Alpine Endurance Team topped the opening Free Practice session for the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) 6 Hours of Monza, with Charles Milesi setting the fastest Hypercar lap during a rain-affected Friday morning. Meanwhile, Thomas Fleming placed Garage 59’s McLaren at the top of the LMGT3 classification as teams began preparations for the season finale.
Milesi recorded a 1:45.862 in the #35 Alpine A424 during the closing stages, finishing 0.401 seconds ahead of Yifei Ye in the #83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P. Alpine’s sister #36 entry completed the top three through Victor Martins, while Aston Martin THOR Team secured fourth with Harry Tincknell.
In LMGT3, Fleming recorded a 1:57.575 in the #10 McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo, finishing 0.330 seconds ahead of Giammarco Levorato’s #88 Proton Competition Ford Mustang. Championship leader Jonny Edgar completed the top three in the #33 TF Sport Corvette.
Wet conditions affected the entire 90-minute session, with three red flags interrupting running as drivers struggled for grip. However, the rain eased towards the conclusion, allowing several competitors to improve their lap times.
The 35-car field comprises 17 Hypercars and 18 LMGT3 entries, with three championship titles still undecided ahead of Sunday’s final race.
Milesi puts Alpine ahead of Ferrari in Hypercar
Alpine Endurance Team made an impressive start to its final Hypercar weekend as Milesi delivered the fastest lap of Friday morning. The French driver recorded a 1:45.862 during the final moments, placing the #35 A424 at the head of the 17-car classification.
The result provided an encouraging beginning for Alpine, which will conclude its current WEC Hypercar programme following Sunday’s race. Milesi shares the #35 entry with Ferdinand Habsburg, with the pair targeting a strong result during the manufacturer’s final appearance.
However, AF Corse controlled much of the opening session through Kubica. The Polish driver established an early benchmark of 1:47.738 in the #83 Ferrari 499P, opening a substantial advantage while competitors struggled with the wet conditions.
Kubica shares the car with Ye and Phil Hanson, with Ye subsequently taking over driving duties as conditions began improving. The Chinese driver reduced the Ferrari’s fastest lap to 1:46.263 during the closing stages, securing second overall.
Although the Ferrari had led for much of the session, Milesi’s late improvement left the #83 crew 0.401 seconds behind. Nevertheless, AF Corse completed 38 laps, more than any other Hypercar, gathering valuable data ahead of the final race.
Alpine completes top three as Aston Martin challenges
Alpine strengthened its opening performance through the sister #36 A424, with Martins recording a 1:46.453 to secure third overall. The French driver finished 0.591 seconds behind Milesi, giving Alpine two cars among the leading three during its final WEC weekend.
Martins’ performance placed him level on lap time with Tincknell, who recorded an identical 1:46.453 in the #007 Aston Martin Valkyrie. However, the Alpine driver secured third because he completed his fastest lap before Tincknell.
Aston Martin therefore finished fourth, just 0.591 seconds away from the overall benchmark. Tincknell shares the #007 Valkyrie with Tom Gamble, with the British pairing continuing to demonstrate the V12-powered Hypercar’s competitiveness.
Ferrari AF Corse completed the top five through James Calado, who recorded a 1:46.557 in the #51 Ferrari 499P. The reigning champions finished 0.695 seconds behind Milesi, placing another Ferrari among the leading contenders.
Genesis Magma Racing followed in sixth, with Mathys Jaubert setting a 1:46.835 in the #17 GMR-001. The Frenchman entered Monza following his historic pole position at Barcelona, which marked an important milestone for Genesis during its debut Hypercar season.
The #17 crew finished 0.973 seconds behind Alpine, completing the six Hypercars within one second of the fastest lap.
Peugeot and Ferrari feature in top ten as Toyota struggles
Peugeot TotalEnergies secured seventh through its #94 9X8, with Théo Pourchaire recording a 1:46.893. The French driver finished 1.031 seconds behind Milesi during his final appearance with the manufacturer before leaving its Hypercar programme.
Ferrari AF Corse followed in eighth, with the #50 Ferrari 499P recovering from an early incident to record a 1:46.967. Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen share the entry, which finished 1.105 seconds away from the fastest lap.
The second Genesis completed the top nine, with the #19 GMR-001 recording a 1:47.418. Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA rounded out the leading ten through its #38 V-Series.R, which finished on a 1:48.015.
However, Toyota Racing endured a difficult opening session despite entering Monza as the Hypercar Manufacturers’ Champion. The championship-leading #8 Toyota TR010 Hybrid finished 11th with a 1:48.079, while the sister #7 entry placed 14th on a 1:50.317.
The Monza championship preview outlined the 17-point advantage held by Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa over teammates Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries.
BMW M Team WRT also struggled, placing 13th and 15th, while the #93 Peugeot and #12 Cadillac completed the Hypercar classification.
