 with the RS2600 version of the car on the way to sealing the European Touring Car series title.  The German arm of the US manufacturer funded his early single-seater career in Formula 3 in Britain and he quickly progressed to Formula 2 with March and then Surtees.  Over the course of a race-winning F2 season in 1973 with Surtees, Mass was given his first F1 opportunities by the team.  A full-season drive with the British squad followed in 1974 before he switched to McLaren for the final two races to replace the injured Mike Hailwood.  After McLaren, Mass drove for ATS before calling time on F1 after an aerial accident in the 1982 French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard Mass effectively retired from the cockpit after the 1990 season before returning on a one-off basis to race at Le Mans for a 12th and final time aboard a McLaren F1 GTR in 1995.  A regular at the Goodwood Revival and Members’ Meeting for the past 10 years, Mass was an ambassador for Mercedes-Benz From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport In order to keep delivering our expert journalism we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker replacing Paul-Loup Chatin at IDEC Sport… IDEC Sport has signed Sebastian Alvarez to complete its lineup for the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the Mexican coming in to replace Paul-Loup Chatin 28 Oreca 07 Gibson with team regulars Paul Lafargue and Job van Uitert It will be Alvarez’ debut outing in the French endurance classic stepping in to replace Chatin as the Frenchman is unable to join the team at Le Mans as a result of clashing commitments with the Alpine Hypercar squad The 22-year-old made the step up to LMP2 competition in 2023 taking his maiden victory in the category in last year’s 4 Hours of Le Castellet he joined Tower Motorsports’ as the team’s third driver in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship initially finishing first in class at the Rolex 24 at Daytona before the team was stripped of its victory due to a technical infraction “I’ve been in contact with IDEC SPORT for a while now and we’ve even done some testing together,” said Alvarez “I’m really grateful for this opportunity Racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a team like this is incredible “I’m super excited to take part in such an event—it’s the kind of race you’d ask Santa Claus to do “I’ll give it everything to help us get a great result where we crossed the finish line in first place “I already know the atmosphere within the trio and the team will be great.” Goodyear to rollout new specification of slick tire for LMP2 class ahead of 4.. 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NASCAR and Amazon Prime Video have released the trailer for their documentary American Thunder: NASCAR to Le Mans which will be released on Prime Video on 12 June in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide The documentary is an in-depth look behind the scenes of the NASCAR Garage 56 project that competed in the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 18-month journey undertaken by Hendrick Motorsports to develop a race car designed to run 500 miles on ovals in the United States into one that could survive a 24-hour endurance race on the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe Hendrick Motorsports founder Rick Hendrick and Vice President of Competition Chad Knaus and NBC Sports commentator Nate Ryan are among the prominent names American Thunder: NASCAR to Le Mans is produced by NASCAR Studios and Griffin Van Malssen and executive produced by Hendrick Motorsports’ Jeff Gordon plus Tim Clark Feature image © David Lord / Dailysportscar.com Author: © 2023 dailysportscar.com. All Rights Reserved. Link Digital Stephen and Brenton Grove to replace Claudio Schiavoni Stephen and Brenton Grove will make their FIA World Endurance Championship debuts at this weekend’s 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps The Australian father-and-son duo will share driving duties with Matteo Cairoli at the Ardennes circuit with the lineup switch the result of the physical issue that sidelined Claudio Schiavoni from the recent European Le Mans Series round at Paul Ricard Schiavoni was replaced at Le Castellet by Christian Ried and will sit out the WEC round at Spa in order to ensure he is fit to compete at next month’s 24 Hours of Le Mans the Andrea Piccini-led squad has brought in the Groves to further add to their preparations for their Le Mans debuts where they will share Iron Lynx’s third LMGT3 entry with Luca Stolz regular Silver driver Matteo Cressoni is also stepping aside at Spa we want to wish a very prompt recovery to Claudio,” said Piccini “The decision to step out of Spa really shows his focus and dedication on being in top shape for the 24 Hours of Le Mans I also thank Matteo for providing Stephen and Brenton with a unique chance to prepare for their first Le Mans race “We look forward to the 6 Hours of Spa and we are determined to make the most out of the experience.” the Groves have two previous starts in the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa to their name “It’s super exciting to make our WEC debut this weekend in Belgium,” said Brenton “It’s a shame that it’s in these circumstances and we wish a speedy recovery for Claudio – we will do our best to make him proud “The team were great to work with in Portugal (in GT Open competition) and we took some big steps forward so it made sense to continue our program in the lead up to Le Mans it will be a learning weekend but Spa is always unpredictable so anything is possible.” Iron Lynx is set to compete at Spa with a changed lineup in both of its cars, as the team announced last week that Martin Berry is replacing Ried as the mandatory Bronze-rated driver in the sister No replacing Paul-Loup Chatin at IDEC Sport.. Catch up on all of the action from second round of FIA World Endurance.. Iron Lynx confirms Martin Berry as Christian Ried's replacement for 6H Spa; further races.. The Spanish star joined some of the Jerez faithful at the famous Nieto-Peluqui section in the early hours of Sunday morning Recap a brilliant visit to Jerez as Alex Marquez finally experienced that winning feeling Courage is the name of the game and Rocio shows us how the #93 inspired her at the Spanish GP Don’t miss Alex Marquez’s celebration in Jerez going from excitement to euphoria after his historic win The podium trio and a crash for Marc Marquez dominated the headlines in Spain - but what about unfolded behind them Davide Tardozzi sheds some light on how his riders work together despite doubts that two of the biggest names could gel in the same garage engine updates and aero on trial but vibrations and engine concerns leave HRC still searching for a breakthrough Experience some of the best moments from an unforgettable Spanish Grand Prix in super slow-mo There were several impressive performances during yesterday’s 4 Hours of Le Castellet particularly in the first half of the race when the conditions were worsening Tony Wells enjoyed perhaps his most impressive stint in a prototype for Nielsen Racing to set up the team’s Pro/Am win Duncan Cameron built a minute lead LMGT3 with Spirit of Race and Kuba Smiechowski drove away from the field out front for Inter Europol Competition Celia Martin and Christian Ried also stood out battling hard in LMGT3 for Iron Dames and Proton Competition with slicks as the rain intensified when the track surface transitioned from sodden to dry it was the Genesis Magma Racing-backed IDEC Sport ORECA of Jamie Chadwick Dani Juncadella and Mathys Jaubert that stole the show again The trio claimed a second LMP2 win in a row to start the season and a first overall victory in fine style It was also IDEC Sport’s first trip to the top step of the podium at Le Castellet a milestone result at home for the French-flagged team on its 10th anniversary Beyond Chadwick’s off at Turn 2 at the start of the race on slicks in tricky conditions it was a pretty flawless run on a day when many contending cars were involved in incidents Chadwick’s recovery was strong after coming in for wets climbing from 11th to sixth before handing over to Daniel Juncadella “But I enjoyed it after that scary first moment.” Juncadella had to put in the hard yards when it was his turn The team’s strategy saw him forced to fight with wet Goodyears on a drying track after those around him had switched back to the new and improved 2025 slick As the most experienced of the three drivers having 33-year-old Juncadella in for the middle portion of the race again would prove to be the right call but the team was