A strong start for the Ferrari 499P in the opening Prologue, with the three Maranello cars securing the top three positions.
If the morning sets the tone, Ferrari fans at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari are in for a great weekend. Ferrari kicked off the FIA World Endurance Championship Prologue in the best possible way. After the morning’s fastest time from Antonio Giovinazzi, it was Antonio Fuoco who put the Maranello manufacturer back on top in the afternoon session.
The reigning world champions with Ferrari AF Corse stopped the clock at 1:31.177, improving the morning benchmark by four tenths. A clear signal ahead of the season-opening WEC round, scheduled at Imola this weekend, from April 17–19.
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Ferrari Dominates Imola Prologue: Rivals Over Half a Second Behind
Behind Fuoco came Robert Kubica in the #83 Ferrari of AF Corse, just 0.126 seconds slower. Third place went to Giovinazzi, within two tenths of the fastest time.
While Ferrari had over a one-second advantage in the morning, the afternoon session saw rivals close the gap slightly. BMW M Team WRT, with Robin Frijns driving the #20, reduced the deficit to just over half a second — still a significant margin given the nature of the circuit.
It was instead a difficult day for Aston Martin THOR Team. After the morning crash involving Marco Sørensen, the Valkyrie #009 did not return to the track in the afternoon.
Genesis Debut and Italians Lead LMGT3
Among the highlights, Genesis Magma Racing continued development of its new Hypercar, completing 204 laps with Mathieu Jaminet at the wheel. It was instead a difficult day for Aston Martin THOR Team. After the morning crash involving Marco Sørensen, the Valkyrie #009 did not return to the track in the afternoon.
In the LMGT3 category, the fastest time was set by Italian driver Mattia Drudi with Heart of Racing Team in the Aston Martin Vantage GT3. Second place went to another Italian, Alessio Rovera, driving the Ferrari 296 GT3 for VISTA AF Corse, while third was Tom Fleming with Garage 59.
Next Sessions
Track action resumes Friday, April 17, with free practice. Qualifying, including Hyperpole, is scheduled for Saturday, April 18 at 14:30. The 6 Hours of Imola will start Sunday, April 19 at 13:00.
Photo: Ferrari Hypercar