Three red flags interrupt wet opening session
The opening 90 minutes presented significant challenges as rain left the Autodromo Nazionale Monza wet and slippery. Cool temperatures also complicated tyre preparation, with drivers struggling to generate sufficient heat and maintain grip.
The session’s first red flag followed an incident involving Fuoco in the #50 Ferrari. The Italian went off at Parabolica during his opening lap, forcing officials to suspend running. However, he subsequently returned the car to the pits, allowing Ferrari to continue its programme.
A second interruption occurred when Robin Frijns stopped at the exit of the Ascari Chicane in the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 after approximately 55 minutes. The BMW also encountered another problem during the closing stages when one of its doors came loose on track.
The third red flag followed an incident involving James Cottingham in the #91 Manthey DK Engineering Porsche. The British driver went off at the second Lesmo corner following contact with the #19 Genesis, bringing another halt to the session.
Despite the interruptions, the circuit gradually began drying as the rain eased. The improving conditions produced several late changes to the classification, allowing Milesi to move ahead of Kubica’s earlier benchmark.
Fleming leads Garage 59 McLaren to top of LMGT3
Garage 59 emerged fastest in LMGT3 as Fleming delivered a strong late improvement in the #10 McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo. The British driver recorded a 1:57.575 during the closing minutes, securing the top position in the 18-car category.
Fleming shares the McLaren with Antares Au and Marvin Kirchhöfer, with the trio continuing the competitive form they demonstrated during the previous round at Barcelona.
The McLaren’s second-place finish in Spain followed an impressive qualifying performance, although a puncture during the race complicated the crew’s pursuit of victory.
Friday’s fastest lap therefore provided an encouraging beginning at Monza, particularly as changing weather conditions created difficulties for several competitors.
Proton Competition emerged as Garage 59’s nearest challenger, with Levorato placing the #88 Ford Mustang LMGT3 second. The Italian recorded a 1:57.905, finishing 0.330 seconds behind Fleming.
Levorato shares the Mustang with Stefano Gattuso and Logan Sargeant, with the crew demonstrating competitive pace as Proton attempts to conclude the season strongly.
The narrow margin between the leading two entries reflected the close competition in LMGT3, particularly as several manufacturers improved during the final minutes.
Edgar keeps championship-leading Corvette among frontrunners
TF Sport made an encouraging start to its championship-deciding weekend as Edgar secured third in LMGT3 with the #33 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R. The British driver recorded a 1:57.946, finishing just 0.371 seconds behind Fleming and 0.041 seconds away from Levorato.
Edgar enters Monza leading the LMGT3 Drivers’ Championship with 92 points, while the #33 Corvette also heads the Teams’ standings. The crew will aim to protect its advantage over Manthey, Racing Team Turkey and Team WRT during Sunday’s finale.
However, the LMGT3 championship battle following Barcelona remains open after TF Sport’s difficult previous race allowed several rivals to reduce their deficits.
Team WRT followed in fourth, with Parker Thompson recording a 1:58.020 in the #69 BMW M4 LMGT3 Evo. The Canadian finished 0.445 seconds behind Fleming, maintaining the team’s competitive form ahead of the final race.
Iron Lynx completed the top five through Matteo Cressoni, who recorded a 1:58.095 in the #79 Mercedes-AMG LMGT3. The Italian finished just 0.075 seconds behind Thompson.
The second Team WRT BMW completed the leading six, with Sean Gelael recording a 1:58.103 in the #32 entry he shares with Augusto Farfus and Darren Leung.
Manthey faces difficult start to decisive LMGT3 weekend
The Bend Manthey endured a challenging opening session despite arriving at Monza as one of TF Sport’s closest championship challengers. The #92 Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 completed just three laps, spending most of the 90 minutes in the garage.
Richard Lietz eventually ventured onto the circuit during the closing stages, recording a 2:04.491. The time placed the Porsche 18th and last in LMGT3, 6.916 seconds behind Fleming’s benchmark.
The result represented a difficult beginning for the crew of Yasser Shahin, Riccardo Pera and Lietz, who enter the finale following their important victory at Barcelona, which reduced TF Sport’s advantage.
The #92 crew occupies second in the LMGT3 Teams’ Championship with 74 points, 18 behind the leading Corvette. Another strong result will therefore prove essential if Manthey hopes to overturn the deficit.
Meanwhile, Racing Team Turkey by TF finished tenth in class with a 1:59.449, leaving the #34 Corvette 1.874 seconds behind Garage 59. The crew remains mathematically involved in the championship battle, although it faces a substantial points deficit.
The #91 Manthey DK Engineering Porsche also encountered difficulties following Cottingham’s incident, eventually placing 13th in class.