smart to keep me out,” he told DSC “Even though I was losing like five seconds a lap to the guys on slicks we extended the stint and made sure we could go on a one-stopper with Mathys at the end It also enabled 20-year-old Jaubert to showcase what he seemingly does best: reel off a series of consistent lap times to secure a result “He seems like a 35-year-old with 15 years of endurance experience,” Juncadella said of Jaubert’s abilities like a little diamond I discovered.” Juncadella and Jaubert seem to be a natural fit as a trio All three are new to racing with each other atop the championship standings with a 23-point lead and the halfway mark of the campaign in sight “We are surprising many people,” Juncadella admitted “I came into the season with little practice and there was an expectation I’d be the leader with my experience But I handed Mathys the chance to do Qualifying and at the end of these races because he seemed to be in the best shape and had been testing more “Both he and Jamie have exceeded my expectations It’s not just the results; let’s not get carried away with that They’ve been phenomenal on and off the track Genesis Magma Racing’s decision to use the ELMS as a proving ground for staff and an arena to evaluate talent ahead of its first foray into the FIA WEC was always going to be an interesting storyline to follow few could have predicted such a fairytale start to this initiative and especially in the 4 Hours of Le Castellet and the drivers had to handle some very difficult conditions on track which they did really well,” Genesis Magma Racing team principal Cyril Abiteboul said in summary but I promise it has not been the case.” who will be joined by Andre Lotterer while Juncadella is on Corvette duty and the third ELMS race of the season at Imola in July also goes well Genesis may find it’s not the only Hypercar manufacturer keeping a close eye on this crew’s progress Author: Nick Yelloly sets the pace in European Le Mans Series qualifying at Paul Ricard… Nick Yelloly snared pole position for Inter Europol Competition in qualifying for the 4 Hours of Le Castellet The Briton stormed to the top of the timesheets with a 1:48.741 in the No 43 Oreca 07 Gibson on his final lap of the session Yelloly ultimately beat fellow late-improver Charles Milesi After setting fastest times in both free practice sessions Matteo Cairoli had to settle for third in the No having headed Yelloly and Milesi into the final moments The Italian’s 1:49.009 ended up 0.268 seconds in arrears Mathys Jaubert continued the encouraging start to his LMP2 career by posting the fourth-fastest time in the No outpacing the second Inter Europol machine driven by Luca Ghiotto Tom Blomqvist was sixth in the CLX Pure Rxcing entry edging out Paul-Loup Chatin in the second IDEC car by 0.001 seconds as Barcelona pole sitter Reshad de Gerus (Duqueine) had to make do with eighth spot An entertaining LMP2 Pro-Am session was captured by PJ Hyett’s No after repeatedly exchanging the top spot with Giorgio Roda 77 Proton Competition Oreca made the early running before Hyett snatched the top spot with an effort 0.099 seconds faster but Hyett dug deep to produce a 1:51.442 lap that put him 0.144 seconds ahead with Rodrigo Sales the best of the rest and 0.911 seconds adrift in TDS Racing’s Oreca Georgios Kolovos in DKR Engineering’s Oreca will join Sales on the second row after setting his best lap right at the end of the session Clement Mateu delivered Aston Martin’s first LMGT3 class pole position of the season in his Racing Spirit of Leman Vantage GT3 Evo The Frenchman led the way throughout the session posting a best effort of 2:04.641 to end up with a 0.723 seconds margin over Duncan Cameron’s No Martin Berry was unable to repeat his qualifying heroics from Barcelona aboard the No but salvaged third place after twice losing competitive times to track limits infringements Berry had posed the only true challenge to Mateu briefly dipping 0.005 seconds under the eventual polesitter’s time before the No and with his final lap of the session deposed Custodio Toledo’s No Another late improvement from Andrew Gilbert moved the No 74 Kessel Ferrari ahead of Celia Martin’s No Adrien Closmenil showed his Barcelona pole was no fluke and paced the field by almost a full second aboard the No was 0.925 seconds quicker than fellow Ligier driver Rik Koen’s No WTM by Rinaldi Racing’s Duqueine D09 Toyota was the only other car within a second of Closmenil Griffin Peebles posted the third-fastest time Early pacesetter Quentin Antonel’s M Racing Ligier slumped to sixth by the conclusion of the session the Belgian also falling behind Gillian Henrion (RLR M Sport) who took fifth The 4 Hours of 4 Hours of Le Castellet will commence on Sunday at 12:00 p.m RESULTS: Qualifying James Newbold (@James_Newbold) is a UK-based freelance motorsport journalist IDEC Sport beats LMP2 Pro-Am entries to victory at Paul Ricard.. Matteo Cairoli comfortably quickest in opening Free Practice session at Le Castellet.. James Calado returns to the European Le Mans Series for the first time since.. IDEC Sport beats LMP2 Pro-Am entries to victory at Paul Ricard… IDEC Sport took a resounding victory in the 4 Hours of Le Castellet surviving changeable conditions that created strategy headaches for European Le Mans Series teams Daniel Juncadella and Mathys Jaubert headed a pair of LMP2 Pro-Am cars to deliver victory in the surviving No making up for the disappointment of losing the lead on the final lap of Barcelona’s season-opening contest by 1.885 seconds at the conclusion of a race that began in greasy conditions which worsened substantially before eventually drying out who becomes the first female outright winner of an ELMS race had been among the many drivers caught out on the opening lap with a moment of wheel spin exiting the first complex of corners triggered when Alexander Malykhin crashed the No And the race was reset again with 67 minutes to go after a Turn 6 clash between Job van Uitert in the second IDEC entry that had been fighting back from being spun at Turn 1 and Luca Ghiotto (Inter Europol Competition) resulted in the Dutchman becoming wedged in the tyre barriers to bring out the safety car again This was especially badly-timed for the erstwhile leaders which had gained time by switching back to slicks sooner than the opposition Ferdinand Habsburg (Nielsen) and Vladislav Lomko (Vector Sport) had to pit shortly after racing resumed with a little over an hour to go Allen closed on Jaubert in the latter stages Second overall and victory in the Pro-Am category still marked a remarkable result for a crew that had yo-yoed up and down the order with Wells running second outright at one point in the opening hour as picking wets for the start paid off Sette Camara lost out to fellow Pro-Am contenders Rene Binder (Proton Competition) and Clement Novalak (TDS Racing) during the worst of the rain but Allen remained in touch with Mathias Beche (in for Novalak) in what became the class lead battle after Binder’s team-mate Bent Viscaal was removed from their path Binder was deemed to have gained a lasting advantage when he decided not to cede the lead after straight-lining the opening complex of corners and the resulting drive-through penalty cost Viscaal the lead Allen decisively ambushed Beche into the final corner with 38 minutes to go and never relinquished the position The outright podium was completed by Louis Deletraz with a late charge from Deletraz taking him past Beche The Swiss also lost out to the eventual LMP2 Pro runner-up 43 Inter Europol Competition Oreca that had started on pole in the hands of Jakub Smiechowski The Polish team’s race was badly thwarted by the first safety car after Smiechowski’s choice of wet tyres had given it an early edge The crew began its recovery with Nick Yelloly before Tom Dillmann took over for the closing laps and passed Beche for fourth overall in the Proton entry started by Giorgio Roda The Dutchman gained a spot when Marino Sato made a late pitstop in the No 21 United Autosports Oreca he took over from Daniel Schneider and Oliver Jarvis Enzo Fittipaldi and Manuel Espirito Santo netted eighth overall and third in LMP2 Pro ahead of the unfortunate Vector entry that Lomko shared with Ryan Cullen and Pietro Fittipaldi 24 Nielsen car that ultimately finished 11th 9 Iron Lynx-Proton crew was also out of luck It led with Maceo Capietto in the greasy interim period before switching back to slicks but shed its front-right wheel on Matteo Cairoli’s outlap Pre-event LMP2 Pro-Am championship leaders had a difficult day after winning outright in Barcelona It incurred heavy damage on the opening