The Race

F1 Extra: Kubica's Ferrari redemption - and the controversy that hangs over Le Mans win

Added 2025-06-17 18:07:09 +0000 UTC

We're drifting slightly off topic in this episode of F1 Extra, but we hope you'll forgive us as we take a closer look at former F1 favourite Robert Kubica's first Le Mans 24 Hours victory with Ferrari.

Host Edd Straw welcomes The Race's endurance correspondent Thibaut Villemant and editor Valentin Khorounzhiy, who were both on-site at the Circuit de la Sarthe covering the 2025 edition of the iconic marathon.

Kubica, of course, looked set to drive for Ferrari in F1 before he was badly injured in a rally crash in 2011, so his victory has been widely celebrated. But just how good was his performance in the 24 hours, and how did Ferrari's third squad, which also featured Ye Yifei and Phil Hanson, beat its more acclaimed two factory cars?

Also, did this year's Balance of Performance in the top class make Ferrari's route to a third successive victory too simple - and how much of a concern is one of its cars being disqualified post-race for a technical irregularity?

Villemant and Khorounzhiy discuss this, and praise the other standout crew of the event.

They also take their time to assess how each of the Hypercar manufacturers fared, and talk about the performances of recent F1 drivers Mick Schumacher and Kevin Magnussen - as well as discuss a Magnussen team-mate you need to know about.