Ferrari continued its dominant run in Hyperpole securing another pole position this season to make it two in a row. The No. 51 car lapped almost a full second ahead of the competition solidifying the Ferrari at the front of the field. As an additional bonus for the manufacturer, the privately run AF Corse No. 83 Ferrari 499P secured P2 for a front row lock out for Ferrari.
In LMGT3 Valentino Rossi showed how versatile of a racer he is after finally securing his first pole position in the World Endurance Championship. Rossi drove his #46 BMW M4 LMGT3 EVO, 3 tenths clear of the in class field. Racing kicks off tomorrow for the 6 Hours of Imola.
Hypercar Hyperpole Results
LMGT3 Hyperpole Results
The World Endurance Championship returned this weekend for the 6 Hours of Imola. The No. 51 Ferrari 499P and the No. 15 BMW M logged identical lap times in FP2 with Antonio Giovinazzi set the time first for Ferrari and Dries Vanthoor there after for BMW. The feat is a rare one, having occurred only one other time in the history of the World Endurance Championship. The No. 36 Alpine Hypercar took third in the session.
In LMGT3 the Akkodis ASP Team placed one-two with Clemens Schmid setting the pace in the No. 87 Lexus with a 1m42.944s. His teammate finished the session 0.119s behind in the teams sister No. 78 car.
FP2 Results
Alpine looks to bounce back from their shortcomings in the Qatar 1812km. After a disappointing finish for the team in 13th and 14th Alpine is looking forward towards the 6 Hours of Imola in one months time. The team had high hopes coming into the opening race of the season. However, a variety of on track issues and bad luck left them exiting the weekend with a number of question marks. As the team embarks on their second season in the World Endurance Championship with the A424 team management is looking forward to applying what the team has learned to Imola next month.
Philippe Sinault, Team Principal Alpine Endurance Team
“It was a complicated first race. The start was very good in terms of the pace set by our drivers and tyre degradation. The #35 suffered a puncture and then a collision in traffic, which caused it to drop down the order. Despite this, it managed to maintain a similar pace to the competition, although down a lap. The performance of the #36 car was affected in the back half of the race by damage. Nevertheless, the potential is there, and we must improve between now and Imola.”
Nicolas Lapierre, Sporting Director Alpine Endurance Team
“First of all, I want to thank the drivers for the job they did on the track. The championship is very competitive, the competition is fierce, and if you’re not in the right window, you quickly find yourself in a tough situation. We will learn from this race and use the Sunday test day here and the tests planned before Imola to work on it. We will try to understand how to get the most of the tyres as that will be one of the keys this season. I saw many positive things over the two weeks, but we still have work to do between now and the next race at Imola.”
It’s clear the team has some performance hurdles to overcome as they were well off of the pace of the race winning around 1.2 seconds behind. The front of the hypercar field is led by Ferrari as it currently stands. Ferrari finished the Qatar 1812km 1-2-3 and will look to carry that momentum as a manufacturer into their home race at Imola. Alpine has its work cut out for them in the coming weeks to close the performance gap.
As the dust settled after the Qatar 1812km Ferrari has emerged as the front runner manufacturer after securing a 1-2-3 finish in the Hypercar class. After securing pole position the No. 51 held at the front until hour 4 of the race where it fell back due to 2 separate drive through penalties. The team then started what would be a monumental climb back to claim the final podium spot along side its fellow Ferrari drivers. However, it was the No. 50 car that led for the majority of the race and ultimately led the way for Ferrari to secure its first win of the season.
Superior tire management, pit stop strategy and on track team plan carried Ferrari to the top after 10 hours of racing. After dominating the field in the first race of the year Ferrari leaves the weekend with 66 World Endurance Championship points.
Words From Ferrari Drivers
Antonio Fuoco, 499P #50: “First of all, I want to thank the entire team for the work done over the winter, which allowed us to arrive here in Qatar with great potential to exploit. We performed very well in the race, both in tyre management and strategy. What we achieved today, with three Ferraris in the top positions at the end of a World Endurance Championship race, will go down in history.”
Alessandro Pier Guidi, 499P #51: “We maximised the points we could earn as a team for the world manufacturers’ championship. It wasn’t the cleanest race for us, and halfway through, it was hard to imagine finishing on the podium. But we did it, and we should be happy with this third-place finish and the fact that we have started the season much better than in 2024. The most important thing is that Ferrari won, and seeing three cars in the top positions was truly exciting.”
Yifei Ye, 499P #83: “We had a fantastic day in Qatar, delivering a great result for the team. Starting from eighth on the grid, we were able to recover ground and play a leading role in the race, even taking the lead before finishing in second place. We should be very satisfied with this, as we have made the best possible start to the season and can look ahead to the next round at Imola with great confidence.”