lap when the spinning Francois Perrodo was hit hard by Jacek Zielonka’s pursuing Team Virage LMP3 entry Paul Lanchere and Theodor Jensen repeated their Barcelona heroics with a polished drive to victory in the LMP3 category Pole-sitter Closmenil overhauled M Racing’s Quentin Antonel to secure the second consecutive triumph for the No which had to fight back after losing time on slicks in the early stages A mammoth opening stint from Antonel’s team-mate Stephane Tribaudini who spent over half the race in the cockpit set up M Racing’s challenge as it correctly chose wets for the opening phase and Tribaudini pulled away from Torsten Kratz (WTM by Rinaldi Racing Duqueine D09 Toyota) Its lead appeared not to be threatened despite serving a drive-through for a pass-around procedural infringement but the safety cars allowed CLX to close and ultimately pass once racing resumed Any slender hope of Antonel getting back on terms was ended when he made his final stop for fuel before Closmenil whose winning margin stood at 24.911 seconds 51 Richard Mille AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 and a strong final lap defence from Lilou Wadoux earned a narrow LMGT3 win over the No sharing with Riccardo Agostini and Custodio Toledo fended off Fabian Schiller at the flag by 0.305 seconds The Ferrari had run out of sync with the rest of the leading pack Wadoux only making her final pit visit with 25 minutes to go and held on as Schiller mounted an unsuccessful bid to resume a lead that had appeared secure prior to the final round of stops Lorcan Hanafin and Martin Berry had appeared the most likely candidates to profit from a double dose of misfortune striking the No Duncan Cameron was the only LMGT3 driver to start on wets and built a commanding lead as a result His 90-second advantage was trimmed by the Malykhin safety car but Cameron still had over half a minute in hand when he was forced to take fuel around a minute shy of completing his drive time Cameron therefore had to stay on board when Berry could hand over to Hanafin on schedule but the 296 he shared with Matt Griffin and David Perel was still on course for a podium until the closing stages when Riccardo Pera muscled ahead into the final corner sharing with Mike Wainwright and Tom Fleming completed the podium just 1.669 seconds shy of the victorious Wadoux Conrad Laursen recovered from a late spin at Signes 51 AF Corse Ferrari previously driven by Charles-Henri Samani and Davide Rigon RESULTS: 4 Hours of Le Castellet Nick Yelloly sets the pace in European Le Mans Series qualifying at Paul Ricard.. SearchLe Mans Cup: Iron Dames just miss out on podium in promising performance at Le CastelletRACERS6 minutes ago5 min readAfter a brilliant qualifying Iron Dames' Marta García and Vanina Ickx fought at the front of the Michelin Le Mans Cup GT3 field at Le Castellet in the second round of the season once again showing podium potential—only narrowly missing out due to an unfortunate first-lap contact Photo credits: Iron DamesMarta García and Vanina Ickx fought at the front of the Michelin Le Mans Cup GT3 field at Le Castellet which hosted the second round of the season—and the second race together for the new Iron Dames duo: Marta García returning to the cockpit after a long hiatus from the sport After a remarkable qualifying session that saw her secure a front-row start Ickx battled for the GT3 lead—but contact on the first lap proved costly A drive-through penalty forced the team into recovery mode Marta García maximized the outcome with a fourth-place finish managing the damage sustained in the earlier collision She secured a solid haul of points and completed her second GT3 race just outside the podium In her GT3 debut at the season opener in Barcelona, García had been leading before she was hit by a competitor, sending the #83 Porsche into the barriers The 22G impact caused the car to catch fire and García was unable to exit via the driver’s door and she was later cleared of major injuries after precautionary checks in hospital Following a full rebuild of the #83 Porsche García and Ickx returned to the track at Circuit Paul Ricard determined to bounce back from the dramatic crash that had denied them a likely podium The car ran smoothly during practice and was once again competitive with Marta placing in the top three of the GT3 class Vanina Ickx took over in the second session making big improvements as the team continued to refine the setup That progress continued into Friday: García clocked a 2:04.147 placing seventh among the bronze-rated drivers Ickx was back in the car for her second qualifying session in the series but she continued improving with purple sectors and moved into provisional pole with a 2:07.066 Alessandro Cozzi in the #51 AF Corse Ferrari responded with a 2:06.4 to retake the top spot as the times began to fall below the 2:06 mark Ickx answered with a superb 2:06.134 to regain provisional pole with less than five minutes remaining Lorenzo Innocenzi in the Kessel Racing Ferrari then became the first to dip below 2:06 Ickx went purple in sector one but lost time in the second sector and ultimately settled for second place The Iron Dames would start the race from the front row Photo credits: Iron DamesThe second round of the Michelin Le Mans Cup got underway under sunny skies on Saturday afternoon promising another exciting battle across the classes with debris flying on the main straight; Vanina Ickx made a strong launch and challenged the pole-sitting Kessel Racing Ferrari of Innocenzi The Belgian managed to pass later on the first lap triggering the deployment of the safety car Ickx continued and held second in class as the race was neutralized racing resumed and Ickx wasted no time retaking the GT3 lead from Innocenzi But a small error—running wide at Le Beausset—allowed Innocenzi to slip back past The #29 LMP3 prototype lost a large piece of bodywork on the Mistral Straight followed soon after by a third FCY for more debris—all within the first 20 minutes but Innocenzi had gained time under caution Vanina closed the gap, with Cozzi still behind her—although the latter was under investigation for failing to follow race control instructions during FCY. A fourth neutralization was triggered when Fabrizio Broggi’s Ebimotors Porsche was hit by the spinning #58 GG Classics LMP3 car of George Nakas Marshals quickly cleared the track and the race resumed Ickx was then handed a drive-through penalty for the Lap 1 incident the penalty dropped the Iron Dames Porsche to fifth in GT3 A slight misalignment in the pit box meant the car had to be wheeled back straight before García could jump in Photo credits: Iron DamesAfter the pit cycle, Andrea Belicchi led for Kessel Racing, followed by Eliseo Donno for AF Corse and David Fumanelli in the second Kessel Ferrari. García emerged in fifth, three seconds behind the #11 Code Racing Development Aston Martin of Van Der Steur—but under pressure from the charging Motorpark Mercedes of Dunner García set the car’s best time with a 2:05.575 and began to close in on Van Der Steur. Ahead, the #33 Kessel Ferrari—then running third—was handed a drive-through for an FCY infringement Drama unfolded with 45 minutes to go when the #26 Bretton Racing LMP3 car of Gregoire De Sybourg caught fire and stopped on track and a full safety car bunched up the field once more—which was good news for Iron Dames García capitalized and moved up into fifth Back in the 2:05s pace and faster than a couple of cars ahead García was also handed a five-second penalty for an FCY procedure violation The young Spaniard held on to fifth but was now under pressure from Donno With Fumanelli—already penalized earlier—receiving another drive-through García moved into podium contention as the race entered its final 15 minutes Dunner and Fumanelli served their penalties and Marta climbed into third on lap 44—but she needed to maintain over a five-second gap to Donno Rory van der Steur took the GT3 lead from Belicchi Donno capitalized when García ran slightly wide at Le Beausset and passed her for third García closed back in on Belicchi in the final laps but ultimately had to settle for fourth with her penalty not impacting the final result It was nevertheless a strong showing and another step forward from Marta García who dealt with damage and an imperfect car to take the chequered flag for the first time in a GT3 race—showing clear podium potential once again The series will now head to Circuit de la Sarthe for its flagship event in support of the 24 Hour race on 13-14 June Or you simply want to stay up-to-date with their results Privacy Policy BackThe trailer for the documentary ‘American Thunder: NASCAR to Le Mans’ unveiledIn 2023 during the Centenary edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans ‘American Thunder: NASCAR to Le Mans’ retraces this adventure in a full-length documentary broadcast exclusively on Prime Video on 12 June Prime Video has unveiled the trailer for American Thunder: NASCAR to Le Mans, a documentary about a historic Nascar entry in the 2023 Le Mans 24 Hours which will be available in more than 240 countries from 12 June looks back at Nascar President Jim France's ambitious plan to enter a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the centenary edition of the classic race Produced by NASCAR Studios and Hendrick Motorsports American Thunder traces the 18 months of preparation needed to transform a car designed for the American oval into a machine capable of enduring 24 hours of racing The documentary follows this unique adventure with three renowned drivers at the wheel: Jenson Button Related News24h Le Mans02/05/2025 The trailer for the documentary ‘American Thunder: NASCAR to Le Mans’ unveiledIn 2023 The second round of the 2025 European Le Mans Series (ELMS) takes place this Sunday 4 May at the Circuit Paul Ricard An impressive 44 cars are expected on the grid with a large French contingent on home soil in terms of both drivers and teams For the 93rd edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours (11-15 June 2025) the #59 McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo entered by United Autosports in the LMGT3 class will feature a unique livery: the Meningitis Flag The aim of this livery is to raise awareness of a disease that is all too often overlooked: meningitis The Automobile Club de l’Ouest is proud to announce that Roger Federer the revered champion and global sporting icon will don the mantle of official starter at the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans the fourth round of the FIA WEC World Endurance Championship · On the occasion of the French Grand Prix Pirelli is proposing the same allocation for Moto2™ as in the last GP held at Jerez de la Frontera including the newly introduced SCX in supersoft compound that made its race debut in Spain.  · The SCX is the new In the Spanish GP it was immediately adopted and appreciated by all the riders It also contributed to the improvement of all the ‘timing’ references: a full second on the all-time lap record by Deniz Öncü and almost 7 tenths on the best race lap set by Manuel Gonzalez also completed the 21 laps improving the overall race time by more than 5 seconds confirming the consistency of the SCX even over full race distance. · Also available to riders in the intermediate class will be the new rear standard SC0 the soft option compound that in 2024 was identified as the D0640 development specification This option could be particularly effective in the event of colder track temperatures a condition that is not uncommon on the French track due to the weather variability of the region the soft SC1 and medium SC2 solutions are confirmed for both axles Le Mans is another circuit to take advantage of the SCX in Moto2™"The Le Mans race offers us a valuable opportunity to make an immediate direct comparison between the innovations introduced at Jerez regarding the rear tyres of the Moto2™: the SCX in supersoft compound and the new standard SC0 where it was the almost unanimous choice for qualifying and the race and contributed to the net improvement of previous records it is already a well-known option in WorldSBK where it is the most used solution in feature races We were therefore not surprised by its success in Moto2™ as well but we are satisfied with the immediacy with which it was adopted and appreciated by the riders Its use in France will be conditioned more than anything else by the asphalt temperatures: if they are high enough it will probably be used by almost everyone because Le Mans wears the tyres very little but if it gets colder then the SC0 could come back into play" Audi announce organisational restructure ahead of F1 arrival in 2026 5 Winners and 5 Losers from Miami – Who excelled in the Sunshine State Tsunoda concedes he ‘made life much more difficult’ with five-second penalty in Miami after battling for final point Antonelli taking plenty of positives from Miami weekend despite struggles on way to P6 in the Grand Prix ‘We took the tough decision’ – Vasseur defends Ferrari team orders situation in Miami as he acknowledges Hamilton’s frustration Former F1 race winner and Le Mans victor Jochen Mass has passed away at the age of 78 Mass switched from working on ships to becoming an apprentice at an Alfa Romeo dealership where the owner fortunately took note of and encouraged his racing talent he competed for a number of teams between 1973 and 1982 including Team Surtees and March Grand Prix but his sole race win came with McLaren at the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix – this was overshadowed by a tragic fatal accident that saw four people killed Mass achieved a further seven podium finishes during his time with McLaren but many of his achievements came when he stepped away from F1 and moved into European sportscar racing Mass had an extensive motorsport career including a win at Le Mans Mass' vast motorsport career saw him take the win for Sauber in the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans alongside Manuel Reuter and Stanley Dickens and he ultimately claimed a remarkable 32 world championship victories in sportscar racing the German became an F1 commentator and worked closely with Sauber and Mercedes-Benz for a number of years playing a significant role in mentoring the former's stable of young drivers which included Michael Schumacher and Heinz-Harald Frentzen “I am deeply saddened to hear the news that my friend Jochen Mass has passed away," said F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali "He had an incredible life at the heart of our sport and was a wonderful person who embraced life and loved Formula 1 "He will be remembered fondly by all those who knew and admired him Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this very sad time.” A statement released on Instagram by Mass' family stated: "Today we mourn the loss of a husband A life that he loved sharing [with] all of you He is racing with all his friends again." Williams duo keen to 'play with strategies' as they target strong result in Miami after impressive Qualifying VideoHIGHLIGHTS: Piastri leads McLaren 1-2 after thrilling race in Miami DRIVER OF THE DAY: Piastri's imperious Miami showing gets your vote © 2003-2025 Formula One World Championship Limited Mass notched up a further seven podiums during his career, all in his spell with McLaren that started in 1974 and continued through to the end of 1977 A stalwart of Porsche’s factory squad from the beginning of the Group C era in 1982, he won nine world sportscar championship races in the German manufacturer’s 956/962 design before moving to Sauber for 1988.  second only to the 37 of endurance legend Jacky Ickx over the 30-year span of the original series.  after suffering complications related to a stroke that he suffered in February Mass was a classic motorsport all-rounder and whilst many will look to his history in Formula One as the barometer of his long career his successes in touring cars and sports cars perhaps define better his qualities as a driver His 105 Formula one starts with five different teams from 1973-1982 yielded eight podium finishes including a win at the accident-shortened 1975 Spanish Grand Prix He was runner up too in the 1973 Formula 2 Championship his greatest achievement was a win in the Spa 24 Hours in 1972 Driving with Hans Stuck in a Ford Capri RS 2600 the pair established the all-time distance record for the event with an astounding 4498 km on the old circuit since the race became a GT-only event in 2001 the 4000 km barrier has only been beaten three times It was in sports cars though that Mass had his greatest successes – no fewer than 25 World Sportscar Championship race wins from 1975-1990 assisting Porsche and Sauber Mercedes to Teams’ and Manufacturers’ World Championship He was runner up himself twice in the Drivers’ Championship (in 1984 and 1989) Aside from that there was a 1985 Championship win in the DRM and a win at Sebring in 1987 His greatest racing achievement though came late in his professional career on his tenth (of a total of 12) appearance at Le Mans he took victory in 1989 alongside Manuel Reuter snd Stanley Dickens in the Sauber Mercedes C9 He already had a second in class and second overall finish to his name with Porsche His relationship with