After 14 hours of Prologue testing, the field for the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship looks as competitive as ever, with many manufacturers closing the gap to the front-runners. While the dominance of Toyota, Ferrari, and Porsche in Hypercar may be fading, progress from BMW, Alpine, Peugeot, and Cadillac has leveled the playing field, creating an exciting prospect for the upcoming season.
Testing results from the modified Lusail circuit showed a diverse mix at the top of the timing screens, with Ferrari, Cadillac, Porsche, and BMW all leading different sessions. The top 10 fastest cars, spanning six different manufacturers, were separated by less than a second, signaling the intense competition ahead. BMW’s Robin Frijns posted the best lap, with several cars breaking last year’s pole time, promising thrilling qualifying sessions ahead.
BMW M Team WRT’s boss, Vincent Vosse, is optimistic about the team’s progress but cautions against overconfidence. Toyota, despite not leading in raw speed, continued to dominate in mileage, completing the most laps during the test. They remain a strong contender despite not being the fastest in testing, with a reputation for strategic excellence.
In terms of driver performance, Robert Kubica of AF Corse had the most track time, with 183 laps, followed by Jean-Eric Vergne and others. The Aston Martin Valkyries, though brand new to the Hypercar class, made a strong debut with consistent performance and impressive reliability.
In LMGT3, Lexus surprised by topping both Friday sessions, while Corvette and Ferrari claimed the fastest times on Saturday, indicating a closely contested class. As the season kicks off, the Prologue has set the stage for an unpredictable and thrilling championship battle.
The 2025 WEC Prologue has set the stage for what promises to be a highly competitive season, with tight timesheets and some noteworthy incidents and progress to digest. In LMGT3, the top 12 cars were separated by a mere second, showcasing the competitiveness of the class. Simon Mann’s time in the No. 21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari led the pack, but it was still slightly off last year’s pole time. Ben Keating in the No. 33 Corvette was the quickest bronze driver, showing considerable progress as he settled into the TF Sport team.
Ryan Hardwick, who competed in the Asian Le Mans Series before the Prologue, was a standout in LMGT3 with the most laps completed — 154 — in the No. 92 Manthey 1st Phorm Porsche. The No. 77 Proton Ford Mustang, unfortunately, was sidelined due to a fire, missing three sessions. The Iron Lynx team also impressed, with its new AMG GT3 cars posting strong lap counts, though they still have work ahead for the competitive weeks to come.
On the Hypercar side, the competition has significantly tightened, with many teams pushing the limits. However, Porsche faced a setback with an engine failure in the No. 6 963. Despite this, they remain optimistic about their progress, having completed 75% of their planned test program. The race could be even more unpredictable with several teams in contention, with Porsche and BMW in the mix alongside long-standing contenders Toyota, Ferrari, and Peugeot.
In the LMGT3 category, Proton Competition’s No. 77 Mustang and Racing Spirit of Leman’s Aston Martin are undergoing extensive repairs after unfortunate incidents. The Mustang is being rebuilt after a fire, while the Racing Spirit of Leman team is addressing front-end damage from an off-track incident. Both teams are confident they’ll be ready for the upcoming Free Practice session on Wednesday.
With the three days of testing now in the books, teams are looking ahead to race preparations, and it’s clear that nearly every team could have a shot at victory. The next few days will see final tweaks and evaluations before the season’s first race in Qatar, and with how close the competition is, it really does feel like it could be anyone’s game.