Ferrari AF Corse Secures Thrilling Imola Pole After Last-Gasp Giovinazzi Charge

Antonio Giovinazzi secures pole for Ferrari at the 2026 Imola 6 Hours, beating Toyota by 0.011s. Read the full qualifying report and LMGT3 results.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 18, 2026, 12:49 PM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Motorsport.com and WEC Official Timing

Giovinazzi Reprises Qualifying Heroics On Home Soil

The 2026 World Endurance Championship (WEC) campaign began with a display of high-stakes precision at Imola as Antonio Giovinazzi secured pole position for Ferrari AF Corse. The Italian driver delivered a blistering 1m30.127s lap in the #51 Ferrari 499P, replicating his qualifying success from the previous year. The effort came as the chequered flag fell, denying Toyota Gazoo Racing what looked to be a certain front-row sweep. The result ignited the local "Tifosi" crowd, marking a significant psychological victory for the Italian manufacturer as the series returned to action following the postponement of the Qatar round.

A Grid Separated By Milliseconds

The competitive density of the Hypercar field reached a peak during the 10-minute Hyperpole session, with the top four cars separated by a mere 0.073 seconds. Ryo Hirakawa, piloting the #8 Toyota GR010 HYBRID, sat atop the timing screens for much of the session with a 1m30.138s, only to be eclipsed by Giovinazzi by one-hundredth of a second. Antonio Fuoco, who had been fastest in the opening qualifying stage, secured third for the #50 Ferrari factory entry with a 1m30.167s. Peugeot TotalEnergies rounded out the ultra-competitive lead group, with Malthe Jakobsen putting the #94 9X8 2024 LMH in fourth place, just 0.033 seconds behind Fuoco.

Mid-Pack Battles And Strategic Positioning

Beyond the front-row drama, the remainder of the top ten featured a diverse array of manufacturers and privateer entries. Norman Nato took fifth for the Cadillac-powered Jota team, while Nyck de Vries secured sixth for the #7 Toyota. Alpine showed promising pace with Charles Milesi taking seventh, narrowly ahead of Robert Kubica in the satellite AF Corse Ferrari. The session proved challenging for some newcomers; neither of the Aston Martin Valkyrie LMH entries managed to break into the Hyperpole top ten. At the rear of the field, the Genesis GMR-001 LMDhs struggled for ultimate pace, with Mathieu Jaminet ending the session 1.7 seconds adrift of the leading times.