Antonello Coletta, Global Head of Ferrari Endurance and Corse Clienti: “In Qatar, we achieved a fantastic one-two-three for Ferrari—this is the best reward for all the work the entire team put in over the winter months to arrive in the best possible condition for the start of the season. Over the past months, we focused on every detail related to our car and team organization, aiming to optimize every single aspect. In this regard, the comeback of the number 51 crew, who managed to climb the podium despite some penalties, is a perfect example of how well we defined the team’s strategy and how skilled we were in tire management.”
Corvette Finds the Magic
TF Sport Corvette came into the Qatar 1812km with a disappointing start after failing to secure Hyperpole during qualifying. However, that did not stop the team from getting the job done. After starting 13th on the grid Daniel Juncadella, Jonny Edgar and Ben Keating, made an extraordinary comeback. The effort was almost thwarted by the No. 59 United Autosports McLaren but Juncadella defended.
Team owner Tom Ferrier said, “There’s no denying that it was a big move for us to join GM and Corvette. We knew it was going to be a challenge the first year, and it was to start with. We gathered momentum as the year went on. Bahrain ended fantastically with a second and third, which was really exciting. We went to Daytona this year and everyone saw the reliability and how much it had improved on the Corvette and gave us a bit of confidence. We had a great Prologue, struggled a bit earlier this week but knew we had a good car for the race…for GM, Corvette Racing and us. It’s a huge result”.
DOHA, QATAR – FEBRUARY 01: The #33 TF Sport Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R of Ben Keating, Jonny Edgar and Daniel Juncadella – Winners in GT3 celebrate on the podium after the Qatar 1812km race at Losail Circuit on February 01, 2025 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Jakob Ebrey/LAT Images/Getty Images)The first Hyperpole session of the 2025 World Endurance Championship season is now complete. Fan favorite the No. 51 Ferrari 499P driven by former F1 driver Antonio Giovinazzi. Giovinazzi stole pole position away at the last moment from the No. 14 BMW Hypercar driven by Dries Vanthoor which was poise to take its first World Endurance Championship pole. The No. 15 car ultimately fell victim to a late push by Giovinazzi and had to settle for second place. In third the No. 50 Ferrari driven by Fuoco finished off the top three positions.
Words from Ferrari
Antonio Giovinazzi: “Starting from the front tomorrow here in Qatar is the result of the great teamwork we have done in recent days. I am thrilled and want to thank all my teammates and the team. In qualifying, I put together a strong lap, but I knew the challenge would be really tough in the decisive Hyperpole session, where I managed to improve and secure this fantastic result. We have an excellent car, and starting first and third is undoubtedly important, but the race will be very demanding, and we need to execute everything perfectly.”
Antonio Fuoco, 499P #50: “We will start from the second row, which is a good position at the start of what will be a challenging race. Over the last few days, we have shown that we can be competitive, so the hope is to put in a strong performance in this first round of the season.”
United Autosports locked out the front row in LMGT3 with the No. 95 and No. 59 cars.
Hypercar Hyperpole Results
LMGT3 Hyperpole Results
Cadillac continues to shine in Qatar after leading the Prologue and on day 1 of practice for the Qatar 1812km. FP3 is in the morning ahead of a packed day of practice and qualifying for Sunday’s race. Alex Lynn, driving the No.12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA set the best lap, a 1m39.601s, some 2.5s quicker than the best lap in FP1. The United Autosports No.95 McLaren led the LMGT3 class.
Top 10 Times By Class
Fastest Combined Hypercar Times
1. Alex Lynn Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA 1m39.601s
2. Antonio Fuoco Ferrari AF Corse +0.305s
3. Robin Frijns BMW M Team WRT +0.475s
4. Sébastien Bourdais Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA +0.524s
5. Antonio Giovinazzi Ferrari AF Corse +0.713s
6. Brendon Hartley TOYOTA GAZOO Racing +0.904s
7. Mick Schumacher Alpine Endurance Team +1.093s
8. Robert Kubica AF Corse +1.111s
9. Charles Milesi Alpine Endurance Team +1.164s
10. Dries Vanthoor BMW M Team WRT +1.211s
Fastest Combined LMGT3 Times
1. Sean Gelael United Autosports 1m54.557s
2. Ben Barnicoat Akkodis ASP Team +0.136s
3. José María López Akkodis ASP Team +0.185s
4. Alessio Rovera Vista AF Corse +0.767s
5. Davide Rigon Vista AF Corse +0.861s
6. Eduardo Barrichello Racing Spirit of Léman +0.862s
7. Daniel Juncadella TF Sport +0.871s
8. Kelvin van der Linde Team WRT +0.988s
9. Zacharie Robichon Heart of Racing Team +0.993s
10. Charlie Eastwood TF Sport +1.263s
The Qatar Prologue has concluded at Lusail Circuit with BMW emerging as the front runners in the World Endurance Championship. As practice progressed and the track rubbered in the BMWs seemed to ignite pace that the rest of the field had no answer for. The team offered their comments on the progress made ahead of the Qatar 1812km.
