The 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship season ignited with a heart-stopping qualifying session at Imola, and it was Ferrari who struck the first blow on home soil. Antonio Giovinazzi, in the No. 51 Ferrari 499P, delivered a last-gasp masterclass to snatch Hyperpole by a razor-thin margin, setting the stage for a thrilling 6 Hours of Imola.

In a dramatic finale, Giovinazzi crossed the line with just seconds to spare, posting a blistering 1:30.277 lap on five-lap-old tires to edge out the No. 8 Toyota GR010 by a mere 0.011 seconds. The Italian's stunning tire management and composure under pressure left even his teammate Alessandro Pier Guidi in awe, who praised the "amazing lap" that puts the defending champions in prime position for the race.

This pole position continues a formidable run for the #51 crew, backing up their victory here last year—Ferrari's first-ever Hypercar home win—which launched their successful 2025 championship campaign. The front of the grid is incredibly tight, with the entire top four separated by less than a tenth of a second.

Toyota's Hirakawa Ryō briefly threatened an upset, splitting the factory Ferraris to secure P2 and demoting the No. 50 Ferrari of Antonio Fuoco to the second row alongside the impressive No. 94 Peugeot 9X8. Further back, Nick Nato staged a remarkable recovery in the No. 12 Cadillac, bouncing back from narrowly making the Hyperpole cut to secure a top-five starting spot.

The session wasn't without surprises. Both Aston Martin Valkyries and the No. 93 Peugeot found themselves outside the top ten, while the new Genesis squad, bearing the heaviest cars on the grid, faces an uphill battle from deeper on the grid. With such microscopic margins and fierce competition across the Hypercar field, tomorrow's race promises a relentless, strategic battle where every second of performance and endurance will count.