The Hypercar class is the top-tier in the FIA World Endurance Championship, pitting cutting-edge, purpose-built racing prototypes piloted by professional drivers against each other in a sensational spectacle of sporting prowess.
The regulations are focused on controlling performance, allowing participants to choose costeffective solutions since significant expenditure does not translate to performance gains – a strategy that ensures a level playing field across the grid.
After honours were shared evenly between Ferrari,Porsche and Toyota in 2024, another scintillating scrap for supremacy is on the cards in the 18-strong Hypercar division. In addition to last year’s title-winning and Le Mansconquering marques, Alpine, BMW and Peugeot are eager to build upon their promising progress by challenging for victory, Cadillac has doubled up to a two-car effort by joining forces with Hertz Team JOTA and Aston Martin enters the fray with a pair of striking Valkyries.
3 TITLES ARE UP FOR GRABS
Competitors do battle for the FIA Hypercar World Endurance Drivers’ Championship and FIA Hypercar World Endurance Manufacturers’ Championship, with privately entered outfits contesting the FIA World Cup for Hypercar Teams.
Replacing the long-standing LMGTE regulations, LMGT3 joined the FIA World Endurance Championship package in 2024 and proved to be an immediate success.
Based around the FIA’s global GT3 technical platform, the focus is on private teams and Pro-Am driver lineups, represented by a blend of emerging young talents and gentlemen drivers inside the cockpit. The cars – race-tuned versions of recognisable road-going models – feature a number of FIA WEC-specific adaptations such as digital display panels, and are all equipped with Goodyear tyres.
A category that debuted in FIA WEC in 2024 – with eight different brands celebrating podium finishes over the course of the campaign – looks set to go from strength to strength in 2025.
Aston Martin, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Lexus, McLaren and Porsche are all back for more, joined in the 18-car field by Mercedes- AMG. The German manufacturer is making its series debut and will return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans – a race it won outright in both 1952 and 1989 – for the first time in more than two-and-a-half decades…
FIA ENDURANCE TROPHY FOR LMGT3 TEAMS / FIA ENDURANCE TROPHY FOR LMGT3 DRIVERS
While drivers in this category also do battle for the Goodyear Wingfoot Award, recognising the fastest average lap times during the course of their stints behind the wheel in each race – with an overall champion come season’s end.
Alpine
In 2025, Alpine returns for its second Hypercar season with two 3.4-litre Mechachrome-powered A424s. After a strong 2024, including a podium at Fuji and a fourth-place finish at Bahrain, the team adds Frederic Makowiecki from Porsche. A five-time WEC class winner and 2022 Le Mans 24 Hours champion, Makowiecki joins regulars Mick Schumacher, Paul-Loup Chatin, Jules Gounon, Ferdinand Habsburg, and Charles Milesi. The team, led by Philippe Sinault, also gains the insight of former driver Nicolas Lapierre, who retired after a podium at Fuji.
Aston Martin
Aston Martin returns to the top class of sportscars in 2025 under the Aston Martin THOR stable, aiming to repeat its iconic 1959 Le Mans win with the Valkyrie Hypercar. Powered by a 6.5-litre V12 engine, the Valkyrie will make its race debut in 2025.
The #007 car features Harry Tincknell and Tom Gamble for a full WEC campaign, with Ross Gunn joining for selected races. The #009 car will see Marco Sorensen and Alex Riberas, with Roman de Angelis joining for Qatar and Le Mans.
In 2025, two Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3 cars will compete. The #27 Heart of Racing team, led by Ian James, adds teammates Zacharie Robichon and Mattia Drudi. Racing Spirit of Leman, with rookies Derek Deboer, Valentin Hase Clot, and Eduardo Barrichello (son of Rubens Barrichello), enters WEC after Barrichello's success in South American Stock Car.
BMW
The BMW M Hybrid V8 made a strong finish to the 2024 season, with the #15 car achieving its first podium. For 2025, Kevin Magnussen replaces Marco Wittmann in the #15 car, alongside Dries Vanthoor and Raffaele Marciello. The #20 car maintains its lineup with Robin Frijns, Rene Rast, and Sheldon van der Linde for a second season together.