Mercedes-Benz continued until the end He served as an ambassador exhibiting its historic race cars around the world with his voice familiar to millions through TV commentary duties for F1 and other major events too Our sincerest condolences to Jochen’s family and racing friends Pics copyright and courtesy Porsche/ Racingsportscars Author: Stephen Grove (right) and his son Brenton will compete at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps ahead of their 24 Hours of Le Mans effort together – Credit: Iron Lynx Iron Lynx has confirmed Stephen and Brenton Grove for their FIA World Endurance Championship debut at Spa in preparation for the Le Mans 24 Hours The father and son duo will compete in the third round of the 2025 schedule with Iron Lynx at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps on 10 May After Claudio Schiavoni suffered a physical injury at the European Le Mans Series’ 4 Hours of Le Castellet last weekend he will focus on becoming fully fit for the 24 Hours of Le Mans Matteo Cressoni will also step out of the driving seat to support the Grove family pairing ahead of their maiden appearance at Le Mans in the third Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 Evo Martin Berry will, meanwhile, join the #61 Mercedes-AMG crew, replacing Christian Ried in the lineup, partnering with co-drivers Lin Hodenius and Maxime Martin Brenton said: “It’s super exciting to make our WEC debut this weekend in Belgium “It’s a shame that it’s in these circumstances and we wish a speedy recovery for Claudio – we will do our best to make him proud “The team were great to work with in Portugal The Iron Lynx team have been working with the Mercedes-AMG package this season Iron Lynx accomplished their first race finish with both entrants Spa will act as a precursor for all teams ahead of the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans READ MORE: Iron Lynx ‘satisfied’ with Imola home race despite P13-P15 finish and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" BackELMS: 44 cars on the starting grid for the 2025 4 Hours of Le CastelletThe second round of the 2025 European Le Mans Series (ELMS) takes place this Sunday 4 May at the Circuit Paul Ricard No fewer than 33 French drivers and 7 French teams will be competing on the Côte d'Azur several winners of the opening round in Barcelona will be aiming for another success on French soil: François Perrodo The 4 Hours of Le Castellet is shaping up to be a major event in the ELMS 2025 season both for the fans and for the French drivers in search of home success This second round could prove decisive in the race for the title and will provide a great spectacle on the Var circuit just a few weeks before endurance racing's showpiece event: the 24 Hours of Le Mans See the entry list for the 4 Heures du Castellet 2025 BackRoger Federer to flag the start of the 93rd 24 Hours of Le MansThe Automobile Club de l’Ouest is proud to announce that Roger Federer Widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time Roger Federer has left an indelible mark on sporting history with an outstanding record of 20 Grand Slam® titles and 310 weeks as world number one and a style of play that has captivated generations of fans respect and dedication – values that mirror the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans He has also been a long-standing Rolex Testimonee the role of official starter is given to a well-known international personality whose presence adds to the unique allure of the legendary race Roger Federer will lower the flag to start the world’s greatest endurance test an occasion that promises to be filled with emotion President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest: “It will be a tremendous privilege to welcome Roger Federer as the official starter of the 24 Hours of Le Mans admired as much for his achievements as for his human qualities His involvement will further boost the appeal of this year’s race which is already gearing up to be outstanding.” Roger Federer: “It’s a huge honour to have been invited to start the 24 Hours of Le Mans I’ve always been fascinated by the commitment Being at the heart of this emblematic event will be a remarkable experience.”  Continuing a long tradition of honouring the greatest figures in sport and culture Roger Federer’s appearance will bring an additional layer of excitement to an event already eagerly awaited by fans across the globe qualifying and new-look Hyperpole sessions before the trackside concerts Ticket prices start at €23 for students and €62 for the Green Ticket offer designed to encourage sustainable mobility >>> TICKETS <<< Welcome to the Race Ready for the 24 Hours of Le Mans taking place at the legnedary Circuit de la Sarthe We’re here to ensure you have all the information available at your fingertips to enable you to get the most out of your live motorsport experience 🎟️ Tickets to the 2025 race are on sale – book them on our Le Mans 24hr event page The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a motorsport festival like no other and there is no shortage of things to do in Le Mans Below is the schedule for the 2025 edition of the Le Mans 24hr *Bronze guests have access events in the Bronze site*Silver guests have access events in the Silver & Bronze sites*Gold guests have access events in the Gold This year’s 24 Hour of Le Mans plays host to an exciting lineup of support races enabling a diverse range of talent and machinery to be showcased at Circuit de la Sarthe Fans can enjoy two action-packed 55-minute races on Thursday 12 June and Saturday 14 June As the headline event of the Michelin Le Mans Cup it features LMP3 and GT3 machines and offers teams and drivers invaluable experience as they progress through the endurance racing ranks toward the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans LMGT3’s little sisters will be making their first appearance at Le Mans as part of the Mustang Challenge Eligible owners of the Ford Mustang Dark Horse R are invited to join the grid for this exciting event taking place from Thursday 12 June to Saturday 14 June The Porsche Sprint Challenge has become a staple of the endurance racing scene thrilling fans with the unmistakable roar of its iconic flat-six engines The races are scheduled for Thursday 12 June and Friday 13 June Use our track map to plan your trip as best you can You can download the image or take a screenshot to have it to hand during the Grand Prix weekend the best seats in the house are in the main Grandstand which offer great views of the pit lane and help you soak in the excitement at the start of the race For an in-depth look at the different vantage points from where you can witness this iconic race For the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans, we are again offering a variety of accommodation options to suit different preferences. Our Gold+ and Platinum packages have sold out already, with only Gold, Silver and Bronze remaining All ticket options include a free return Channel crossing by ferry or Eurotunnel full weekend race tickets and unrivalled proximity to the circuit Camping at Le Mans provides a vibrant and immersive experience It’s the go-to choice for racing enthusiasts mainly due to the exclusive access to the viewing bank of the iconic Porsche Curves reserved just for Motorsport Travel Destinations customers you’ll enjoy a generously sized 5x7m pitch at a site located less than a five-minute walk from one of the official fan zones as well as an on-site hospitality tent and round the clock security The city of Le Mans is located in Northwest France making it an accessible location for fans travelling from across the world The actual Circuit de la Sarthe sits just south of the city with the track taking in a number of smaller villages For racegoers making their way over to Le Mans there are a number of methods of transport to choose from The city is connected by main roads from Calais and many elect to travel on the Eurotunnel and Ferry while the train station Gare du Mans is just an hour’s ride from Paris Montparnasse For a more detailed insight into travelling to Le Mans for the 2025 race If you encounter an emergency situation during your trip you should call the following number – 112 The exchange rate is around 1 GBP to 1.16 EUR All goods and services are paid in the local currency Prohibited Items at the Circuit de la Sarthe. If you require assistance during the race weekend, feel free to contact our customer service team through the Motorsport Tickets Help Centre If you have some more queries or would like more information, head over to our FAQs section Team Peugeot TotalEnergies