Imola Hyperpole: Giovinazzi Clinches Pole as Toyota and Peugeot Show Strong Form
Imola, Italy — Antonio Giovinazzi secured pole position for the opening round of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), narrowly edging out Toyota’s Ryo Hirakawa in an eventful Hyperpole session. Giovinazzi’s time of 1:30.183 allows the #51 Ferrari 499P to lead the field into the race, positioning Ferrari to defend its early season dominance.
Giovinazzi reflected on the challenges he faced compared to the previous year’s pole, stating, “The car was not easy to drive today… I had no news until I crossed the line.” He noted the increased track temperature, which presented difficulties, adding, “I think we have the pace to fight with Toyota.”
Hirakawa, driving the #8 TR010 Hybrid, surprised many by securing the second spot on the grid after initially struggling with the new Michelin tires. “I wasn’t really expecting that… I had a good lap in Hyperpole,” he commented, emphasizing Toyota’s cautious strategy of using medium tires during qualifying and switching to softs for Hyperpole.
Peugeot’s Malthe Jakobsen showed promise, qualifying fourth, just behind Hirakawa. “In terms of gaps, it’s the best… but it was so close,” he said, aware of the challenges posed by the circuit’s overtaking difficulties.
Robert Kubica qualified eighth in the privately-entered #83 Ferrari, expressing disappointment, claiming, “It’s not where we expected to be.” Meanwhile, Alpine’s Charles Milesi, starting P7, acknowledged their expected performance relative to the frontrunners.
Genesis Magma Racing, making its WEC debut, performed reliably, with driver Mathieu Jaminet stating, “This week has been close to perfect.” The newly-formed team looks to capitalize on their learning curve in their debut race.
In the LMGT3 class, Thomas Fleming took the pole position for Garage 59 in the #10 McLaren, making a memorable entry into the series. Contrastingly, the Heart of Racing team faced struggles, with both of their Aston Martins positioned outside the top ten.
Hyperpole Results:
- Antonio Giovinazzi (Ferrari 499P) — 1:30.183
- Ryo Hirakawa (Toyota TR010 Hybrid) — 1:30.231
- Malthe Jakobsen (Peugeot 9X8) – 1:30.292
- Robert Kubica (Ferrari 499P) — 1:30.508
- Charles Milesi (Alpine A424) — P7
- Thomas Fleming (McLaren LMGT3) — P1 in LMGT3
As the teams prepare for the race, weather conditions and tire strategy remain crucial factors in determining possible outcomes. With unpredictable conditions likely, the battle for supremacy on the challenging Imola circuit promises an exciting contest.
