Antonio Fuoco has achieved an emotionally charged pole for Ferrari at the 6 Hours of Monza, which will not only mark the end of the 2026 World Endurance Championship but also represent the last outing of the 499P in its current configuration.
The car with the V6 LMH engine will undergo a significant update next year, which gives Fuoco the privilege of having achieved the pole both for the vehicle’s debut at Sebring in 2023 and for this final qualifying session, before entering a new technical phase.
“I hadn’t thought of it, but it’s true,” Fuoco commented. “I think everyone wants to give this car a good farewell because it has been a very beautiful journey over these years. We have won eight races together, including Le Mans on three occasions. So I think it deserves the pole today.”
The driver acknowledged that it was challenging to drive on a dry track for the first time during the weekend. “We expected it to be only dry during qualifying, and it was quite complicated because we didn’t have time to test with the proper setup,” he explained.
Despite the excitement of being on pole at Monza as an Italian driver with Ferrari, Fuoco emphasized the importance of staying focused for tomorrow’s race. The team’s goal is to bring the 499P to the top of the podium. Fuoco, along with his #50 teammates Nicklas Nielsen and Miguel Molina, will be in a position to set the pace from the start.
Problems for Ferrari’s #51
Despite the joy that #50 brought to the fans, the sister car #51 faced more difficulties during hyper-qualification and will start the race from the fourth position. Antonio Giovinazzi, who finished 0.209 seconds behind Fuoco, struggled to find a good balance in the second sector, where he lost the time needed to improve his time.
The preparation for a last flying attempt failed, as he crossed the finish line only a few seconds after the checkered flag fell. “Today is very special to have a Ferrari in hyper-qualification at Monza,” Giovinazzi highlighted after the session.
Challenges for other drivers
Robert Kubica, who competed with the #83 of AF Corse, was also disappointed for not having improved his performance. Despite fighting for the pole during the session, he ended up eighth because the changing conditions played a trick on him.
Kubica pointed out that tire wear would be an unknown for all teams in the race, as no one had been able to measure their performance in dry conditions over the weekend. “No one will have data on tire wear,” he concluded, emphasizing the strategic preparation ahead of the upcoming six-hour race.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
