WEC Imola 6 Hours: Antonio Giovinazzi snatches pole for Ferrari in ultra tight Imola Hyperpole shootout

The reigning world champion, Giovinazzi, clocked a 1:30.127 in the #51 Ferrari to edge Ryō Hirakawa’s #8 Toyota by just 0.011s, sending the tifosi into celebration on home soil. The margin underlined the intensity of the session, with the top four covered by only 0.073s!

Ferrari locked out first and third as Antonio Fuoco placed the #50 499P 3rd with a 1:30.157, while Peugeot emerged as a genuine contender thanks to Malthe Jakobsen’s 1:30.200 in the #94 car. The French manufacturer’s performance marked the biggest surprise of the session.

Fuoco had already set the pace earlier in qualifying, topping the initial session with a 1:30.088 to lead the Hyperpole contenders, reinforcing Ferrari’s dominance throughout the weekend.

Those eliminated in the first phase included both Aston Martins, both Genesis Magma Racing entries, the #93 Peugeot, #36 Alpine and #38 Cadillac, highlighting the depth of competition across the Hypercar field.

“That was a lot more difficult than last year!” a delighted Giovinazzi said of his fourth career pole in FIA WEC competition. “After seeing Toyota run on the medium tyres in the first part of qualifying, we knew they would be a threat in Hyperpole, and with the hotter temperatures compared to last year, our car wasn’t so easy to drive."

Giovinazzi continued: “I was on an even quicker lap earlier in the session until I made a mistake, so I’m really happy that in the end I was able to do enough because we know how important track position is here, but it was certainly intense and it will make for a fun race to watch tomorrow, that’s for sure!” added the Italian

Ferrari’s pole form was no surprise after a commanding display in FP3, where the Italian marque again led the way ahead of qualifying.

Fuoco set the benchmark with a 1:30.370 in the #50 Ferrari, the fastest lap of the week up to that point, finishing 0.323s clear of Giovinazzi in the sister #51 entry.

Charles Milesi kept Alpine in contention with a 1:30.712 in the #35 car, while Robert Kubica ensured three Ferraris in the top 4 with a 1:30.894 in the #83 AF Corse entry.

The top four all bettered Friday’s pace early in the session before teams shifted focus to long runs and Michelin tyre evaluation for race conditions.

Toyota’s strongest showing came from the #7 car, with Nyck de Vries posting a 1:30.946, while Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA improved after a quiet Friday, placing the #12 V Series.R inside the top 6.

The remainder of the top 10 featured the #8 Toyota, briefly delayed by a puncture for Brendon Hartley, the #38 Cadillac, the #15 BMW and the #94 Peugeot.

In LMGT3, Garage 59 announced itself in style as Tom Fleming produced a standout performance to secure Hyperpole for McLaren.

The FIA WEC rookie controlled much of the 10 minute session, consistently delivering fastest sectors before sealing pole despite late pressure from Akkodis ASP Team.

Hadrien David placed the #78 Lexus 2nd, 0.226s adrift, while Clemens Schmid took 3rd in the sister #87 entry after a trip through the gravel at Rivazza on his penultimate lap cost him a cleaner final run.

The session ended under a red flag after Salih Yoluç spun the #34 Racing Team Turkey by TF Corvette into the Piratella gravel, bringing proceedings to an early halt.

Earlier in FP3, Heart of Racing continued its strong LMGT3 form, with Mattia Drudi topping the session with a 1:41.973 in the #27 Aston Martin. TF Sport followed closely in 2nd, just 0.025s back, while Iron Lynx secured 3rd with the #61 Mercedes AMG.

With Ferrari on pole, Toyota alongside and Peugeot firmly in contention, the stage is set for a tightly fought Imola race with multiple manufacturers in the hunt for victory.