Ferrari pole position at COTA

Ferrari secured pole position at the Lone Star Le Mans, round six of the 2024 FIA WEC, held at the Circuit of the Americas. The 499P number 51, driven by Antonio Giovinazzi during Hyperpole, posted a time of 1’50”390 and will lead the grid in the six-hour race starting at 1 p.m. (local time) on Sunday 1 September. The 499P number 83, entered by AF Corse, will complete the front row courtesy of the time set by Robert Kubica. The other official Hypercar, the number 50, qualified by Antonio Fuoco, finished fifth.

The Ferrari – AF Corse team achieved its second pole position of the season, following its success at Imola, and the fourth since the 499P’s race debut. In the 2023 season, Ferrari also claimed pole positions at Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Qualifying. The two Italian drivers qualified the cars, fitting medium tyres in dry track conditions with air and asphalt temperatures of over 33°C and 53°C, respectively. During the 12-minute session, Giovinazzi and Fuoco posted the first and second-best times, stopping the clock at 1’50”734 and 1’51”059, respectively.

AF Corse’s 499P number 83, driven by Robert Kubica, secured fourth place with a time of (1’51”233).

Hyperpole. The session again featured Giovinazzi in the number 51 Le Mans Hypercar, which he shares with Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado, plus Kubica in the car with the Giallo Modena livery. Giovinazzi was again the fastest, clinching pole position with a time of 1’50”390, 0’277 seconds ahead of the crew of Kubica and Ferrari official drivers Yifei Ye and Robert Shwartzman. Fuoco, winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans alongside Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen, finished fifth with the number 50 499P, 0.428 seconds behind his teammate.

The figures. As mentioned, Ferrari’s pole position at COTA is its fourth in the top class of the FIA WEC, following those at Imola (this season), Sebring, and Le Mans (in 2023), all secured by the 499P number 50 with Fuoco. This is the first pole position for the number 51 crew.

The programme. The Lone Star Le Mans, round six of the FIA WEC 2024, will run on Sunday, 1 September, over a distance of 6 hours. The green flag will wave at 1:00 p.m. (local time).