Friday – Entry and Free Practice sessions
The 2026 season opener sees the FIA WEC return to the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, stepping in to host the first round following the postponement of the Qatar event. While the paddock feels energised, the entry list of 17 Hypercars reflects the absolute legal reality of recent regulatory shifts.
The most significant change is the absence of the Porsche factory team. Because of the mandate requiring manufacturers to enter at least two cars, the lack of a factory Porsche presence has also removed the privateer Porsche entries, such as Proton. This leaves the no. 83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P as the sole remaining privateer entry in the Hypercar field. This consolidation is offset by the debut of Genesis (Magma Racing), while the Alpine Endurance Team begins what is confirmed to be its final season in the top class.
Friday’s track action took place under clear skies. In the first free practice, the Ferraris immediately asserted their local dominance. The privateer no. 83 Ferrari, with Robert Kubica (POL) at the wheel, set the fastest time of 1:31.739, followed closely by the two factory 499Ps. It appears the Ferrari remains the car to beat over a single lap here, even with the updated 2026 Michelin tyre compounds.
The afternoon session (FP2) saw a strong performance from the departing Alpine squad. Charles Milesi (FRA) in the no. 35 Alpine A424 dipped under the 1:31 barrier with a 1:30.898, finishing just ahead of the no. 7 Toyota. It is an encouraging start for Alpine in their farewell year; they appear to have found a setup that handles the aggressive Imola kerbs significantly better than in 2025. The Toyotas, celebrating their 100th WEC start this weekend, remained efficient but focused heavily on long-run energy deployment data rather than chasing headline times.
In the GT3 class, the Lexus RC F and Ferrari 296 GT3s traded the top spots throughout the day. Meanwhile, the Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG entries seemed to be searching for a better balance in the slower technical sectors during their first home appearance of the season.
Saturday – Final Free Practice
The final hour of practice this morning saw the pace intensify as the track rubbered in. Antonio Fuoco (ITA) in the factory no. 50 Ferrari 499P asserted his authority with a 1:30.370, the fastest lap of the weekend so far. The gap between the top nine Hypercars remains under a second, suggesting that this afternoon's qualifying will be decided by the narrowest of margins.
While the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland provides a high-quality one-make spectacle in the support paddock, the real interest for long-time enthusiasts lies with the Legends of Le Mans. Watching these historic machines take to the track brings back vivid memories of the 2011 ILMC 6 Hours of Imola.
We still remember that legendary battle where the Audi R18 TDI and the Peugeot 908 fought a brutal duel across this very tarmac. It was a high-water mark for the diesel prototype era, and seeing those lines again at Imola is a polite nod to the history that paved the way for the sophisticated hybrid systems we see today.
Saturday – Qualifying and Hyperpole
The Hypercar Hyperpole was a masterclass in evolving track conditions and strategy. Alessandro Giuseppe Maria Giovinazzi (ITA) secured back-to-back Imola poles for the no. 51 Ferrari AF Corse, clocking a 1:30.127. The session was incredibly tight; Giovinazzi admitted the car was difficult to drive with track temperatures 15 degrees higher than last year. He was unsure if his time would hold, especially after Antonio Fuoco (ITA) had posted a 1:30.088 in the preceding qualifying session.
The Tifosi were treated to a dramatic finish as Ryo Hirakawa (JPN) briefly held provisional pole in the no. 8 Toyota TR010 Hybrid with a 1:30.138. Hirakawa exceeded expectations despite struggling with the 2026 Michelin rubber, having moved from medium tyres in qualifying to softs for the shootout. Malthe Jakobsen (DEN) also turned heads by placing the no. 94 Peugeot 9X8 fourth with a 1:30.200, just 0.073 seconds off the top spot.
Further back, the no. 35 Alpine A424 of Charles Milesi (FRA) secured seventh, while Robert Józef Kubica (POL) struggled with front grip in the no. 83 Ferrari, ending up eighth. The Genesis Magma Racing debut saw Mathieu Jaminet (FRA) place the no. 19 Genesis GMR-001-Hypercar in 16th, focusing on reliability and gathering data for their first six-hour race.
