Ferrari 499Ps among the frontrunners on Friday at Imola
Imola 18 aprile 2025
The opening day on the track at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari – host of the second round of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship – saw the 499Ps from the Maranello-based manufacturer among the key players.
In the morning, the fastest Hypercar was the number 83 Ferrari fielded by AF Corse, with Yifei Ye, Robert Kubica and Phil Hanson at the wheel. In the afternoon, it was the top-performing 499P number 51, with Antonio Giovinazzi, Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado, that finished the session in first place.
FP1. The first 90-minute free practice session, held in variable weather conditions with an air temperature of around 16°C and track temperature of approximately 18°C, saw Ferrari on the pace right away. The fastest time was recorded by the number 83 499P of AF Corse, with Kubica-Ye-Hanson at the wheel, setting a lap of 1’32”065. The second-best performance came from the number 50 in red livery, crewed by Molina-Fuoco-Nielsen, just 236 milliseconds behind the leaders, while the other Ferrari – AF Corse entry, the number 51 of Pier Guidi-Calado-Giovinazzi, placed fourth with a time of 1’32”607.
FP2. Ferrari also topped the timesheets in the afternoon’s 90-minute free practice session, held in dry conditions with an air temperature of around 18°C. The fastest lap came from the number 51 in red livery, crewed by Antonio Giovinazzi, Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado, who stopped the clock at 1’31”040. In a tightly contested session, with very close gaps among the frontrunners, the fourth-best time went to the number 50 of Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen with a lap of 1’31”394. The number 83 of AF Corse concluded the session in seventh place, setting a best lap of 1’31”559.
The programme. On Saturday, 19 April, after the third 60-minute free practice session, qualifying is scheduled for 3.10 p.m., followed by Hyperpole for the Hypercar entries at 3.30 p.m. The 6 Hours of Imola will get underway on Sunday, 20 April at 1.00 p.m. (local time).