Antonio Fuoco secured Ferrari’s first FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar pole at Monza after leading a gripping Hyperpole session on a surface that was gradually drying.
His lap of 1:33.364 in the No. 50 Ferrari 499P beat Mathieu Jaminet by 0.096 seconds, as Genesis narrowly missed out on a second consecutive pole.
The session proved demanding for all competitors, representing the driest portion of the weekend at Monza, a circuit that had been resurfaced since the WEC last visited in 2023.
Earl Bamber, driving the No. 38 Hertz Team JOTA Cadillac V-Series.R, finished just 0.2 seconds behind Fuoco in third, while Antonio Giovinazzi in the second factory Ferrari was marginally slower in fourth.
Theo Pourchaire claimed an impressive fifth in the No. 94 Peugeot 9X8, within 0.3 seconds of pole, while Victor Martins completed the top six in the No. 36 Signatech Alpine A424 with a 1:33.858.
Norman Nato finished seventh in the second Cadillac, while Robert Kubica failed to improve on his final lap in the No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari and settled for eighth.
The top ten was completed by Nick Cassidy’s second Peugeot and the sole WRT BMW M Hybrid V8 to reach Hyperpole, the No. 20 driven by Sheldon van der Linde.
Despite strong practice form, Charles Milesi missed out on Hyperpole in the No. 36 Alpine by just 0.074 seconds.
Neither the Heart of Racing Aston Martin Valkyries progressed, nor Barcelona polesitter Mathys Jaubert, who will start 13th in the No. 17 Genesis.
Both Toyota TR010s in the running for the drivers’ title also failed to advance, with points leader Ryo Hirakawa in the No. 8 car edging teammate Kamui Kobayashi by three-tenths in 15th and 16th.
Lexus Secures LMGT3 Pole in Its Final WEC Outing as Barrichello Falls Short
Hadrien David claimed the LMGT3 pole on the Lexus RC F GT3’s final World Endurance Championship appearance after Eduardo Barrichello’s fastest time was erased for exceeding track limits.
It had looked as though the No. 23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo might steal pole from the No. 78 Akkodis ASP Lexus until Barrichello’s time—nearly half a second quicker than David’s—was deleted.
That left David with a second pole of the season, posting a 1:47.523, just 0.014 seconds ahead of Jonny Edgar in the No. 33 TF Sport Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, the class points leader, as the fastest times came on the final laps with the track drying.
Third fastest was Ben Tuck in the No. 77 Proton Competition Ford Mustang GT3 EVO, just 0.058 seconds behind David.
Barrichello had to settle for fourth, while Clemens Schmid’s second Lexus was fifth quickest.
A notable omission from Hyperpole was the No. 69 WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO driven by Anthony McIntosh, whose pole bid would have kept its frail title hopes alive.
However, McIntosh had several laps deleted and eventually posted the 16th fastest time.
Closest to advancing was the No. 92 Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo driven by Yasser Shahin, Edgar’s nearest points rival, just 0.078 seconds slower than the sister Porsche that progressed into tenth.
Also eliminated were the second BMW, both Garage 59 McLaren 720S GT3 Evos, and the pair of AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 Evos.
There was a red flag almost immediately in the opening session as conditions were at their dampest, with Francois Heriau spinning into the barriers at the Ascari chicane on his outlap in the No. 21 Ferrari, while Martin Berry had earlier spun at the Roggia chicane in the No. 61 Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo but still progressed.
Attention now shifts to Sunday’s race, scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. CET (5 a.m. ET) and broadcast on FIAWEC+.
RESULTS: Qualifying
