The start of the race was marked by the impressive pace of the Porsche 963 Porsche Penske Motorsport, but nothing was decided after an hour of racing .

Incisive Porsche

Once the safety car was cleared, the competitors engaged in a very disciplined battle in the opening moments. Without waiting, Julien Andlauer, who started third in the #5 Porsche 963, overtook the two Cadillac Hertz Team Jota and thus led the battle. He even managed to open up a gap of more than six seconds, thanks to a series of very fast laps. Will Stevens, in the #12 Cadillac V-Series.R, held on and responded to Andlauer's times but without really making any progress. Kévin Estre, in the #6 Porsche, put on a show  : 21st at the start, he was 5th after an hour.

The #007 Aston Martin THOR Valkyrie opens the pit stops after just five laps due to a slow puncture . After six laps, the leaders have already taken a lap off the last LMGT3s. It is very difficult to differentiate yourself in the traffic, but some drivers are taking all the risks: Sébastien Buemi, who started 10th in the #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 Hybrid, is forced to go outside the limits before Mulsanne to avoid contact.

The cards were reshuffled after the first pit stop. The #5 Porsche was still in the lead, but its gap to the #12 Cadillac had been halved . Shortly before 5 p.m., Paul Di Resta lost his #93 Peugeot TotalEnergies Peugeot 9X8 entering the Porsche corner, but managed to save the day by barely hitting the tire wall after crossing the gravel trap. He had to briefly return to the pits to replace his lost bonnet.

Mathias Beche as boss

The start of the LMP2 race was summed up by a magnificent performance by Mathias Beche (Oreca 07 – Gibson #29 TDS Racing), who started from pole position in his category. After four laps, the Swiss driver already had a lead of more than five seconds over his closest rival, namely Louis Delétraz in the Oreca 07 #199 AO by TF "Spike", who moved into second place after beating the Oreca #43 Inter Europol Competition.

Big scare for the #22 United Autosport Oreca: David Heinemeier-Hansson tries to pass Christopher Frogatt in the #193 Ziggo Sport Tempesta Ferrari 296 LMGT3 at the Dunlop chicane, but the two touch at the apex. They end up spinning in the middle of the track . Fortunately, the others manage to avoid them. Inter Europol Competition inherits the first position thanks to the pit stop of the #29 Oreca.

An Aston Martin breakaway in LMGT3

As usual, the LMGT3 field offers spectacular battles, but the leader is not worried . Mattia Drudi, in the #27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3, takes advantage of his Hyperpole to open up a gap of several seconds in the first half hour. Behind, however, there is a fierce battle. The #78 Akkodis ASP Team Lexus RC-F LMGT3 is battling with the #61 Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG LMGT3, but the #46 Team WRT BMW M4 LMGT3 has not said its last word.

In the pit stop game, the #78 Lexus inherits the lead at 5 p.m.

Top 5 of the general classification at 5 p.m  .:

1. Porsche 963 #5 Porsche Penske Motorsport – Julien Andlauer / Michael Christensen / Mathieu Jaminet – 17 laps
2. Cadillac V-Series.R #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA – Will Stevens / Norman Nato / Alex Lynn – + 5''986
3. Cadillac V-Series.R #38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA – Earl Bamber / Sébastien Bourdais / Jenson Button – + 10''969
4. Ferrari 499P #50 Ferrari-AF Corse – Antonio Fuoco / Nicklas Nielsen / Miguel Molina – + 11''874
5. Porsche 963 #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport – Kévin Estre / Laurens Vanthoor / Matt Campbell – + 12''508

Leaders of other categories  :

• LMP2: Oreca 07-Gibson #43 Inter Europol Competition – Jakub Smiechowski / Tom Dillmann / Nick Yelloly – 17 laps
• LMGT3: Lexus RC F LMGT3 #78 Akkodis ASP Team – Arnold Robin / Jack Hawksworth / Finn Gehrsitz – 15 laps

Before the start of the grid placement procedure, the spectacle was everywhere: on the track and off, with more than 300,000 people attending Le Mans, the world capital of the automobile this weekend. The grid saw many personalities strolling to enjoy this very special atmosphere (among them Orlando Bloom, GMK, Nicolas Duvauchelle, Michèle Laroque, and Mathieu Kassovitz).
 
A true technological laboratory for more than 100 years, the event is an opportunity for manufacturers to showcase their advances in sustainable mobility. As if to anticipate the future of endurance racing, two hours before the start of the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans, a demonstration of hydrogen prototypes took place, with the participation of the Alpine Alpenglow Hy6 and the Ligier JS2 RH2. As a passenger in the Alpenglow, Richard Mille, President of the FIA ​​Endurance Commission, was welcomed after his "discovery" of zero-emission racing by Luca De Meo, CEO of Renault Group, and Jean-Dominique Sénard, President of Renault Group.   
 
At 1:30 p.m., the competitors began lining up on the starting line. The tension was starting to mount. All eyes then turned to the 24 Hours of Le Mans Trophy, presented to everyone on the starting grid. As is tradition, the defending winners (Ferrari) took it home, once again up for grabs. If the Prancing Horse brand were to win a third consecutive edition, it would be able to retain the trophy. 
 
A few minutes before the start, two Rafales from the French Navy flew over the track. A highlight that marked the start of the formation lap. The pressure continued to mount for the 186 drivers as the minutes ticked by, and it was Yannick Dalmas, Grand Marshal of the edition , who led the competitors for a final lap before the release.
 
The cars in all categories (Hypercar, LMP2 and LMGT3), run on the 100% renewable fuel Excellium Racing 100 developed specifically by TotalEnergies, multi-energy partner of the event. A few seconds before the start, the cars approached the starting line at reduced speed. A final moment of tension, then the release. The greatest endurance race in the world is underway again. It will deliver its verdict, very uncertain, in 24 hours .