Imola WEC: Ferrari Dominates Final Practice as Qualifying Approaches
Ferrari’s factory team set the pace during the final practice session for the opening weekend of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) at Imola, with Antonio Fuoco driving the #50 Ferrari 499P to a fastest lap of 1:30.370 on soft Michelin tires. The sister #51 car, piloted by Antonio Giovinazzi, secured the second position with a time also in the 1:30s.
Miguel Molina, driver of the #50, commented, “The competition is getting closer and closer, but it’s good to be up there. We will do our best to give back the support we have in Imola,” emphasizing the team’s competitive spirit ahead of qualifying.
The #83 Ferrari, a satellite entry, finished fourth, while the Alpine Endurance Team’s #35 A424 displayed strong pace, achieving third place with a time of 1:30.712. The top five was rounded out by the #7 Toyota GR010, validating a tight field as the top nine Hypercars were within one second of the leading car.
However, it was a challenging session for BMW, as their #15 M Hybrid V8 encountered a radiator issue, completing only 15 laps. The sister #20 car also faced difficulties and was classified 15th after Robin Frijns reported drivetrain vibrations.
In the LMGT3 class, the #27 Aston Martin Vantage of Heart of Racing, driven by Zach Robichon, topped the session, surpassing the briefly leading #87 AKKODIS ASP Lexus. The overall standings saw TF Sport’s #33 Corvette finish second, while Rui Andrade’s #61 Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG and a BMW entry followed closely in third and fourth, respectively.
With a largely incident-free session, all eyes are now on the crucial qualifying session scheduled for 14:30 local time, where teams will battle for pole position on race day.
