Antonio Fuoco brought the Ferrari 499P story full circle by securing pole for the FIA World Endurance Championship’s season finale, the 6 Hours of Monza. It also marks the car’s first pole, a feat achieved in its race debut at the 1000 Miles of Sebring in 2023.
Fuoco commented: “I hadn’t considered it, but it is true. I think everyone wants to bid farewell to this car properly because it’s been quite special. Securing pole here for the final race of the season, and for the 499P’s last race, feels incredibly meaningful, and I hope we can put in a spotless performance tomorrow and give our best.”
Although it hasn’t been officially announced, Ferrari’s LMH-based development for 2027 is widely expected to come with a revised or entirely new model name, particularly as 2027 marks the Prancing Horse’s 80th anniversary. The 499P derives its name from 499cc per cylinder.
This result represents Ferrari’s fourth consecutive pole in Italy and the 499P’s 11th pole in WEC competition; ten of those came with AF Corse’s factory outfit, as the team now stands alongside Toyota Racing, Porsche LMP Team and Audi Sport Team Joest as teams with double-digit pole tallies.
Across the eight-round season, seven different Hypercar crews earned poles, equaling the 2024 record.
Fuoco’s recorded weight, which is noted during Thursday’s driver sign-in, was adjusted before qualifying at the request of the team’s manager, supported by a medical certificate, according to a stewards’ bulletin. Details of this request are not fully disclosed at this time.
The Lexus RC F GT3, expected to withdraw from international competition tomorrow, claimed its fourth WEC LMGT3 pole and second of the season after Hadrien David’s first ever top qualifying run at Spa-Francorchamps. David joined an expanding list of two-time pole winners in the class.
Theo Pourchaire, in what may be his final weekend with Peugeot in the WEC, was pleased not only to reach Hyperpole but to sit just under three-tenths from pole-sitter Fuoco. He believes a podium or even a pole-run could have been possible had a couple of minor errors not crept into his fast lap.
Pourchaire told Sportscar365: “I was very happy with my second qualifying session in Hypercar. P5 and both cars achieved Hyperpole as well. It’s a strong result for the team, and I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s final race to see what we can do. We must keep fighting. I’m sure we can achieve a great result.”
Both the No. 7 Toyota TR010 Hybrid driven by Kamui Kobayashi and Tincknell’s No. 007 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Valkyrie, which did not reach Hyperpole, will incur grid penalties for impeding other cars during the session. Ironically, Kobayashi’s three-position penalty was for hindering Tincknell’s Aston, while Tincknell’s one-spot penalty involved Pourchaire’s No. 94 Peugeot.
Jonny Edgar admitted he was “quite surprised” to take second in LMGT3 in the leading No. 33 TF Sport Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, marking the car’s third Hyperpole appearance of the season. With the No. 69 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO of Anthony McIntosh not progressing to Hyperpole, the title battle is narrowed to three contenders, as the No. 69 needed a perfect weekend to win the championship.
Edgar told Sportscar365: “Heading into the weekend we expected to struggle a bit in the dry, but I was surprised by how well we performed. Qualifying is usually a touch slower than race pace, so this is very positive. I’m more encouraged by the pace we have in the car than the grid position. P2 is great, but as we’ve shown this year, qualifying isn’t everything.”
McIntosh, meanwhile, saw many of his laps erased for track limits violations, quashing hopes for a class pole or championship. “Even though all my laps were wiped in my quali, I hadn’t picked up any track limits penalties all year—I’ve used them up in one session!” he told Sportscar365. “But it’s racing; you learn and press on.”
Eduardo Barrichello also received track-limits punishment, which would have placed his No. 23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo on class pole if his best lap had not been invalidated. Barrichello will start from fourth tomorrow.
He said: “I’m just an idiot. The car felt great and the lap was good as well. I misjudged it by a few centimeters, and the lap was invalidated. But rules are rules and it was my fault. I’m really sorry for the team and I’ll work hard to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Peugeot team principal Emmanuel Esnault explained the decision to keep Alex Quinn in the No. 93 Peugeot for another outing instead of giving a seat to 2027 recruit Robert Shwartzman. “We think the logical step for Alex is perhaps a bit larger coming from LMP2 because it’s his first exposure to a broader organization beyond LMP2 teams,” he said.
Alpine sporting director Nico Lapierre has ruled out having the A424 run in customer hands in the future, effectively signaling the end of the car under Alpine branding. Signatech team boss Philippe Sinault remains hopeful for a late deal for next year, confirming he’s in talks with one manufacturer but uncertain if a program can be signed before the Nov. 23 entry deadline.
Toyota Racing technical director David Floury would not confirm whether the Japanese manufacturer plans to pursue extra Evo jokers for its TR010 Hybrid next year, though he implied the option is under consideration. Sportscar365 understands Toyota still has at least three jokers left to use by the end of 2027.
