BMW secured the overall lead into the 19th hour after the safety car was deployed by a Porsche GT3 crash at the exit of the first Mulsanne chicane.
BMW retains top position under safety‑car
Inside the safety‑car bubble, Robin Frijns commanded the front in the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8, having benefited from earlier morning incidents that hampered rivals.
The #12 Cadillac V Series.R incurred a slow‑zone penalty, while the #8 Toyota TR010 Hybrid suffered a setback in the pits, where front‑left brake drums were replaced.
The extended pit stop for Toyota dropped Ryo Hirakawa behind the sister #7 car, then under Kamui Kobayashi.
Class leaders and major incidents
In the hypercar field, the earlier‑out‑of‑race Ferrari #50 499P halted behind the safety‑car, requiring marshals to push it off the track and ending its run as the 2024 race winner.
AF Corse’s satellite #83 499P kept fourth place, staying ahead of the factory entry despite their turmoil.
LMP2 saw the #30 Duqueine Oreca maintain the lead, chased by two Inter Europol Orecas.
LMGT3 front row featured Nicky Catsburg’s #33 Corvette Z06 GT3.R, followed by the Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 (#27) and the #78 ASP Lexus RC F GT3 (#78) with Hadrien David at the wheel.
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