From BMW
Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “Our goals for our second FIA WEC season are ambitious. We aim to build on the clear upward trend from the second half of the 2024 season and be in a position to consistently compete for podium places with our BMW M Hybrid V8. This applies to the entire season, but especially for the major highlight at Le Mans. Here in Qatar, we want to start the year with good results.
During the prologue, we focused on running through our intensive test programme and gathering important information. Finishing with the fastest time is always nice, and we’re heading into race week with a positive mindset. In the LMGT3 class, we are looking forward to the debut of the new BMW M4 GT3 EVO. The car has won its first two races, demonstrating its great potential. The clear season goal is to contend for the World Championship title and a victory at Le Mans.”
Vincent Vosse (Team Principal BMW M Team WRT): “So far, I think, we have a good working base. We gathered good and important information. I am quite happy. We did not have any major issues with the cars. Of course, there is still some work to be done but overall, we are quite satisfied.”
Kevin Magnussen (BMW M Team WRT, #15 BMW M Hybrid V8): “We were following the plan. I got many laps but of course it’s testing and you never know how competitive you are so we were just focusing on the programme. Things are running according to plan and we keep working. Now I’m looking forward to the race.”
Robin Frijns (BMW M Team WRT, #20 Shell BMW M Hybrid V8): “I think it went alright. We had a test programme before arriving at Qatar, we followed it pretty much and everything feels fine. Now we need to put the puzzle together and prepare ourselves for the race which is a bit different. As we don’t drive at night during FP1 and FP2, Saturday was our only opportunity so that was quite important for us. Now it’s all about discussions and see how we can improve the package we have for the race.”
Fastest Combined Hypercar Times
1. Robin Frijns BMW M Team WRT 1m38.971s
2. Sébastien Bourdais Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA +0.145s
3. Robert Kubica AF Corse +0.170s
4. Dries Vanthoor BMW M Team WRT +0.282s
5. Alex Lynn Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA +0.325s
6. Antonio Fuoco Ferrari AF Corse +0.396s
7. Mick Schumacher Alpine Endurance Team +0.534s
8. Nyck de Vries TOYOTA GAZOO Racing +0.578s
9. Antonio Giovinazzi Ferrari AF Corse +0.597s
10. Julien Andlauer Porsche Penske Motorsport +0.902s
Fastest Combined LMGT3 Times
1. Simon Mann Vista AF Corse 1m54.790s
2. Francesco Castellacci Vista AF Corse +0.020s
3. Zacharie Robichon Heart of Racing Team +0.149s
4. Jonny Edgar TF Sport +0.167s
5. José María López Akkodis ASP Team +0.169s
6. Finn Gehrsitz Akkodis ASP Team +0.197s
7. Grégoire Saucy United Autosports +0.285s
8. Charlie Eastwood TF Sport +0.384s
9. Marino Sato United Autosports +0.409s
10. Augusto Farfus The Bend Team WRT +0.473s
LOSAIL INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT, QATAR – FEBRUARY 19: The #21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296 LMGT3 of Francois Heriau, Simon Mann and Alessio Rovera at Losail International Circuit on Wednesday February 19, 2025 in Losail, Qatar. (Photo by JEP / LAT Images)Ford has announced that they will return to the pinnacle of prototype car racing in 2027 with a new hypercar design. The hypercar field has blossomed over the last few years with representation from multiple manufacturers set to grow the Lmdh Hypercar class in the World Endurance Championship. Ford has a rich history in endurance racing but that legacy has been renewed with the announcement of their hypercar program. The team is looking to find the same success they unlocked 60 years ago during their 4 years of dominance at Le Mans with the GT40 that Shelby American mechanic/driver Ken Miles and owner Carol Shelby helped design and develop. Ford won 4 consecutive titles at Le Mans 1966 to 1969.
Bill Ford, Ford Motor Company Executive Chair: “We are entering a new era for performance and racing at Ford. You can see it from what we’re doing on-road and off-road. When we race, we race to win. And there is no track or race that means more to our history than Le Mans. It is where we took on Ferrari and won in the 1960s. It is where we returned 50 years later and shocked the world and beat Ferrari again. I am thrilled that we’re going back to Le Mans and competing at the highest level of endurance racing. We are ready to once again challenge the world, and ‘go like hell!’”
Frédéric Lequien, FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) CEO: “Ford has been synonymous with success both on and off-track for decades, and we are delighted that the company has chosen the FIA World Endurance Championship for its latest challenge. To have at least ten major automotive brands committed to the series’ top-tier in 2027 is testament to the championship’s stellar momentum and growth.”
