Ferrari driver Robert Kubica claimed hist first World Endurance Championship Hypercar pole place at Austin. The star of the Le Mans 24 Hours in June took the highest spot in qualifying aboard the AF Corse-run buyer Ferrari 499P Le Mans Hypercar by lower than a tenth of a second from Antonio Giovinazzi.
Kubica, who shares the Le Mans-winning AF Ferrari with Philip Hanson and Yifei Ye, bought right down to a 1m57.655s on slick tyres on a humid Circuit of the Americas to edge out manufacturing unit Ferrari driver Giovinazzi, who leads the championship with team-mates James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi.
#83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Robert Kubica, Yifei Ye, Philip Hanson
Picture by: FIAWEC – DPPI
Giovinazzi’s 1m57.751s gave him a margin of seven tenths over third-placed Jean-Eric Vergne within the #93 Peugeot 9X8 2024, which ended up on 1m58.506s. Extra information on the Peugeot would observe after the session.
Fourth went Kevin Estre in the one manufacturing unit Penske Porsche 963 LMDh to make it by way of to the 10-minute Hyperpole session on Saturday for the quickest 10 vehicles within the first qualifying interval.
The Frenchman’s 1m58.619s gave him a margin of two tenths over fifth-placed Nicklas Nielsen within the second manufacturing unit Ferrari that ended with a 1m58.640s.
#009 Aston Martin Thor Crew Aston Martin Valkyrie: Alex Riberas, Marco Sorensen
Picture by: FIAWEC – DPPI
Sixth went to the client Proton Competitors Porsche pushed by Nicolas Varone, who had topped the occasions within the first qualifying session.
Charles Milesi was seventh within the #35 Alpine A424 LMDh and Ryo Hirakawa eighth within the #8 Toyota GR010 HYBRID LMH.
Dries Vanthoor and Alex Riberas rounded out the highest 10 of their respective #15 WRT BMW M Hybrid V8 LMDh and #009 Aston Martin Valkyrie LMH.
Julian Andlauer was the quickest driver to overlook out on a spot in Hyperpole, the Frenchman ending up eleventh in opening qualifying within the #5 Penske Porsche.
#38 Cadillac Hertz Crew Jota Cadillac V-Collection.R: Earl Bamber, Sebastien Bourdais, Jenson Button
Picture by: James Moy Images by way of Getty Photographs
Cadillac, winner final trip within the WEC at Interlagos in July, did not get both of its V-Collection.R LMDhs by way of into the Hyperpole session.
Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn went out on moist tyres in gentle rain within the 12-minute opening session and ended up on the backside of the occasions together with Kamui Kobayashi within the #7 Toyota GR010 HYBRID, which was additionally on the grooved Michelin.
Late Hypercar drama
#93 Peugeot Totalenergies Peugeot 9X8: Paul Di Resta, Mikkel Jensen, Jean-Eric Vergne
Picture by: Jakob Ebrey / LAT Photographs by way of Getty Photographs
The #93 Peugeot was subsequently excluded from qualifying, the choice coming greater than three hours after its conclusion.
Vergne misplaced his occasions as a result of the rear rain gentle was not activated throughout a session that had been declared as moist by the race director.
The choice means the Peugeot will line up on the grid in 18th and final place in Hypercar.
LMGT3 qualifying
#88 Proton Competitors Ford Mustang LMGT3: Stefano Gattuso, Giammarco Levorato, Dennis Olsen
Picture by: Jakob Ebrey / LAT Photographs by way of Getty Photographs
Ford blocked out the entrance row in LMGT3 with the pair of Proton Competitors-run Mustang GT3s because the American producer took a primary pole place within the class launched at the beginning of 2024.
Giammarco Levorato within the German group’s #88 entry claimed the pole because the chequered flag dropped when he discovered over a second to get right down to a 2m07.645s.
#46 Crew WRT BMW M4 LMGT3: Ahmad Al Harthy, Valentino Rossi, Kelvin Van Der Linde
Picture by: Jakob Ebrey / LAT Photographs by way of Getty Photographs
The Italian had sat atop the leaderboard earlier than team-mate Ben Tuck within the #77 additionally improved by a second to quickly demote him to second.
Third at school within the session for the silver-rated driver in every line-up went to Sean Gelael in one of the best of the United Autosports McLaren 720S GT3 Evos, whereas Valentino Rossi took fourth in his WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO.
The Lone Star Le Mans six-hour race, the sixth spherical of the 2025 WEC, begins at 13:00 native time on Sunday.
Images from Austin – Apply & Qualifying
COTA – Saturday, in pictures
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COTA – Saturday, in pictures
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COTA – Saturday, in pictures
COTA – Saturday, in pictures
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COTA – Saturday, in pictures
COTA – Saturday, in pictures
COTA – Saturday, in pictures
COTA – Saturday, in pictures
COTA – Saturday, in pictures
COTA – Saturday, in pictures
COTA – Saturday, in pictures
COTA – Saturday, in pictures
COTA – Saturday, in pictures
COTA – Saturday, in pictures
COTA – Saturday, in pictures
COTA – Saturday, in pictures
COTA – Saturday, in pictures
COTA – Saturday, in pictures
COTA – Saturday, in pictures
COTA – Saturday, in pictures
1
83
Ferrari 499P
5
168.686
2
FERRARI AF CORSE HYPERCAR
51
Ferrari 499P
4
0.096
168.548
3
PEUGEOT TOTALENERGIES HYPERCAR
93
Peugeot 9X8
5
0.755
167.475
4
PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT HYPERCAR
6
Porsche 963
5
0.113
167.315
5
FERRARI AF CORSE HYPERCAR
50
Ferrari 499P
5
0.021
167.285
6
99
N. Varrone
Porsche 963
5
0.199
167.005
7
Alpine Endurance Crew HYPERCAR
35
Alpine A424
5
1.629
164.747
8
8
Toyota GR010 – Hybrid
5
2.458
161.453
9
BMW M Crew WRT HYPERCAR
15
BMW M Hybrid V8
5
0.317
161.037
10
Aston Martin THOR Crew HYPERCAR
009
Aston Martin Valkyrie
5
0.781
160.023
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