Results don't tell the whole story of the Spa 6 Hour

Spa’s final result sheet doesn’t paint a complete picture.

The 2025 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps saw Ferrari claim a third victory in a row, and the No. 51 499P become the first car to win consecutive FIA WEC races overall since the No. 7 Toyota did so at Monza and Fuji two seasons ago.

Points standings in Hypercar are beginning to look ominous for seven of the eight Hypercar brands. The top three positions in the drivers standings are occupied by the three Ferrari crews, and the reigning champions in the No. 6 Porsche sit 13th. In the Manufacturers’ race, Ferrari has amassed 136 points and pulled away from Toyota, which is a distant second with 71.

But there was far more to take away from Saturday’s encounter in the Ardennes than the Prancing Horse’s 1-2 sweep. This was a magnificent endurance race, which served as a significant progress marker for several teams searching for their first victories in the current era.

Since AF Corse’s dominant 1-2-3 finish at Qatar, the other brands have found ways to take the fight to the 499Ps to the final lap, carving out opportunities to claim podium finishes or better through strategic nous and/or head-turning performances in the cockpit.

The Balance of Performance adjustments through the opening races have certainly played a part in Ferrari’s edge, and question marks remain over the gaps between some of the cars. But the victories haven’t been handed over on a silver platter, the AF Corse team has had to work hard for them all.

Action was fierce out on track throughout this year’s dress rehearsal for Le Mans. The crowd on hand, almost 100,000 strong, was treated to countless battles up and down the order and generous servings of aggressive driving.

Becoming increasingly clear as the race wore on — many drivers from Ferrari’s rivals in the top class could smell a potential upset brewing, pushing themselves — and AF Corse’s drivers — to the limit in pursuit of silverware.

“It was exciting in the car. Everyone was battling hard and trying to be fair, but when you’re side by side going into Eau Rouge, one of the most dangerous corners in the world, give me space,” BMW Team WRT’s Robin Frijns said when asked about his fight with race winner Alessandro Pier Guidi over second in the penultimate hour of the race.

The two drivers came together side by side down the hill into Eau Rouge-Raidillon, moments after a heart-stopping moment through Blanchimont. It was one of a number of edgy moments between front-running cars as they threaded through traffic.

“It’s endurance racing,” he continued. “It’s not DTM in the ’80s when it was elbows out 24/7. I enjoy being on the limit, but if you go off and hit the wall at 250kph, we would be talking differently…”

Like BMW, Peugeot TotalEnergies — which was racing under the watchful eye of the brand’s new CEO Alain Favey all weekend — also had its moments in the sun. Loic Duval feels the French team will take plenty of positives out of Saturday’s encounter, despite the No. 94 retiring with suspension damage and the No. 93 coming home 11th and outside the points after a strategy gamble gone wrong.

“We should have scored good points, so it’s hard,” he added in conversation with RACER. “At one point in the middle of the race, both cars were in the top five, and you’d expect to score points. Most of the teams have been in this situation — you have an opportunity for a big result, and you miss it.”

Overall, though, it was Alpine that looked the most improved. On another day, “Les Bleus” may have come away with second or even a victory. The A424s were on rails on the resurfaced Spa-Francorchamps circuit throughout the meeting and, at times, looked the most well-rounded package during the race.

A second consecutive podium finish for the No. 36 suggests Alpine is becoming a force to be reckoned with, and signs the best is yet to come were there for all to see. The fact the Signatech-run team appeared visibly disappointed with third place in the aftermath is telling. This is a team riding a wave of positive momentum into the biggest month of the season and they show no signs of slowing down.

With so many teams on an upward curve, the prospects for Le Mans next month and beyond are mouthwatering. Ferrari’s win streak won’t last forever. The question is: Who will snap it and when?