Monza weekend continues with FP2 and qualifying
Alpine therefore concludes the opening session with an encouraging advantage in Hypercar, placing both A424 entries inside the top three during its final WEC appearance. However, Ferrari remained competitive throughout, while Aston Martin, Genesis and Peugeot also featured among the leading contenders.
Garage 59 similarly established the early LMGT3 benchmark, although Proton Competition and the championship-leading TF Sport Corvette finished within four tenths of Fleming’s fastest lap.
The wet conditions and three red flags complicated preparations for Sunday’s race, particularly as teams attempted to evaluate tyre performance and refine their setups. The improving track during the closing stages also demonstrated how quickly changing conditions can alter the competitive order.
The 2026 WEC Monza weekend continues with FP2 at 14:30 local time (CET) on Friday, 6 November, giving teams another 90 minutes of running.
Saturday’s programme features FP3 at 10:30, followed by LMGT3 qualifying at 14:20 and Hyperpole at 14:40. Hypercar qualifying begins at 15:00, with Hyperpole scheduled for 15:20.
Sunday’s 6 Hours of Monza will begin at 11:00 local time, concluding the 2026 FIA WEC season and determining the remaining championship titles.
2026 WEC 6 Hours of Monza FP1 Hypercar results
- #35 Alpine Endurance Team — Alpine A424 — 1:45.862
- #83 AF Corse — Ferrari 499P — 1:46.263 (+0.401)
- #36 Alpine Endurance Team — Alpine A424 — 1:46.453 (+0.591)
- #007 Aston Martin THOR Team — Aston Martin Valkyrie — 1:46.453 (+0.591)
- #51 Ferrari AF Corse — Ferrari 499P — 1:46.557 (+0.695)
- #17 Genesis Magma Racing — Genesis GMR-001 — 1:46.835 (+0.973)
- #94 Peugeot TotalEnergies — Peugeot 9X8 — 1:46.893 (+1.031)
- #50 Ferrari AF Corse — Ferrari 499P — 1:46.967 (+1.105)
- #19 Genesis Magma Racing — Genesis GMR-001 — 1:47.418 (+1.556)
- #38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA — Cadillac V-Series.R — 1:48.015 (+2.153)
- #8 Toyota Racing — Toyota TR010 Hybrid — 1:48.079 (+2.217)
- #009 Aston Martin THOR Team — Aston Martin Valkyrie — 1:48.837 (+2.975)
- #20 BMW M Team WRT — BMW M Hybrid V8 — 1:50.053 (+4.191)
- #7 Toyota Racing — Toyota TR010 Hybrid — 1:50.317 (+4.455)
- #15 BMW M Team WRT — BMW M Hybrid V8 — 1:50.444 (+4.582)
- #93 Peugeot TotalEnergies — Peugeot 9X8 — 1:50.997 (+5.135)
- #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA — Cadillac V-Series.R — 1:51.040 (+5.178)
2026 WEC 6 Hours of Monza FP1 LMGT3 results
- #10 Garage 59 — McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo — 1:57.575
- #88 Proton Competition — Ford Mustang LMGT3 — 1:57.905 (+0.330)
- #33 TF Sport — Chevrolet Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R — 1:57.946 (+0.371)
- #69 Team WRT — BMW M4 LMGT3 Evo — 1:58.020 (+0.445)
- #79 Iron Lynx — Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 — 1:58.095 (+0.520)
- #32 Team WRT — BMW M4 LMGT3 Evo — 1:58.103 (+0.528)
- #23 Heart of Racing Team — Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3 — 1:58.206 (+0.631)
- #87 Akkodis ASP Team — Lexus RC F LMGT3 — 1:58.445 (+0.870)
- #77 Proton Competition — Ford Mustang LMGT3 — 1:58.470 (+0.895)
- #34 Racing Team Turkey by TF — Chevrolet Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R — 1:59.449 (+1.874)
- #54 VISTA AF Corse — Ferrari 296 LMGT3 Evo — 1:59.583 (+2.008)
- #27 Heart of Racing Team — Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3 — 1:59.625 (+2.050)
- #91 Manthey DK Engineering — Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 — 1:59.805 (+2.230)
- #61 Iron Lynx — Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 — 1:59.824 (+2.249)
- #58 Garage 59 — McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo — 2:00.109 (+2.534)
- #21 VISTA AF Corse — Ferrari 296 LMGT3 Evo — 2:00.301 (+2.726)
- #78 Akkodis ASP Team — Lexus RC F LMGT3 — 2:00.594 (+3.019)
- #92 The Bend Manthey — Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 — 2:04.491 (+6.916)
Alpine and Garage 59 therefore begin the Monza finale with the fastest laps in Hypercar and LMGT3 respectively. However, the changing conditions and close margins among the leading competitors leave the competitive order open ahead of FP2, as teams prepare for the championship-deciding final race.
