Ferrari's Thunderous 1-2 Finish in Qualifying

In a thrilling display of speed, Antonio Giovinazzi clinched pole position for the much-anticipated 6 Hours of Imola, propelling Ferrari to a commanding 1-2 finish. Giovinazzi’s blistering lap of 1:28.920 left competitors in the dust, finishing 0.758 seconds ahead of his teammate Robert Kubica in the No. 83 Ferrari.

However, it was a bittersweet day for the Ferrari team; Antonio Fuoco faced disappointment as he was disqualified from Hyperpole for track limits violations, despite initially qualifying third.

Strong Showings from BMW and Toyota

Dries Vanthoor in the No. 15 BMW M Hybrid V8 secured a solid third place, trailing Giovinazzi by nearly a second. Toyota Gazoo Racing showed formidable strength as well, capturing the fourth and fifth spots with Ryo Hirakawa in the No. 8 GR010 Hybrid edging out Nyck de Vries in the sister car by a mere 0.001 seconds.

Rookie Moments and Hyperpole Drama

Mick Schumacher put his No. 36 Alpine A424 in sixth, with Jean-Eric Vergne in the No. 93 Peugeot taking seventh. Meanwhile, Alex Lynn’s rebuilt No. 12 Cadillac V-Series.R secured ninth, with Porsche driver Kevin Estre rounding out the top ten.

The Hyperpole shootout faced its own drama, notably missing the No. 50 Ferrari, which dropped to the back of the pack due to earlier infractions.

Valentino Rossi Secures Historic Maiden Pole

In a remarkable feat, Valentino Rossi captured his first FIA World Endurance Championship pole position, thrilling fans on home turf. His impressive lap of 1:42.355 in the No. 46 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 outpaced Clemens Schmid’s No. 87 Lexus RC F GT3 by 0.306 seconds, marking a triumphant moment in his racing career.

Zach Robichon clinched third in the LMGT3 class, followed closely by Simon Mann’s No. 21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari, while Finn Gehrsitz rounded out the top five in class.

The Road Ahead

With the 6 Hours of Imola kicking off Sunday at 1 p.m. CEST (7 a.m. EST), fans can expect a fierce battle on the track as teams vie for glory. Will Ferrari continue their dominance, or can Rossi and his team challenge their supremacy? One thing is certain: the action is just getting started!