Ferrari 499P #51 to Start 8th, #50 12th at 2026 Le Mans 24 Hours
Ferrari's number 51 499P will start eighth and number 50 twelfth in the 94th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans after Hyperpole qualifying.
- 8th
- 2.517 seconds
- 3'23"406
What Happened
The 94th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will see the Ferrari 499P number 51 start from eighth place on the starting grid, while the number 50 car will line up in 12th position. The results came from the Hyperpole session, which determines the top grid positions. The third round of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship begins on Saturday, 13 June at 4 p.m. local time.
In Hyperpole 1, Antonio Giovinazzi set a best time of 3'23"406 in the number 51 car, securing a place in Hyperpole 2. James Calado then drove in the second session, clocking 3'25"081, earning ninth place initially, but moved to eighth after a penalty to another car. The number 50 crew, with Antonio Fuoco, recorded 3'24"105 but did not qualify for Hyperpole 2, starting 12th. The number 83 AF Corse car, last year's winner, starts 17th.
“After the good job Antonio did in the first session, it was my turn to get into the cockpit for Hyperpole 2. It was a new experience, considering I had never qualified the 499P before. I think I put together a good lap, free of mistakes, on my first proper attempt, even if it wasn’t possible to achieve a better result.”
Why this matters
Starting grid positions are crucial for the 24-hour race; though Ferrari's top car is eighth, 2.5 seconds off pole, the long race offers opportunities.
Terms in This Story
- Hyperpole
- A qualifying session in endurance racing that determines the top grid positions.
- 499P
- Ferrari's Le Mans Hypercar model used in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
- AF Corse
- The racing team that operates Ferrari's official entries in endurance racing.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.