In LMGT3, Thomas Fleming (GBR) took a sensational pole on his WEC debut for Garage 59, recording a 1:41.181 in the no. 10 McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo. He was joined on the front row by Hadrien David (FRA) in the no. 78 Akkodis ASP Team Lexus RC F. It was a session of mixed fortunes, as the no. 34 Corvette of Salih Yoluç (TUR) triggered a red flag, leading to the deletion of his lap times and a start from 10th. Heart of Racing also faced a difficult day, with Ian James (GBR/USA) and Grey Newell (USA) qualifying 13th and 15th after missing out on the top-ten shootout.
Legends of Le Mans: Race 1
Christian Albrecht (GER) dominated the opening Legends of Le Mans race, leading every lap in the no. 008 Lola Aston Martin DBR1/2. He crossed the line 26.331 seconds ahead of Shaun Lynn (GBR) in the no. 4 Peugeot 908 HDI FAP, whose V12 diesel note provided a nostalgic contrast to the modern hybrid field.
The LMP2 class victory went to François Perrodo (FRA), who finished third overall in the no. 83 Porsche RS Spyder, 42 seconds behind the leader. Evgeny Kireev (CYP) followed him in the LMP2 category with the no. 46 Oreca 05. In the LMGTE class, Franz Wunderlich (GER) took honours in the no. 25 Aston Martin Vantage AMR, finishing 12th overall.
Sunday – Legends of Le Mans Race 2
Sunday morning’s second encounter brought an added layer of excitement with a reversed starting order for the top three in each class. This setup sparked intense battles early on as the winners from Saturday worked to fight their way back to the front. In the GTE category, the no. 13 Lotus Evora GTE of Professor Wolfgang Henseler (GER) looked strong as it led the field for several laps, but mechanical setbacks eventually saw the Lotus lose its advantage and fall back.
The race pace was interrupted by a Safety Car period triggered by the no. 35 Ligier JS P2 of Pierre Ehret (GER). After suffering a spin, the car became bogged down in the gravel, requiring recovery. Reliability issues also ended the day for other front-runners; the no. 37 Lola B06/10 of Marcel Aebi (CHE) had been closing in on second place when it suffered a lost wheel and was forced to retire. A similarly disappointing fate met one of the Peugeot 908 entries, which also failed to see the chequered flag.
For François Perrodo (FRA) and the no. 83 Porsche RS Spyder, the separate and reversed grid for the LMP2 class proved to be too large a hurdle. Despite a spirited drive to recover through the field, the time lost navigating the traffic meant they narrowly missed out on repeating their overall podium finish from Race 1.
Final Forecast: The 6 Hours of Imola
As the grid forms for the 13:00 start, the focus remains on the Tifosi favourites. Starting from pole, Alessandro Giuseppe Maria Giovinazzi (ITA) has the advantage of track position, which is notoriously critical at Imola. However, he remains wary of the no. 8 Toyota, noting their strong pace on the medium compound in qualifying before they switched to softs for Hyperpole.
Key Factors for the Race:
Tyre Management: With track temperatures significantly higher than in 2025, the new Michelin rubber will be tested. Teams like Toyota, who opted for a more durable medium-tire strategy in qualifying to gather data, may find an edge in the middle of the race.
Weather Risk: The threat of rain continues to loom over the Autodromo. Any sudden shower will force teams into split-second strategic decisions regarding tyre changes and Virtual Energy Tank (VET) deployment.
Traffic and Reliability: With 17 Hypercars and a competitive GT3 field on a narrow circuit, staying clean is the first priority. As seen in the Legends support races, one mechanical failure or a small error in the gravel can trigger a race-changing Safety Car.
Ferrari are in the prime position to defend their turf, but with Toyota and Peugeot less than a tenth of a second behind, the 2026 season opener is perfectly poised for a tactical duel.
Sunday – Race
The start of the 6 Hours of Imola saw the field get away cleanly, with the #51 Ferrari 499P, driven by James Calado (GBR), maintaining its advantage from pole position to command the opening stages. Behind the leader, the #8 Toyota TR010 Hybrid of Brendon Hartley (NZL) initially dropped to third place at the start. The opening hours of the race were heavily disrupted by two Safety Car periods. Despite a severe rainstorm being heavily forecasted to arrive during the second hour, the weather held off. Amidst the early shuffling, Hartley managed to overtake the sister #50 Ferrari at the first round of pit stops to move into second place. In the LMGT3 class, the #88 Proton Competition Ford Mustang LMGT3 Evo took an early lead.
