Nick Cassidy topped the third and final Free Practice session (FP3) (FP3) for the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) 6 Hours of Monza, setting the fastest Hypercar lap for Peugeot TotalEnergies as improving track conditions produced several late changes to the classification. Meanwhile, Alessio Rovera placed VISTA AF Corse at the top of LMGT3, giving Ferrari an encouraging result ahead of qualifying at its home circuit.
Cassidy recorded a 1:42.706 in the #93 Peugeot 9X8 during the closing stages, finishing just 0.040 seconds ahead of Victor Martins in the #36 Alpine A424. Robert Kubica completed the top three for AF Corse, while BMW M Team WRT and Ferrari AF Corse followed fourth and fifth.
In LMGT3, Rovera produced a 1:56.069 in the #21 Ferrari 296 LMGT3 Evo, finishing 0.282 seconds ahead of Maxime Martin’s #61 Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG. The sister #79 Mercedes completed the top three, giving Iron Lynx an encouraging result before the afternoon’s qualifying sessions.
Wet conditions and cool temperatures continued to challenge the 35-car field at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. Several drivers encountered difficulties as the circuit gradually improved, while a brake-by-wire problem limited Ferrari’s #51 Hypercar to just seven laps.
Cassidy puts Peugeot ahead with late Hypercar improvement
Peugeot TotalEnergies emerged fastest after a closely contested session in which several manufacturers briefly occupied the top of the Hypercar classification. The damp circuit initially provided limited grip, particularly through Monza’s heavy braking zones, although improving conditions allowed drivers to gradually reduce their lap times.
Malthe Jakobsen established the early benchmark in the #94 Peugeot 9X8, giving the French manufacturer an encouraging start. However, Kubica’s #83 AF Corse Ferrari subsequently demonstrated competitive pace, with several cars exchanging the leading positions throughout the opening half of the session.
Cassidy ultimately delivered the decisive improvement during the final moments, recording a 1:42.706 in the sister #93 Peugeot. The New Zealander secured his first fastest time in a WEC Hypercar practice session, finishing 0.040 seconds ahead of Martins.
The result represented a considerable improvement from Friday’s FP2, when the #93 Peugeot finished 13th. Cassidy’s performance also highlighted the influence of the improving circuit, with several competitors recording their fastest laps towards the end.
However, the #93 car’s tyre pressures came under investigation immediately after the session, leaving an outstanding regulatory question surrounding Peugeot’s performance.
Martins keeps Alpine competitive as final WEC weekend continues
Alpine Endurance Team maintained its encouraging form at Monza, with Martins narrowly missing out on the fastest lap. The French driver recorded a 1:42.746 in the #36 A424, finishing just 0.040 seconds behind Cassidy after another competitive performance in his rookie Hypercar campaign.
Martins had already demonstrated impressive pace during Friday’s opening practice session, placing third behind Charles Milesi and Yifei Ye. He subsequently finished fourth in FP2 before returning to the leading positions on Saturday morning.
The performance provided further encouragement for Alpine as it prepares to conclude its current WEC Hypercar programme following Sunday’s season finale.
AF Corse also remained competitive, with Kubica placing the #83 Ferrari 499P third. The Pole recorded a 1:42.839, finishing just 0.133 seconds behind Cassidy after topping Friday afternoon’s session with a 1:38.143.
Kubica shares the distinctive yellow Ferrari with Ye and Phil Hanson, with the trio attempting to conclude the season strongly. Although the #83 entry could not repeat its FP2 result, its continued presence among the leading cars suggests that Ferrari remains competitive across varying track conditions.
BMW moves into fourth as Ferrari and Genesis complete top six
BMW M Team WRT secured fourth with the #20 M Hybrid V8, as Sheldon van der Linde produced a late 1:43.052. The South African finished 0.346 seconds behind Cassidy, providing an encouraging result for the German manufacturer after a challenging Friday.
The #20 entry had finished 13th during FP1 before improving to 11th in FP2. Its latest performance therefore represented a significant step forward, although teammate Robin Frijns had earlier encountered difficulties under braking and taken to an escape road.
Ferrari AF Corse followed in fifth, with Antonio Fuoco recording a 1:43.076 in the #50 Ferrari 499P. The Italian finished just 0.024 seconds behind BMW, placing another Ferrari among the leading competitors.
Fuoco shares the #50 entry with Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen, with the crew continuing its preparations following an opening practice session disrupted by an off-track excursion.
