Ferrari sets the pace in Imola WEC practice with 499Ps leading the field

Ferrari leads Friday practice at Imola in FIA WEC 2025. Strong pace from 499P entries signals serious contention for Sunday's race win.

The second round of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship kicked off under cool, dry skies at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari — and Ferrari wasted no time making its presence felt. Three 499Ps hit the track as serious contenders for the top step of the podium in Sunday’s 6 Hours of Imola.

The morning free practice session saw AF Corse’s No. 83 Ferrari, driven by Robert Kubica, Yifei Ye and Phil Hanson, set the fastest time at 1:32.065. Just behind was the No. 50 car of Molina, Fuoco and Nielsen, only 0.236 seconds adrift. The No. 51 entry, with Giovinazzi, Pier Guidi and Calado, secured fourth.

The tables turned in FP2 as the No. 51 Ferrari topped the timesheets with a 1:31.040 lap. The No. 50 followed in fourth, while the morning leaders, car No. 83, ended up seventh. Ferrari topped both sessions, with the afternoon timesheets showing closely packed frontrunners, underscoring the team's competitiveness.

Imola’s technical layout, complete with elevation changes and complex corners like Acque Minerali and Rivazza, demands aerodynamic stability and precision. The Ferrari 499P seems tailor-made for such conditions, giving the team a possible edge.

Backed by a string of strong performances — from Le Mans glory in 2023 to a podium sweep in Qatar earlier this season — Ferrari enters this race with momentum. But challenges remain. Porsche has benefitted from BoP weight adjustments, Peugeot fields the lightest car on the grid, and Toyota’s strategy game is ever sharp. Still, Ferrari appears best positioned to translate its pace into pole and race-day dominance.

With qualifying and Hyperpole lined up for Saturday, and the race set for 1:00 PM local time on Sunday, all eyes are on Ferrari to maintain its form and deliver a commanding performance.

Source: ferrari.com