Following the initial cautions, the race settled into a long, clean, and uninterrupted rhythm. The battle at the front evolved into a tense strategic chess match between the Ferrari and Toyota garages. During the second round of pit stops, Toyota made the crucial decision not to change tyres on the #8 car. This allowed Ryo Hirakawa (JPN) to emerge from the pits ahead of the #51 Ferrari, which had changed two tyres and was now driven by Alessandro Pier Guidi (ITA). Shortly after this pit cycle concluded, the #93 Peugeot 9X8 of Nick Cassidy (NZL) went off into the gravel at Tamburello on his out-lap. This incident triggered a Virtual Safety Car. Toyota capitalised perfectly, using the VSC to give Hirakawa a "free" tyre change without losing the net lead, while the #51 Ferrari lost time having to change its remaining tyres under green flag conditions. Pier Guidi spent the entire middle phase of the race stalking Hirakawa, but the narrow nature of the Imola circuit made overtaking nearly impossible.
The GT3 field saw its own share of attrition early on. Following the opening round of pit stops, both Akkodis ASP Team Lexus RC F entries were struck by what appeared to be similar transmission issues within minutes of each other. The #87 Lexus was forced to retire out on the circuit, while the #78 managed to return to the track after a lengthy spell in the garage.
As the race moved into its final stages, the postponed rain threat from the second hour finally began to materialise. Dark clouds gathered and raindrops appeared, with visible storms surrounding the Imola area. However, the track surface remained almost entirely dry until the very end of the race. Toyota executed a masterful strategic block during the penultimate pit stops by placing the #7 Toyota of Kamui Kobayashi (JPN) between the leading #8 car of Sébastien Buemi (CHE) and the chasing #51 Ferrari of Antonio Giovinazzi (ITA). Kobayashi triple-stinted his tyres and, while he could not match Buemi's pace, successfully fended off Giovinazzi. This defensive driving allowed the #8 car to build a gap of over ten seconds. When Kobayashi finally pitted for fresh rubber, the strategic damage to Ferrari's chances was already done.
Further down the Hypercar field, the sister #50 Ferrari had its race derailed by a drive-through penalty for a yellow flag infringement, served immediately after the restart from the second Safety Car. An identical penalty was handed to the #12 Cadillac V-Series.R. The #50 Ferrari dropped to the back of the Hypercar pack and never fully recovered, though Antonio Fuoco (ITA) staged a fierce late-race charge. In the closing laps, Fuoco was desperately trying to overtake the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 of René Rast (GER) for fifth place. Just ahead of them, Charles Milesi (FRA) was barely hanging on to fourth in the #35 Alpine A424. The gaps compressed significantly, with the cars running fourth through eighth closing right up and finishing almost nose-to-tail. Ultimately, Buemi safely navigated the final laps to give the #8 Toyota a 13.352-second victory over the #51 Ferrari. This milestone result marked the 50th WEC victory for Toyota in what was their 100th WEC race appearance.
The conclusion of the LMGT3 race was defined by pure heartbreak for the Garage 59 squad. At the start of the penultimate hour, Thomas Fleming (GBR) in the #10 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo executed a decisive pass on Jonny Edgar (GBR) in the #33 TF Sport Corvette at Tamburello. Marvin Kirchhöfer (GER) took over the McLaren for the final stint and was leading with just 35 minutes remaining on the clock. Suddenly, the McLaren suffered a sudden loss of power on the start/finish straight due to an electrical issue. The car was forced into the pits and returned only for the final lap, ultimately being classified 13th. This disaster handed the lead to Dan Harper (GBR) in the #69 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO. Nicky Catsburg (NLD) in the #33 Corvette mounted a monumental charge in the final stint, reducing a six-second gap down to just two seconds. Despite a massive final lap push, Catsburg fell a mere 0.265 seconds short of Harper at the line. The #92 Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo completed the class podium in third.