heads to Spa-Francorchamps on the back of a positive weekend in Imola which saw another Hyperpole appearance and their 17th top-10 finish in 20 FIA WEC races The “Lions” are determined to keep the momentum going at the third round of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship the team carried out a focused and productive test session on the 7.004 km Spa circuit “The Spa-Francorchamps track was resurfaced after the 2024 WEC race so it was crucial to test there ahead of this year’s 6 Hours,” explained Olivier Jansonnie “The track is now significantly faster.” “We had good weather conditions – unlike before Imola – and were able to complete our full testing program I think we’re well prepared for the race With its unique characteristics – the second longest track of the WEC season high-speed layout with an average speed over 200 km/h – Spa-Francorchamps is ideal preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans All six Team Peugeot TotalEnergies drivers will be in action in the Belgian Ardennes unlike last year when a Formula E date conflict forced the French team to run two-driver lineups Belgian driver Stoffel Vandoorne will make his Hypercar debut at his home circuit He will share the #94 PEUGEOT 9X8 with Loïc Duval and Malthe Jakobsen The #93 PEUGEOT 9X8 will be driven by Paul Di Resta The PEUGEOT 9X8s will hit the track on Thursday May 8 for the first two Free Practice sessions The start of the 2025 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps will be given on Saturday Find all the latest news about Peugeot Sport on its website (www.peugeot-sport.com) and on the Discover our videos of the 2024 season : https://www.youtube.com/@peugeotsportofficial Media site / Photos / Video: https://www.media.stellantis.com/em-en/peugeot-sport Charles Coutaz / charles.coutaz@external.stellantis.com / +33684115722 Sonya d’Artois / sonya.dartois@external.stellantis.com / +33627816828 Racing driver who won many endurance races won only one of the 104 grands prix in which he competed between 1974 and 1982 but he was known as a talented and reliable competitor a useful number two to such champions as Emerson Fittipaldi and James Hunt as well as being a winner of many endurance races in sports cars His sole victory in a world championship Formula 1 race came in tragic circumstances after joining the McLaren team for his second season in the top tier he had taken the lead of the Spanish Grand Prix on the fast and spectacular Montjuïc Park circuit in Barcelona when the race was halted after an accident had pointed out to the organisers that the steel safety barriers surrounding the track had been poorly assembled Their protest meetings held up the practice sessions and it was only after hasty remedial work that the meeting could continue The race itself took place without Fittipaldi There had already been several accidents when another German driver, Rolf Stommelen, found himself in an unexpected lead at the wheel of a brand-new car built and entered by the team of Graham Hill a rear-wing stay broke as the car approached the brow of a hill at 150mph sending it smashing into the barriers and then flying over them a track marshal and a spectator were killed Jochen Mass in the pits during the Monaco Grand Prix at Monte Carlo in 1975 Photograph: Rainer Schlegelmilch/Getty ImagesIt took three more laps for the race to be stopped by which time Mass had taken the lead from Jacky Ickx’s Lotus But since only 29 of the scheduled 75 laps had been completed he was awarded only half the customary nine points for a victory Added to other minor placings during the season those points helped him to seventh place in the final drivers’ championship table “I took no pleasure in my first F1 victory believing I’d win many more later,” he remembered he went on to a distinguished career and after his retirement became a much-loved figure in the paddock and on the track at historic meetings to which he travelled from his home in the south of France Mass was born in the aftermath of the second world war in Dorfen and remembered driving his pedal car through streets still strewn with rubble he followed the example of his grandfather It was a passion that would stay with him throughout his life; during breaks from the grand prix season he would sail his old schooner across the Atlantic Jochen Mass during his first race for the McLaren team at the Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport Park Photograph: David Phipps/Sutton ImagesHis first experience of motor sport came in hill-climbs where he performed so impressively in an Alfa Romeo saloon in 1970 that Ford Cologne offered him a contract Soon he was racing the powerful works-prepared Capris winning the important European touring car series in 1972 The move into single-seaters came that year with his first races in Formula 3 and then his first Formula 2 victory in a works March at the Nürburgring a circuit of 14 miles and 174 corners whose challenge he loved For 1973 he raced for the works Surtees team in Formula 2 before graduating to Formula 1 with the same team for 1974 enduring a debut season in the top flight blighted by many retirements But he had shown enough of his talent to be signed by McLaren for 1974 alongside Hunt during the dramatic 1976 season as the Englishman seized the world title from Lauda He was leading the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring when the race was halted following Niki Lauda’s near-fatal crash A second place in Sweden in 1977 was the closest he came to another victory but the car was poor and his season ended prematurely when he broke a leg in a testing accident Signing with Arrows in 1979 proved little more satisfactory although there was a fourth place at Monaco in his second season with the Milton Keynes-based team having avoided a four-car pile-up at the first corner His final year in F1, with the ailing March team, was an unhappy one. Travelling slowly during practice at Zolder, he was trying to give Gilles Villeneuve room to pass when the French-Canadian’s Ferrari hit his March and somersaulted Villeneuve’s death in the disintegrating wreckage came as a profound shock to the F1 world he collided with Mauro Baldi’s Arrows and flew into a public area watching on TV – believed he could survive That was when he decided to retire from grand prix racing and concentrate on sports cars – first with Porsche with whom he and Vern Schuppan finished second at Le Mans in 1982 winning the race with Stanley Dickens and Manuel Reuter in 1989 and being deprived of a second victory in 1991 after leading comfortably for 17 hours before a minor component failed That period also saw him acting as a mentor to Mercedes’ junior team of three talented young drivers serving their apprenticeship in sports cars: Michael Schumacher with whom Mass shared the winning car in Mexico City BackMcLaren Racing to join the Hypercar fray in 2027McLaren Racing is set to join the Hypercar grid for the 2027 season of the FIA WEC Endurance World Championship with aspirations of a triumphant return to 24 Hours of Le Mans This strategic decision marks a clear statement of intent: McLaren is ready to rekindle the glory days of its endurance racing past the iconic British marque – famed for its bold papaya orange livery – is aiming for a comeback worthy of its illustrious legacy at the Circuit de la Sarthe CEO of McLaren RacingIn that short but impactful statement Zak Brown confirmed McLaren’s return to the world of endurance racing – reviving a deep-rooted connection with both the FIA WEC and the 24 Hours of Le Mans McLaren will join the ever more impressive field of manufacturers competing in the premier league of endurance racing. It will follow Genesis Magma Racing, set to enter in 2026, and make its début alongside Ford The arrival of these high-profile competitors is a testament to the ever-growing allure of the FIA WEC’s Hypercar class and the 24 Hours of Le Mans – a stage where the world’s biggest automotive names battle for supremacy at motorsport’s most iconic race I agree to the use of cookies and similar technologies to serve relevant advertising and improve my service Pay to read The Race without adverts or cookies used for personalised ads By logging in, you agree to our use of third-party and analytics cookies to enhance your experience and improve our services. For more details, please review our Privacy Policy. Jochen Mass, 1970s F1 star and winner of the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix for McLaren, has died, aged 78. Mass enjoyed a long sportscar career during and after his F1 stint (which spanned 1973-1982) and was an early mentor of Michael