Fuoco drives Ferrari 499P #50 in pole at Monza

WECHyperCar

Nov 7

A first pole position for Ferrari at Monza since 1960, thanks to the fastest lap set by Antonio Fuoco behind the wheel of the #50 Ferrari 499P. This was the first dry-track session of the 6 Hours of Monza weekend, following wet conditions—or at the very least, a damp track—throughout all three free practice sessions.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Monza. #50 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P

Antonio Fuoco fastest of all

Ferrari will start at the front of the grid for the Monza 6 Hours, the final round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, with the #50 499P, thanks to the result achieved in Hyperpole by Antonio Fuoco who scored his first pole this season with #50 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P, the third one for Ferrari after Giovinazzi got sister #51 in pole at Imola and one at Circuit of The Americas.

Ferrari becomes the fourth manufacturer in the history of the FIA WEC to reach ten or more pole positions in the championship’s top category, joining such sporting legends as Toyota, Porsche, and Audi. Source: FIA WEC

Antonio Fuoco #50: “Today was a truly special day. Securing pole position here at Monza, as an Italian driver at the wheel of a Ferrari, is something incredibly emotional. I am also absolutely delighted with this pole position, following the very first one I secured with the 499P at Sebring in 2023. Looking ahead to the race, we must remain clear-headed, stay calm and focus on the 6 Hours, which will be a long and difficult challenge. We will give it our all to deliver a great result for our Tifosi. The first part of Qualifying was challenging because we had not had the opportunity to carry out some set-up tests and familiarise ourselves with the circuit, which was essentially dry. Furthermore, the last time we raced at Monza was in July 2023, when the weather conditions were very different. I really enjoy these situations, when you have to take to the track, push to the maximum, try to make the most of every opportunity and achieve the best possible result. I believe we managed to do everything really well today. I would like to thank the team because, particularly in conditions like these, it is essential to have confidence in the technicians' decisions, the set-up and the car at your disposal.” Source: Ferrari

Second first row in a row for Genesis

Mathieu Jaminet with #19 Genesis Magma Racing GMR-001 was second and the only driver within one tenth a second from Fuoco’s fastest lap. this new pole comes after Mathys Jaubert scored pole position in the #17 Genesis GMR-001 Hypercar at Barcelona.

Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA #38 will line up in P3 tomorrow.

The #38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R driven by Earl Bamber posted the fifth quickest time in qualifying (a 1:34.177), before progressing to Hyperpole. In an incredibly close session, the #38 jostled for the top spot, on three occasions setting the provisional pole lap. He finished the session in P3, setting the fastest first sector.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Monza. #38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R

#38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA, Earl Bamber: “Really, really great work from everyone to get another top-three qualifying result. Starting from the second row in third position is exactly where we want to be for this race, and full credit to the whole team. The car was really good from the get-go, and I’m excited to go racing tomorrow because I think we’ve got a great race car and can really push forward.” Source: Cadillac Racing

Antonio Giovinazzi Fourth

Antonio Giovinazzi was fourth aboard the #51 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P with a 1:33.573.

Antonio Giovinazzi #51: “Tomorrow we will start from a good position. Qualifying and Hyperpole were difficult sessions in which we took to the track in conditions that were very different from those in the three free practice sessions. In the race, nobody will have any truly reliable data on tyre degradation or several other factors: I expect a very interesting race because we will all find ourselves in the same situation, without any precise reference points. It is now essential to analyse the car's balance during Qualifying carefully and understand what we can improve ahead of the 6 Hours. In the race, we will have to be impeccable in our strategic decisions and tyre management, with the aim of bringing the championship to a close with a great result for Ferrari.” Source: Ferrari

Peugeot Fifth

Théo Pourchaire with #94 Peugeot 9X8 was fifth with a 1:33.617.

Théo Pourchaire (PEUGEOT 9X8 #94): « This was my second qualifying session with the PEUGEOT 9X8 in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), and I am very happy to have made it into Hyperpole. Finishing in 5th place is a very satisfying result, and it puts us in a good starting position for the race. I’m really pleased and looking forward to seeing what tomorrow brings. I am confident that we will have a real chance to compete in this final race of the year.. » Source: Peugeot