Antonio Giovinazzi has secured Qatar WEC pole position in a thrilling qualifying session, setting the stage for Friday’s Qatar 1812km.
The achievement marked a strong start to the 2025 FIA WEC season for Ferrari, as rival teams in the Hypercar class battled for supremacy on the 5.4-kilometer Lusail circuit.
Driving the #51 AF Corse Ferrari 499P, Antonio Giovinazzi delivered an exceptional lap of 1:38.359 to claim Qatar WEC pole position, narrowly beating Dries Vanthoor in the #15 BMW M Team WRT Hybrid V8.
The qualifying process for the 2025 Qatar 1812km followed the Hyperpole format, introduced in 2024 and now a staple across all WEC events. This format involves two stages: an initial qualifying session to determine the top ten fastest cars in each class, followed by a short final pole shootout.
The first qualifying segment was marked by razor-thin margins among the competitors, with Ferrari AF Corse emerging as early favorites. Both factory-run Ferrari 499Ps dominated, claiming the top two spots in Q1 to advance to Hyperpole.
Antonio Fuoco driving the #50 AF Corse Ferrari 499P narrowly led teammate Giovinazzi by just 0.022 seconds during the session. However, drama unfolded when Fuoco ran wide into a gravel trap though he managed to recover without major damage.
Meanwhile, BMW M Team WRT also showcased impressive pace in Q1 with their #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 securing a spot in Hyperpole alongside their sister #20 entry. The #93 Peugeot 9X8 LMH also made it to the final round in the hands of Jean-Eric Vergne.
However, Toyota suffered a huge setback most notably when Brendon Hartley spun his #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid during a fast lap, relegating him to last place among the Hypercars for Friday’s race.
As Hyperpole commenced, Antonio Giovinazzi rose to the occasion with a commanding lap time of 1:38.359 to ultimately claim Qatar WEC pole position after narrowly beating Dries Vanthoor in the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 by just 0.136 seconds.
Meanwhile, Fuoco recovered to claim the third spot on the grid with a time of 1:38.692 in the #50 Ferrari.
READ ALSO: Qatar WEC FP3: Antonio Fuoco leads Ferrari 1-2-3
Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA also made an impressive debut with their new Cadillac V-Series.R machinery with Alex Lynn and Sebastien Bourdais securing fourth and fifth positions respectively.
Robin Frijns placed sixth in the sister #20 BMW entry while Nyck de Vries brought Toyota some redemption by claiming seventh in the #7 GR010 Hybrid.
Robert Kubica delivered a solid performance for AF Corse’s privateer entry (#83), finishing eighth ahead of Charles Milesi’s Alpine A424 (#35). Jean-Eric Vergne rounded out the top ten for Peugeot with a lap time of 1:39.674 in the #93 car.
Further down the order, Porsche Penske Motorsport endured a challenging session with their factory-entered Porsche 963s finishing outside the top ten. Julien Andlauer managed eleventh place in the #5 Porsche (1:39.946), while Kevin Estre placed thirteenth in the sister #6 car (1:40.363).
Alpine’s Mick Schumacher secured fourteenth position in his debut WEC qualifying session driving the #36 A424.
Aston Martin struggled to find pace during qualifying as Marco Sorensen (#009) and Harry Tincknell (#007) finished fifteenth and seventeenth respectively among Hypercars. Meanwhile, Hartley’s earlier incident left him at the back of the grid.
LMGT3: United Autosports secure Qatar WEC pole
The LMGT3 class also featured competitive action during its own qualifying sessions earlier in the day.
Sean Gelael claimed Qatar WEC pole position for United Autosports in the #95 McLaren 720S GT3 with a lap time of 1:54.239, edging out Finn Gehrsitz’s Lexus RC F GT3 by just fractions of a second.
The class saw several late improvements as drivers adapted to changing track conditions caused by intermittent light rain during practice sessions earlier in the weekend.
The Lusail International Circuit proved to be a challenging yet rewarding venue for drivers and teams across both classes. Its fast and flowing layout demanded precision and bravery, particularly during Hyperpole where every millisecond counted.
As anticipation builds for race day on February 28th, all eyes will be on Giovinazzi and Ferrari AF Corse as they aim to convert the Qatar WEC pole position into victory at the 2025 FIA WEC season opener.
With BMW M Team WRT hot on their heels and Cadillac Racing showing promising form, fans can expect an intense battle at the Qatar 1812km.