Schumacher when they raced together at the Sauber-Mercedes team in the late-80s. Mass partnered Stanley Dickens and Manuel Reuter in winning the 1989 Le Mans 24 Hours for the team. After some success in Touring Cars and F2, he had made his F1 debut at the 1973 British Grand Prix, driving for the Surtees team, a partnership which continued into 1974 until he was picked up by McLaren for the last race of the season in preparation for his position at the team in 1975 as the retiring Denny Hulme’s replacement. He achieved some promising results there as number 2 to Emerson Fittipaldi, including what would be the only Grand Prix victory of his career at the tragic race in Montjuich - which was called short of half-distance after Rolf Stommelen’s car crashed into the crowd, killing four spectators. Mass was leading at the time the race was stopped and was declared the winner, with the race carrying only half-points. A sensitive personality, he admitted finding things difficult when the extrovert James Hunt arrived at the team in 1976 as Fittipaldi’s replacement. Mass was nonetheless dominating the German Grand Prix at the 14-mile Nurburgring - having made a brave gamble to start on slick tyres – when the race was stopped for Niki Lauda’s fiery accident. He was following close in the wheel tracks of Hunt in the Fuji title-decider when he aquaplaned out of second. He subsequently raced for ATS, Arrows and Ram as a reliable, safe pair of hands. When driving slowly to the pits during qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder, his car was struck by a flat-out Gilles Villeneuve, the Ferrari driver being killed after being ejected from the car. It lost Mass any appetite he'd held for F1 - and he left at the end of the season. A keen sailor, Mass had amazing upper body strength, demonstrated to spectacular effect when he appeared on the multi-discipline Superstars competition against other athletes. In the medicine ball contest, with a heavy ball thrown from a sitting position and the gym floor marked out in distances, Mass’ ball didn’t even touch the floor - but hit the opposite wall. A real gentleman, he will be greatly missed. Please accept marketing cookies to enable YouTube videos. 2025 Le Mans prototype racecar would be like as a daily driver Fancied popping to the shops in a 963 LMDh It seems Porsche itself just might be working on an actual road-legal Le Mans hypercar There’s no official confirmation from Porsche just a shadowy teaser at the end of a video commemorating 50 years since Porsche 917 chassis no.30 was converted for road use by the factory itself at the behest of Italian business and heir to the Martini empire that car in the murky gloom looks awfully like a 963’s side profile And Porsche tees it up with the question ‘what if?’ just as Count Rossi wondered ‘what if’ a 917 had leather seats treaded tyres and an Alabama license plate Le Mans racers have often blurred the lines between road car and track car In the race’s early days the cars were essentially tuned-up showroom models Porsches and Ferraris from the 1960s have seen a public highway since So have the likes of the McLaren F1 GTR from the 1990s powered by a 4.6-litre bi-turbo V8 and boosted by a 67bhp hybrid motor It won the 2024 World Endurance Championship Turning it into a turn-key road car will be Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. 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Look out for your regular round-up of news No money from the licence fee was used to create this website The profits we make from it go back to BBC programme-makers to help fund great new BBC programmes BBC is a trademark of the British Broadcasting Corporation McLaren to raise awareness for fight against meningitis with special 24H Le Mans livery… United Autosports and McLaren have unveiled a special one-off livery to be used at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the aim of raising awareness for the fight against meningitis purple and blue added to the team’s trademark black and papaya orange The additional colors represent the ‘Meningitis Flag,’ which was co-created by French healthcare and pharmaceuticals company Sanofi the Meningitis Research Foundation charity as well as para-athletes who have been affected by the disease The Le Mans tie-up forms part of an existing partnership between Sanofi and McLaren Racing “Le Mans is the ultimate race against time — just like our fight against meningitis,” said Thomas Triomphe Executive Vice President for vaccines at Sanofi “By bringing the Meningitis Flag to the world stage we’re not just backing a car — we’re supporting a movement the Meningitis Flag colors are also set to be displayed on the overalls that Cottingham Baud and Saucy will wear during the 93rd edition of the French endurance classic “We’re proud to be working closely with our Official Partner Sanofi to support this exciting campaign 30 years since McLaren’s historic victory in 1995,” said Louise McEwen McLaren Racing’s Chief Marketing Officer 59 car out on the iconic Le Mans track in support of this great cause.” Raúl Fernández from the Trackhouse MotoGP Team shows confidence for the French Grand Prix taking place this weekend at the iconic Le Mans circuit who achieved victory at this track during his rookie Moto2 season in 2021 now aims to continue the progress demonstrated in the recent Jerez test ‘After the tricky first rounds this season finally I’m happy to come back to racing in France this weekend,’ stated Fernández showing renewed enthusiasm after completing 84 laps and reporting significant improvements on his Aprilia RS-GP25 during the test day which forms part of the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans layout presents a particular challenge with its compact 4.185-kilometer configuration including several first-gear turns and short straights that demand strong braking and good balance These characteristics will be a true test for the improvements found by the American team Fernández has established clear priorities for the weekend: ‘In Le Mans would like to confirm the good feeling that we found last time out in the Jerez test I aim to feel good with the bike first and then we can see what is possible.’ Raúl scored points in both the Sprint race and the main French Grand Prix With recent technical developments and a focus on positive feelings with the motorcycle the Spanish rider approaches the weekend with realistic optimism about his possibilities at Le Mans Maverick Viñales is preparing for the French Grand Prix with high confidence after recent good results Since Fausto Gresini's passing in 2021 the team bearing his name has gone from strength to strength in MotoGP – also benefitting from Ducati’s powerful machinery Joan Mir highlighted the valuable contribution of Aleix Espargaró who is participating as a wildcard in Jerez underlining the importance of his comments in Honda's development Miguel Oliveira is back on the MotoGP grid and ready to compete this weekend at the French Grand Prix in Le Mans Two of the greatest legends in motorcycle racing history are Giacomo Agostini and Valentino Rossi – the two riders with the most Grand Prix victories © 2025 M Sports - Premium news & magazine M Sports Please enter your username or email address to reset your password © 2025 M Sports - Premium news & magazine M Sports Cadillac will return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June with four Cadillac V-Series.R racecars supported by experienced and championship-winning teams and drivers Event organizer Automobile Club de l’Quest extended the invitations to Cadillac Racing which had three Hypercar entries in the endurance race the past two years will mark 75 years since the first Cadillac entry at Circuit de la Sarthe “We’re thrilled to have Cadillac Racing return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with four cars competing for the overall win in the Hypercar class,” said John Roth “After scoring our first podium finish at this iconic endurance race in 2023 and securing a top 10 finish last year we look to build on that success and showcase the Cadillac V-Series.R’s technology Cadillac Racing’s roster features drivers who have earned overall and class victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans plus FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship titles among other motorsports accolades The Nos. 12 and 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.Rs received automatic invitations based on full-season participation in the WEC JOTA Sport is in its first year of WEC Hypercar competition as a works team Norman Nato and Will Stevens will be the drivers 101 