Team WRT continues to oversee BMW’s endurance campaign, which began strongly with a pole and podium at the 2024 Rolex 24 at Daytona. The team also returns with the BMW M4 LMGT3, having secured BMW's first WEC win at Imola.
In the #31 car, Augusto Farfus is joined by Yasser Shahin and Timur Boguslavskiy, forming "The Ben Team WRT" in honor of The Bend Motorsport Park. Meanwhile, the #46 BMW M4 features MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi, Ahmed Al Harthy, and new factory driver Kelvin van der Linde, who moves from Akkodis ASP.
Cadillac
For 2025, American muscle returns with a new golden look thanks to Cadillac's partnership with UK-based JOTA. Now known as Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA, the team shifts from Chip Ganassi Racing and the 5.5-litre V8-powered Cadillac V-Series R Hypercar.
Cadillac, with a rich racing history dating back to 1950, recently earned a podium at Le Mans in 2023 and a pole at Fuji with Alex Lynn. Lynn stays for 2025 but is joined by Norman Nato and Will Stevens in the #28 car. Earl Bamber teams up with Sebastien Bourdais and 2009 F1 World Champion Jenson Button in the #31 car.
Corvette
The Corvette Z06 returns for LMGT3 action in 2025 as TF Sport aims to bounce back from a challenging 2024 season. Managed by Tom Ferrier, the British team has reshaped its lineup, bringing in multiple WEC champion Ben Keating for the #33 car, alongside Daniel Juncadella and 2024 ELMS LMP2 champion Johnny Edgar.
The sister Corvette will feature familiar TF Sport drivers Charlie Eastwood, Rui Andrade, and Tom van Rompuy, who earned a second-place finish in the LMGT3 class at the 2024 BAPCO 8 Hours of Bahrain.
Ferrari
Ferrari has had an unforgettable return to Le Mans, securing back-to-back wins with the #51 and #50 Ferrari 499Ps. However, outside of La Sarthe, victories have been elusive, with the breakthrough win at COTA last year coming from the #83 AF Corse Ferrari.
For 2025, Ferrari’s driver line-ups remain unchanged. Antonio Giovinazzi, Alessandro Pier Guidi, and James Calado will share the #51 car, while Miguel Molina, Antonio Fuoco, and Nicklas Nielsen continue with the #50 car. Phil Hanson joins Robert Kubica and Yifei Ye in the #83 car, after switching from Hertz Team Jota.
Ferrari also saw success in LMGT3, with the #54 VISTA AF Corse Ferrari 296 taking a victory in 2024. Thomas Flohr, Davide Rigon, and Francesco Castellacci will remain together for a third season. The #21 VISTA AF Corse entry, with Francois Heriau, Alessio Rovera, and Simon Mann, will race with a new number this season, after winning the LMGT3 race at the 2024 Bahrain finale.
With its powerful twin-turbo V6 engine, Ferrari is expected to continue its winning ways in 2025.
Ford
The Mustang returns stronger in 2025, ready to compete in the ultra-competitive LMGT3 category with its 5.4-litre V8 engine. Run by Proton Competition and engineered by Multimatic in collaboration with Ford Performance, two Mustangs will be on the grid this season.
After a learning year in 2024, the team has started 2025 with a promising victory in the GTD Pro class at Daytona, setting the stage for an exciting season ahead.
Lexus
Lexus, Toyota’s luxury brand, has made a strong entry into the growing LMGT3 category. Managed by the French Akkodis ASP team, owned by former racer Jerome Policand, the team faced challenges in 2024 but also displayed impressive speed, securing four points finishes.
McLaren
McLaren returned to world championship-level sportscar racing in 2024, entering two 720S LMGT3 cars with customer team United Autosports. For 2025, the lineup changes with Sebastien Baud, Darren Leung, and Sean Gelael joining 2024 drivers Gregoire Saucy, Marino Sato, and James Cottingham.
Leung, Gelael, and Sato will race in the No.95 car, while Cottingham, Saucy, and Baud will drive the No.59 car. United Autosports and McLaren aim to build on the promising debut season in LMGT3, chasing their first victory after a podium finish in 2024.