Pierre Fillon, Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) President: “It is wonderful news to welcome Ford back to the top level of the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time in almost 60 years. It is a brand that has always had a close affinity with this very special race, and history shows that Ford does not compete to finish second. The renewal of its famous rivalry with Ferrari is truly an exciting prospect.”
Richard Mille, FIA Endurance Commission President: “Ford and endurance racing are a perfect fit, as has been proven time and again. It is a brand with a long and proud motorsport heritage, and a passion for competition instilled by Henry Ford himself. The company’s return to the highest level of the discipline is further validation of the success and appeal of the current Hypercar regulations. Endurance racing’s golden age is right here, and right now!”
Toyota Gazoo Racing Secured the win at the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo. However, the pole sitting No. 07 car wasn’t the triumphant car. The No. 08 GR010 found the pace and strategy to inch it’s way ahead of the sister pole sitting No. 07 car to win the race. The No. 07 car started from pole and had a seemingly positive grasp on the win until an ill fated pit stop with multiple technical issues cost the No. 07 car a large amount of time int he pits allowing the Porsches to gain ground and eventually pass and finish ahead. Despite the challenge the No. 07 finished P4. Toyota Gazoo Racing
Words from the Drivers of the No. 08 Toyota Gazoo Racing GR010
Sébastien Buemi (Driver, car #8): “It is an amazing day for us on car #8, winning a race for the first time this year. We had a great car. Tire management was one of our strengths, particularly the fact we could use the medium compound throughout the race which really helped us have good pace. I’m so happy to finally have a weekend without any issues after a tricky start to the season. We had a strong qualifying with the one-two but car #7 was unlucky with their issue. They were very fast and deserved a much better result than that. We scored good points in the manufacturers’ World Championship, and we will go to the next race aiming to keep that going.”
Brendon Hartley (Driver, car #8): “It feels great to get the first win of the season. We haven’t had the best of seasons up to now on car #8 so to get this win is fantastic. Car #7 did an amazing race, they were flying today, so I feel bad for them. My first stint at the start was not easy, with a lot of tire degradation but we got on top of that and had a nice, clean race. We got the win and that’s what matters. We also scored good points for the World Championship, so we want to keep this momentum for the next races.”
Ryo Hirakawa (Driver, car #8): “I am so happy for our first victory of the year. It has been a long time since Bahrain when we last won but we never gave up and always pushed hard. My stint was not easy with the degradation, so I needed to look after the tires. I had the chance to change tires on the right-hand side but I still had to manage the tires a lot, so I was happy I could keep the gap to the car behind. For the team in the manufacturers’ World Championship, it was important that we won the race, and I am happy we did it. Thanks to the fans for their support all weekend and thanks to the whole team for their huge effort this week. There are three races to go so we will keep pushing for the title.”
Full Results from Sao Paulo
Toyota secured a front row sweep in Hyperpole for the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo with Kamui Kobayashi leading the way for the team. Kobayashi drove the No. 07 Toyota Gazoo Racing Hypercar to a 1:23.140 beating the team’s sister car by just over a tenth of a second to pole position. Kamui Kobayashi said, “We got the best possible result as a team. Me and Séb certainly enjoyed it today. We had an amazing car, and it was fun to drive, especially because Interlagos is such a great track. We have struggled a bit in qualifying at times this season because the competition is really strong, but finally we have a pole position which is a fantastic feeling. After Le Mans, the team made a big effort for this race, thank you to them and everyone at TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, and a special thanks to the fans here at Interlagos for their support.”
Toyota Gazoo Racing Sweep Front Row
The Toyota Gazoo Racing camp left nothing to chance in qualifying by locking out the front row. The team will attempt to use this advantage to finish the way they started. After Hyperpole Sébastien Buemi (Driver, car #8) said, “I really enjoyed it. It was my first qualifying for a long time, so it was nice to have the chance and I am very pleased with the result. It’s a great performance from the team and a one-two in qualifying for the first time since last year. It is just qualifying and there’s a long race to go, but it gives us a good starting position. Hopefully we can help car #7 win the race and get some good manufacturers’ World Championship points as well.”
Sarah Bovy Leads the Iron Dames to in Class Pole
Sarah Bovy lead the Iron Dames to their second FIA pole position for the LMGT3 class during qualifying. Despite an early red flag in the session Bovy put her head down using the 12 minutes left to the drivers to set a fastes tin class 1m34.413 lap. “Taking pole at São Paulo feels different because it is a track synonymous with Ayrton Senna,” said Bovy. “I’m a bit emotional right now because this is very special. Thank you very much to the entire team for giving me a great car again and I can’t wait go racing tomorrow.”
Qualifying Results From Sao Paolo