Ferrari AF Corse has won the fifth 24 Hours of Le Mans Pit Stop Challenge, as the mechanics on the No. 83 Ferrari 499P delivered the fastest Hypercar stop ahead of this weekend’s race.
The event formed part of the build-up to the 94th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with all 62 entered cars taking part in the pit-lane contest. The No. 83 Ferrari crew completed its tyre change in 8.870 seconds, placing it 0.040s away from the event record set by Peugeot TotalEnergies in 2025.
Although Ferrari took Hypercar honours, Team WRT matched the fastest time of the day in LMGT3. The No. 69 BMW M4 LMGT3 crew also posted an 8.870-second stop, while CLX Motorsport topped LMP2 with the No. 37 Oreca 07-Gibson.
Ferrari crew delivers under pit-lane pressure
The Pit Stop Challenge strips endurance racing down to one of its most precise disciplines. Each crew must change all four tyres as quickly as possible, with no refuelling or driver change involved.
A referee starts the run and stops the clock only when the final mechanic crosses the line separating the garage from the intervention zone. As a result, the contest rewards speed, coordination and discipline in equal measure.
Ferrari AF Corse executed that challenge best in the Hypercar class. The No. 83 crew’s 8.870-second time gave the reigning Le Mans-winning entry another strong moment before the race weekend reaches its competitive peak.
Porsche sets the early benchmark
The No. 91 Porsche 911 GT3 R set the first serious target of this year’s challenge with an 8.910-second stop.
That early benchmark showed how tight the margins can become in the Le Mans pit lane. However, Ferrari and Team WRT both managed to improve on it by 0.040s, with their identical 8.870-second times standing as the best performances of the 2026 contest.
Different teams used different approaches. Some crews changed the left-hand tyres first, moving from front to rear. Others worked diagonally, while TDS Racing changed both tyres on one side before switching to the other. However, the principle remained the same: one mistake could end a crew’s chance immediately.
Pit work remains central to Le Mans success
The Pit Stop Challenge does not decide the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but it highlights one of the race’s most important performance areas.
Over 24 hours, clean stops can save seconds repeatedly across the race. Conversely, a loose wheel nut, a wheel-gun issue or a mistimed movement can cost time, trigger penalties or compromise a car’s result.
That makes the challenge more than a fan-facing spectacle. It also reflects the pressure mechanics face during the race itself, when fatigue, strategy calls and live traffic in the pit lane add further complexity.
Class winners from the 2026 Pit Stop Challenge
The best Hypercar and LMGT3 crews recorded exactly the same time, while LMP2’s fastest crew finished just over 1.7 seconds further back.
- Hypercar: No. 83 Ferrari 499P — Ferrari AF Corse — 8.870 seconds
- LMP2: No. 37 Oreca 07-Gibson — CLX Motorsport — 10.600 seconds
- LMGT3: No. 69 BMW M4 LMGT3 — Team WRT — 8.870 seconds
Ferrari starts Le Mans week with pit-lane momentum
Ferrari already arrives at Le Mans as one of the key manufacturers to watch after its recent success at La Sarthe. The No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P won the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans with Robert Kubica, Yifei Ye and Phil Hanson, giving Ferrari a third consecutive overall victory in the Hypercar era.
Now, the same car number has added another Le Mans-week achievement through its mechanics. While the Pit Stop Challenge offers no race points, it reinforces the importance of execution before the 24-hour contest begins.
At Le Mans, outright speed matters. However, Ferrari’s Pit Stop Challenge win showed once again that the race also rewards the people who deliver under pressure in the garage and pit lane.
See the full schedule for the 2026 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and you can get live updates on race day from our blog.