2025 also marks the 30th anniversary of McLaren’s iconic Le Mans victory with Yannick Dalmas, Masanori Sekiya, and JJ Lehto in one of the wettest races at La Sarthe.
Mercedes
German giant Mercedes returns to WEC in 2025, marking its first full-time Le Mans appearance since 1999. The two Mercedes AMG LMGT3 Evo cars will be operated by Iron Lynx, who previously raced Lamborghinis. With a rich heritage in endurance racing, Mercedes' return after 26 years adds a highly anticipated presence to the WEC grid.
Peugeot
Peugeot aims to climb back to the top in 2025 after a mixed few seasons, with only two third-place finishes to show for their efforts. The new Peugeot 9X8 Hybrid Hypercar, now featuring a conventional rear wing, debuted at Imola in 2024 and showed promise in the final races, with fourth and third-place finishes at Fuji and Bahrain for the Jean-Eric Vergne, Mikkel Jensen, and Nico Muller car.
For 2025, fresh line-ups are introduced. Paul di Resta joins Vergne and Jensen in the #93 car, while Danish talent Malthe Jakobsen replaces Muller in the #94 car alongside Stoffel Vandoorne and Loic Duval.
Porsche
Porsche, the most successful manufacturer in global endurance racing, aims to defend its WEC drivers' crown in 2025 and capture a long-awaited 20th Le Mans victory. The Porsche Penske team, which won two races in 2023 with the #6 Porsche 963, will see major driver changes in 2025. Andre Lotterer and Frederic Makowiecki make way for young talents, including Julien Andlauer, who impressed with Proton Competition, joining Michael Christensen for a full season. Mathieu Jaminet also joins for the longer races.
The #6 car's title-defending duo, Laurens Vanthoor and Kevin Estre, will be joined by Matt Campbell for Qatar, Le Mans, and Bahrain. Proton Competition will race a customer Porsche 963 with Neel Jani, Nicolas Varrone, and Nicolas Pino, who aim to make a name for themselves.
Manthey returns with two cars, one under the official Iron Dames banner and the other as Manthey 1st Phorm. The Iron Dames, now with Celia Martin joining Michelle Gatting and Rahel Frey, return to Porsche for a fourth season. The 1st Phorm car features a strong lineup of Ryan Hardwick, Richard Lietz, and Riccardo Pera, combining experience and speed.
Toyota
Toyota secured its fourth consecutive Hypercar Manufacturers' title in a thrilling finish at Bahrain last November, with Sebastien Buemi delivering a memorable performance in the final stages. This victory was a significant achievement for the Japanese manufacturer, which has been a dominant force in the FIA WEC since its debut in 2012, with six drivers' titles, five Le Mans wins, and seven manufacturers' crowns.
In 2025, Toyota Gazoo Racing will continue with its Toyota GR010-Hybrid Hypercar and retain an unchanged driver lineup. Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi (also team principal), and Nyck de Vries will race the #7 car, while Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa will compete in the #8 car.
FREE PRACTICE
Before qualifying, there are practice sessions where teams can test the car, adjust settings, and assess track conditions.
QUALIFYING & HYPERPOLE
For 2025, an enhanced qualifying format will see Hypercar and LMGT3 classes feature two sessions each. Both classes will have a 12-minute qualifying followed by a 10-minute-long Hyperpole for the top 10 qualifiers that will decide the pole position winners.
POLE POSITION
The pole position is the first position on the starting grid of the race. It is awarded to the driver who sets the fastest time during Hyperpole, meaning they start at the front of the race.
According to their race record and achievements, the drivers of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) are categorized by a dedicated committee of the FIA as follows: Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze.
Hypercar: No Bronze drivers admitted
LMGT3: A crew of two or three drivers including at east one Bronze driver, plus another Bronze driver or a Silver driver
PLATINUM DRIVER
A Platinum driver is the highest category in the FIA driver classification, and it includes the most experienced and highest-performing drivers in the motorsport world.