Floury said: “The joker homologation process is a full process, and just having a pool of jokers doesn’t mean you can deploy them all. Any joker needs FIA and ACO approval. At this stage I won’t comment on jokers for next year, as the process is ongoing.”
Nevertheless, Floury did confirm a replacement for the retiring Mike Conway has been secured, widely regarded as Kevin Estre, who is expected to undertake a distinctive dual full-season WEC/IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship program across two different manufacturers.
Heart of Racing Team principal Ian James told Sportscar365 he does not anticipate changes to driver lineups in WEC and WeatherTech, but noted that avoiding date clashes between WEC and IMSA GTP rounds could allow one of their drivers to compete in both series full-time.
So far, Cadillac and BMW are set to continue fielding drivers full-time in both championships. “It’s always on the radar,” James said. “Track time in these cars is crucial. The more seat time they get, the more options we have.”
James added that he will likely return to the WEC next year as a driver in one of the LMGT3-class Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evos and isn’t ready to retire just yet. The FIA Bronze-rated driver had contemplated retirement in recent years but the team urged him to keep going due to his pace.
Heart of Racing is among several teams heading straight to Paul Ricard on Monday to prepare for the Asian Le Mans Series’ kickoff weekend in Le Castellet, featuring two four-hour races. “I think it will be quite a challenge,” James said. “I don’t think anyone will run away with it, and it should be fun. We may see some bad weather, so this could be a useful dress rehearsal.”
Parker Thompson, set to join Team WRT BMW with McIntosh and Max Hesse, said: “Am I excited? Absolutely. Would I have preferred a later start? Definitely. After more than 20 race weekends this year, it would be nice if the season began a little later for the team and crew.”
Thompson admitted they will miss the usual warm climate the series has enjoyed; all three rounds were shifted to Europe due to the regional conflict in the Middle East. “Tony and I agreed this morning that Dubai and good weather are missed,” he remarked.
Unlike the WEC rounds this year, McIntosh’s entry will keep one livery for the entire 2026-27 Asian campaign instead of rotating designs.
McIntosh plans to return to WEC, race in the European Le Mans Series, and contest more Intercontinental GT Challenge events, including a Nürburgring 24. Thompson, a Silver-rated driver, said his schedule is not yet finalized, with options ranging from staying with McIntosh to pursuing opportunities in the U.S.—though many options pose calendar clashes for a full-season campaign.
James added that Heart of Racing does not plan to add an ELMS program next year, despite chatter about expanding its WEC LMGT3 operation.
The Legends of Le Mans opener on Saturday was abandoned after 26 minutes due to a major crash between Christophe D’Anesmbourg’s No. 15 Oak-Pescarolo and Marcel Aebi’s Lola B06/10. Both drivers exited the cars under their own power. Kirton Lendoudis, in a 2008 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP, was declared the winner.
Race 2 went to Christian Albrecht in the No. 008 Lola-Aston Martin. The field mixed former LMP1 and LMP2 cars with GT entries, including a Porsche RS Spyder driven by Francois Perrodo and a Ligier JS P2 used by Ligier Automotive’s Jacques Nicolet, plus various GT contenders such as a Proton Competition-run 2017 Porsche 911 RSR with Horst Felbermayr at the wheel.
David Cheng, previously a Le Mans podium finisher, was scheduled to race a Greaves Motorsport Gibson 015 S but the gearbox failed and he couldn’t secure a replacement in time.
Patrice Milesi, Charles Milesi’s father, was set to drive an IMSA Performance Matmut-entered 2011 Schumacher/IMSA Porsche 911 RSR, but the engine expired when the Alpine Hypercar driver was at the wheel in Free Practice 1, ending their run. Patrice had competed in the 2013 ELMS season and the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans in an IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche.
Charles said: “The engine decided to die after four laps with me in the car, so that’s not ideal. I think he was looking forward to driving for sure. But given the circumstances—he hasn’t driven in 13 or 14 years and under these conditions—it wasn’t easy for him. He’s somewhat relieved not to be driving, but the engine failure isn’t ideal either.”
The 6 Hours of Monza begins on Sunday at 11 a.m. CET (5 a.m. ET) with live coverage on FIAWEC+ worldwide, including HBO Max in the U.S., TNT Sports 3 and Eurosport in Europe, and Stan Sport in Australia. The broadcast team includes Martin Haven, Anthony Davidson, and Graham Goodwin in the booth, with Bruce Jouanny and Shea Adam in the pits.
Radio Le Mans will offer free coverage on RS1 with Jonny Palmer and Bruce Jones handling commentary.
Stephen Lickorish contributed to this report