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R a full-season IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship entrant in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class will compete at Le Mans for the first time Ricky Taylor is listed as the primary driver with the remainder of the lineup to be announced later 311 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R is a full-season IMSA GTP entry campaigned by Action Express Racing that will return to Le Mans for the third consecutive year Jack Aitken is listed as the primary driver with the rest of the lineup to be announced later In its first season of WEC Hypercar competition in 2023 Cadillac Racing entries finished third and fourth Cadillac Hypercars qualified second and third and registered a best finish of seventh 12 and 38 Hertz Team JOTA entries placed eighth and ninth Before entering Hypercar competition as a privateer in 2023 JOTA Sport earned podiums at Le Mans 10 times in LMP2 including second- and third-place finishes in 2017 The Cadillac V-Series.R features a purpose-built Cadillac 5.5L DOHC V-8 engine developed by GM’s Performance and Racing Propulsion team based in Pontiac was informed by the Project GTP Hypercar that was unveiled in June 2022 It incorporates distinctive Cadillac design elements such as vertical lighting and floating blades The first Cadillacs that raced at Le Mans were entered by Briggs Cunningham and Miles and Sam Collier in 1950 Both Series 61 coupes were powered by the Cadillac 5.4-liter OHV V-8 engine 2 “Le Monstre” with Phil Walters and finished 11th finished third overall in the Cadillac-powered Allard J2 Please view your lighbox to modify the assets It is recommended that you download your current lightbox contents and clear its assets to add more Go to my lightbox | I understand & close window Overhead view of the four Cadillac V-Series.R racecars to compete at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans The Portuguese rider returns aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1 with the Prima Pramac Yamaha team having recovered from a left shoulder injury The injury – a dislocated sternoclavicular ligament – occurred following a crash during the Sprint Race of the Argentine Grand Prix Oliveira has missed three consecutive rounds: the Americas he was replaced by Yamaha Factory Racing’s test rider A final MRI in Milan at the end of last week confirmed the full recovery of his shoulder Oliveira will still need to pass the standard medical check at the circuit’s medical center on Thursday before officially resuming his place in the garage once again under the guidance of race engineer Luca Ferraccioli The Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP team publicly expressed its gratitude to Augusto Fernandez for his dedication and professionalism throughout the past weeks The Spanish rider analysed the performance of his bike during the Spanish Grand Prix identifying the fast corners and the traction points as the main assets for his.. Jack Miller didn't hide his admiration for Fabio Quartararo's performance at the Spanish GP while also sharing insights about his own approach to improving on the Yamaha The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team rider finished in 13th position at the Spanish Grand Prix managing to complete the race despite pain from the crash suffered on.. Let’s restart our chronographs for a moment winding the proverbial watch back to 2023… We thought Rolex had played its hand in early April of 2023 at Watches and Wonders with its “Emoji” Day-Date, “Celebration” Oyster Perpetual, and 1908 All of these would have been perfectly good headliner releases for the year Little did we know that the pièce de résistance would come out one random day in June of that year Kevin Mazur/Getty ImagesThe “Le Mans” Daytona made in celebration of 100 years of the famous 24-hour endurance race The design is inspired by vintage Daytona designs and bespeckled with tiny Easter eggs and broke the collective mind of the horological internet while sending collectors into an absolute tizzy And if you thought it was tough to secure a $15K steel Daytona try snagging one of these highly limited-production totems of Swiss-made beauty they were quickly trading on the secondary market for a cool quarter-milly But, wait, there’s more! Take a look at the “100” index on the watch’s tachymeter bezel and you’ll notice it’s in red to highlight the 100th anniversary of Le Mans. (It also matches the red “Daytona” text, a feature of current-production Daytonas but also a reference to vintage “Big Red” versions such as the beloved ref. 6263.) No doubt it’s this special model’s many little quirks that caught the eye of Sheeran, who wore his white gold version at the 2025 Time100 Gala this week, and Hart, who wore his yellow gold version while seated courtside at the Nuggets-Clippers game this week. And to be fair to these two gentlemen, this is a killer watch. Handsome and heavy, it’s the type piece that every Rolex is desperate to own. Porsche is planning something big. The company on Friday released a video teasing what looks to be a street-legal version of its Le Mans-competing 963 endurance race car This wouldn't be the first time Porsche turned its mid-engine enduro car into a street-legal machine. Exactly 50 years ago, the company's flat-12-powered 917 took to public roads for the first time It was the result of a project within Porsche to fulfill the request of a customer who wanted to drive Porsche's rowdy race car on the street was originally used to go racing before the factory converted for road use at the request of Italian businessman and Martine heir Gregorio Rossi di Montelera and equipped with stuff like side indicators The two seats were refinished in tan leather sourced from Hermès while the rest of the interior was coated in suede The car recently underwent a full mechanical restoration and is still enjoyed on the road by its current owner The company seems keen to revive the tradition of making its Le Mans cars street-legal flashing a silhouette at the end of the video of what appears to be a 963 alongside this statement: As its descendent enjoys success on the track today the spirit and desire within Porsche that allowed the creation of a 917 for the road all that time ago remains very much alive five decades on—prompting the question: what if Porsche suggests a full reveal will happen in June Lotus Emira With Yellow Exhaust Tips Pays Tribute to an F1 GOAT The New AMG Electric Super Sedan Is Almost Here The Cadillac Celestiq Will Be as Rare as a Bugatti Back2025 24 Hours of Le Mans: five women on the gridToday International Women’s Rights Day (8 March) is the right time to train the spotlight on the women taking part in the 93rd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans adding to the 65 others who have taken part in the race since it began in 1923 Triple W series champion Jamie Chadwick boasts an illustrious single-seater career She won the MRF Challenge Formula 2000 in 2019 UK is just at ease at the wheel of a sportscar She triumphed in the British G4 championship in 2015 with Ross Gunn now an Aston Martin factory driver and won her class at the 2019 24 Hours of Nürburgring “I think we can be proud of how far our sport has come I’m looking forward to sharing the track with other talented women and to work with the women on our team The first woman to win an FIA World Endurance Championship race — the 2023 TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps — Lilou Wadoux continues her route to stardom as Ferrari factory driver the French woman will be one to watch in the LMGT3 class at the wheel of the Richard Mille AF Corse #150 Ferrari 296 The Iron Dames pursue their participation in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This year they have the backing of Manthey Racing one of the most successful Porsche customer teams the Iron Dames claimed victory with the German brand at the Bapco 8 Hours of Bahrain They are back at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with refuelled ambitions and a team that combines experience with emerging talent The #85 Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 will be in the hands of Célia Martin They will be aiming to top the LMGT3 tables 65 women have competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1935 race boasted ten women competitors Odette Siko’s fourth place overall in 1932 still resonates today It is rare in the sporting world to see men and women compete on an equal footing Rahel Frey and Michelle Gatting do just that fully at home on the grid of the world’s greatest endurance race