These drivers are often living legends of the sport, with highly successful international careers. They have exceptional experience in high-level races, including competitions like Formula 1, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, or other prestigious endurance events.
GOLD DRIVER
A Gold driver is a very high-level driver. These drivers are often those who have dominated prestigious championships like Formula 1, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, or other major series. They are considered world-class athletes, capable of performing at very high levels, even in the most demanding races.
SILVER DRIVER
A Silver driver has significant experience but are still considered to have areas to improve compared to the world’s best drivers (Gold and Platinum). A Silver driver may have good results in lower-tier series but still lacks consistency or exceptional performance on the global stage. They may also be a young driver starting to climb the ranks in motorsport.
BRONZE DRIVER
A Bronze driver is generally a less experienced driver, often older or who has not yet reached a skill level comparable to that of more experienced drivers. The FIA assigns this category to drivers who do not have impressive results in major international races or lack significant performance statistics in high-level series. Bronze drivers are often considered beginners or amateurs in the professional setting.
Michelin
Michelin has been the technical partner of the FIA WEC since its foundation in 2012. Endurance racing aligns perfectly with the Michelin Group’s ‘all-sustainable’ vision and reflects the values of ‘long-lasting performance’ embodied by the Michelin tires designed every day.
Michelin sees motorsport in general, and endurance racing, as a means to accelerate innovation. The technological relevance of the current regulations has attracted numerous manufacturers. Thus, FIA WEC provides a unique platform to strengthen Michelin’s partnerships with the world’s leading automotive brands and to accelerate the transfer of Michelin’s innovations to road-going vehicles and tires, while the strong growth in the number of fans allows Michelin to showcase those innovations to an ever-growing audience.
Goodyear
In 2024, Goodyear played a pivotal role as the exclusive tyre supplier for the new LMGT3 category, delivering a compound that balanced durability and performance. The debut season saw five different LMGT3 winners and a historic first appearance at Le Mans, where some drivers completed five stints on a single tyre. Goodyear also became the first WEC tyre supplier to earn the FIA’s top 3-star environmental accreditation. At Le Mans, 39 of 62 starters raced on Goodyear tyres, including all 16 LMP2 entries. Manthey PureRxcing claimed the first LMGT3 title with drivers Klaus Bachler, Alex Malykhin, and Joel Sturm.
Goodyear will support nine LMGT3 manufacturers in 2025, including Mercedes-AMG joining the grid. LMP2 returns to the WEC at Le Mans, and a new ‘Compound C’ slick tyre debuts, offering greater durability. The season kicks off in Sao Paulo, followed by COTA and the Bahrain finale, with proven 2024 compounds used elsewhere. Goodyear continues to ensure performance balance across car layouts, while road tyre development benefits from racing innovation.
In 2022, the FIA WEC adopted a new fuel (Excellium Racing 100) which is now in its second year of competition. This 100% renewable fuel produced by TotalEnergies will be produced on bioethanol basis made from wine residues from the French agricultural industry, and from ETBE produced at TotalEnergies' Feyzin refinery near Lyon (France) from feedstock also sourced from the circular economy. This will allow for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions savings of at least 65% compared with traditional fossil fuels.
6-Hour Race
1st: 25 points
2nd: 18 points
3rd: 15 points
4th: 12 points
5th: 10 points
6th: 8 points
7th: 6 points
8th: 4 points
9th: 2 points
10th: 1 point
8-Hour or 10-Hour Race (or 1812 km)
1st: 38 points
2nd: 27 points
3rd: 23 points
4th: 18 points
5th: 15 points
6th: 12 points
7th: 9 points
8th: 6 points
9th: 3 points
10th: 2 points
24 Hours of Le Mans
1st: 50 points
2nd: 36 points
3rd: 30 points
4th: 24 points
5th: 20 points
6th: 16 points
7th: 12 points
8th: 8 points
9th: 4 points
10th: 2 points
An additional point will be awarded, at each Competition, to the "pole position" team in each category (best time achieved by the car in each category during qualifying, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans Hyperpole, with the exception of additional cars) , as well as to all the drivers making up the crew of the car concerned.
