The 2025 season of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) ended in success for Cadillac at Monza, which replaced the traditional race in Bahrain. With over 75,000 spectators present during a weekend marked by cold and rain, the Brianza circuit once again demonstrated its love for this category. Victory went to the Cadillac number 38 crew, made up of Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber and Sébastien Bourdais, with the Frenchman in his last race in the WEC. Second place went to Alpine number 36 of Jules Gounon and Victor Martins, while Ferrari 499P number 51 of Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi climbed onto the podium in third place, after a penalty was given to Aston Martin, which had crossed the finish line ahead of them.
For the world champions in the constructors’ standings, Toyota, it was a difficult Sunday, finishing eleventh and twelfth. However, this did not change the situation in the drivers’ standings, crowning Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa as champions. For the first two this was their third title, while for the Japanese driver it was his third as well. Ferrari finished third in the constructors’ standings, failing to overtake BMW but holding off Cadillac for the position. In the drivers’ standings, Pier Guidi-Calado-Giovinazzi were eighth, while Fuoco-Molina-Nielsen were ninth. After two days of bad weather, Sunday in Monza was without clear skies and with slightly higher temperatures. The race start saw Miguel Molina, starting from pole position with Ferrari number 50, lose the lead immediately.
The race was characterized by many interruptions, including safety car and neutralizations, to recover cars that had crashed or stopped on track due to technical problems. The Cadillac number 38 crew controlled every restart, firmly holding the lead during the stints of Aitken, Sébastien Bourdais and Earl Bamber, resisting challenges from Alpine and BMW. Meanwhile, the race of Ferrari 499P number 50 and AF Corse number 83 was compromised by a tyre pressure problem, leading to a forced pit stop and then a 20-second penalty, forcing them into a recovery race. In the final hour of the race, positions consolidated, with Bamber ahead of the French car of Victor Martins. Aston Martin Valkyrie number 007, driven by Tom Gamble, made an impressive final stint, but a 20-second post-race penalty for incorrect tyre pressure and another of 145 seconds for exceeding the maximum energy use per stint deprived the English team of a first-place podium finish. Thus, Ferrari number 51 finished third.
In the LMGT3 class, the title was still in contention. It was won by Corvette number 33, where only Jonny Edgar was crowned champion, as his two teammates did not take part in all the races. Third place at the finish was enough for the Englishman to hold off Porsche number 92.
Taken from La Gazzetta dello Sport