All articles tagged with #fia wec
Alpine secured its first FIA World Endurance Championship pole position after rain forced the cancellation of qualifying for the 6 Hours of Fuji. Victor Martins set the fastest time in FP2, locking out the front row with Charles Milesi. Toyota, starting eighth and 13th, has installed new hydraulic and software updates to address reliability issues from the previous race at Austin.
Ferrari's Antonio Giovinazzi clinched the Hypercar pole for the 6 Hours of COTA after a rare dead-heat with Jack Aitken's Cadillac, continuing Ferrari's undefeated Hypercar pole streak; the four Hypercar manufacturers were separated by under 0.05 seconds, while Aston Martin took LMGT3 pole for a third straight time, with additional notes on track limits, a Russian flag appearance on a Manthey Porsche, and a paddock full of notable attendees ahead of race day.
After an eight-week break, the FIA World Endurance Championship resumes at Circuit of The Americas for the Lone Star Le Mans, the series’ 15th North American visit and a six-hour race. Porsche Penske Motorsport is absent from Hypercar this year, and teams arrive amid heat, testing activity (including Genesis and Ford), and driver-lineup speculation ahead of a weekend that historically features close finishes at COTA.
Ford's hypercar program hinges on coordinating work across its Dearborn engine team, Concord simulations, ORECA-built chassis in France, and Venture Engineering UK to prepare for FIA World Endurance Championship testing next year. With 15 U.S. engineers joining the UK operation and daily ORECA liaison, Ford aims to minimize errors, keep a clear American core, and ensure smooth collaboration across bases as the car nears its shakedown and WEC debut.
Toyota’s No. 7 TR010 Hybrid battled a driveshaft torque sensor fault that forced a back-up power mode and even a moment of giving up, but Kobayashi, Nyck de Vries and Mike Conway still claimed victory at Le Mans by 10 seconds over the No. 20 BMW M Hybrid V8. It marked Toyota’s sixth FIA WEC win and Kobayashi/Conway’s second Le Mans triumph, with de Vries earning his first. The No. 8 Toyota finished third after the team split strategies, and engineers said the sensor issue drifted into default power at times before gradually easing late in the race.
Genesis Magma Racing revealed the gray-and-orange livery for its No. 17 GMR-001 Hypercar as it enters the FIA World Endurance Championship, featuring a South Korean flag and Hangeul for ‘Magma’ to honor its heritage. The livery accompanies the team’s “athletic elegance” design philosophy. The No. 17 lineup for the season includes Lotterer, Derani, and Mathys Jaubert, with the sister car driven by Jaminet, Chatin, and Juncadella; it remains undecided whether two or three drivers will race at Imola beyond the first round.
At Interlagos, the FIA World Endurance Championship's free practice sessions saw the debut of Goodyear's new Eagle Hard tire, developed with sustainability in mind and tested across various circuits. Porsche Penske led the sessions, with teams evaluating tire choices and track conditions following recent resurfacing efforts. Weather and track improvements are influencing tire degradation and grip, while teams like Ferrari and BMW experienced technical issues. A new broadcast graphics package will enhance viewing for upcoming sessions.
Toyota Gazoo Racing secures the front row for the FIA WEC race at Fuji Speedway, with the #7 GR010 HYBRID taking pole position. Toyota aims for its fifth win of the season and extends its win streak on home soil. Porsche Penske secures third and fourth on the grid, while Ferrari struggles and settles for sixth and seventh. United Autosports claims LMP2 pole, and Ben Keating secures GTE Am pole in the Corvette Racing C8.R. The race is set to begin at 11:00 local time in Japan.