Ferrari’s Antonio Fuoco took a stunning pole position in the 499P’s debut race for the FIA World Endurance Championship’s 1000 Miles of Sebring.
The #50 Ferrari 499P driver set a 1:45.067 to take pole ahead of both Toyotas, with Brendon Hartley and Kamui Kobyashi unable to match the Italian in their Japanese-German Toyota GR010s.
Indeed, Hartley was 0.214 off Fuoco in the #8 Toyota, and Kobayashi a further half a second off in the sister #7 Toyota.
Apart from briefly leading the session in the early stages, Toyota never topped the timesheets, with Ferrari quicker for almost all the 15 minute session.
In fourth was the sister #51 Ferrari of Alessandro Pier Guidi, with a 1:45.874.
The #2 Cadillac V.Series-R of Alex Lynn was in fifth, followed by the two Porsches of Kevin Estre, in the #6 Porsche 963, and Michael Christensen in the sister #5.
The two Peugeots were only able to manage eighth and ninth, with #94 Peugeot 9X8’s Loic Duval followed by Mikel Jensen.
The two non-hybrid Hypercars brought up the rear, with Olivier Pla setting a 1:49.164 in the #708 Glickenhaus 007, followed by Tom Dillmann in the #4 Vanwall Vandervell 680 with a 1:49.329.
In LMP2, Oliver Jarvis was the only driver to get into the 1:49s with a 1:49.974 in the #23 United Autosports Oreca 07-Gibson. Pietro Fittipaldi took second in the #28 JOTA Oreca 07-Gibson, less than a tenth of a second off Jarvis, but the Brazilian wasn’t able to beat the Brit.
Third in class was Robin Frijns in the #31 WRT Oreca 07-Gibson, with a 1:50.155, but again the Belgian wasn’t quick enough to beat Jarvis.
Sarah Bovy took pole for the #85 Iron Dames crew for the FIA World Endurance Championship season opener, the 1000 Miles of Sebring.
It was initially a close affair with Corvette driver Ben Keating, but Bovy, in the #85 Porsche 911 RSR-19, prevailed with a 1:58.949.
Keating was first on track and set the early pace in the 2:01s, but as the drivers warmed the tyres — tyre warmers are banned in the WEC this year — Bovy began to set faster and faster laps.
Luis Perez Companc, in the #83 Richard Mille AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Eco, briefly stole the top spot, but it didn’t last long. Keating quickly took it back, and Bovy then entered the equation for pole with a 1:59.354.
Keating responded with a 1:59.396, but it wasn’t enough to unseat Bovy. He went even quicker the next lap, but the American was still an agonising nine thousandths off the Iron Dame.
However, it wouldn’t stay this way. Bovy was able to set the only lap in the 1:58s, a 1:58.949, to take pole by over four tenths from Keating.
Ahmad Al Harty, in the #25 ORT by TF Aston Martin Vantage AMR, took third with a 1:59.657.
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