Genesis Magma Racing completed the Hypercar top six through the #19 GMR-001, which recorded a 1:43.333. Daniel Juncadella’s fastest lap left the entry 0.627 seconds behind Cassidy, maintaining the manufacturer’s competitive form during its debut WEC campaign.
Alpine, BMW and Genesis secure further top-ten positions
Alpine completed the leading seven with the #35 A424, which recorded a 1:43.352. Milesi’s lap finished just 0.019 seconds behind the #19 Genesis, placing both Alpine entries among the leading seven during their final WEC weekend.
The result followed Milesi’s impressive performance during FP1, when the French driver topped the classification with a 1:45.862 in wet conditions.
BMW M Team WRT secured eighth through the #15 M Hybrid V8, with Dries Vanthoor recording a 1:43.560. The Belgian finished 0.854 seconds behind Cassidy, ensuring both BMW entries completed FP3 inside the top ten.
Genesis also placed its second Hypercar among the leading ten, with Mathys Jaubert recording a 1:43.570 in the #17 GMR-001. The Frenchman finished just 0.010 seconds behind Vanthoor, demonstrating the narrow margins throughout the classification.
Toyota Racing completed the top ten through Kamui Kobayashi, who recorded a 1:43.850 in the #7 TR010 Hybrid. The Japanese driver finished 1.144 seconds behind Cassidy, giving Toyota its strongest practice position of the weekend so far.
Toyota remains down the order ahead of championship decider
Despite the improvement from its #7 entry, Toyota Racing endured another relatively difficult session compared with its main Hypercar rivals.
The #7 Toyota finished tenth after placing 14th in FP1 and 17th in FP2. However, the championship-leading #8 entry of Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa struggled to match the leading competitors.
Hirakawa recorded a 1:44.982 in the #8 Toyota, leaving the car 16th in Hypercar and 2.276 seconds behind Cassidy. The result represented another challenging session for the crew, which finished 11th during FP1 and 12th in FP2.
Nevertheless, the Hypercar Drivers’ Championship remains exclusively between Toyota’s two crews.
Buemi, Hartley and Hirakawa entered Monza with 114 points, holding a 17-point advantage over teammates Mike Conway, Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries. With 26 points available across qualifying and Sunday’s race, both combinations remain mathematically capable of securing the title.
Toyota has already clinched the Manufacturers’ Championship, allowing the team to focus on securing the Drivers’ title during the final race.
Kubica and Gamble collide as several Hypercars encounter difficulties
The wet circuit contributed to several incidents during FP3, including contact between Kubica’s #83 Ferrari and Tom Gamble’s #007 Aston Martin Valkyrie at Parabolica approximately 15 minutes into the session.
Both cars spun following the collision but managed to continue without significant damage. Officials subsequently held Gamble responsible for the incident and issued the British driver a ten-second stop-go penalty.
Further difficulties followed at the Ascari Chicane, where the championship-leading #8 Toyota crossed the gravel. Martins also experienced an off-track excursion at Parabolica after approaching the #33 TF Sport Corvette, briefly losing control of his Alpine.
Genesis driver Pipo Derani took to the escape road at the Rettifilo Chicane in the #17 GMR-001 but managed to rejoin without major difficulty.
Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA also encountered problems, with Sébastien Bourdais running across the gravel at Rettifilo in the #38 V-Series.R. The Frenchman shares the car with Earl Bamber and Jack Aitken, with the entry eventually finishing 12th.
The sister #12 Cadillac experienced several incidents, including a spin at Parabolica, but continued running and finished 14th.
Despite the number of off-track excursions, the session proceeded without a red-flag interruption.
Brake-by-wire problem restricts Ferrari’s #51 to seven laps
Ferrari AF Corse endured a particularly difficult final practice session with its #51 499P, which spent most of the hour in the garage because of a brake-by-wire issue.
The entry completed only seven laps, significantly limiting the opportunity for Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi to gather information ahead of qualifying.
The interruption contrasted with the competitiveness demonstrated by Ferrari’s other Hypercar entries. Kubica secured third in the customer-entered #83 Ferrari, while Fuoco placed the factory #50 fifth.
The #51 crew eventually recorded a 1:48.941, leaving it 17th and last in Hypercar, 6.235 seconds behind Cassidy’s benchmark.
The problem also represented a significant change from Friday’s running, when the #51 Ferrari finished fifth in FP1 before placing 15th during the afternoon session.
With qualifying approaching, Ferrari must ensure the brake-by-wire problem has been resolved before the car returns to competitive running. The limited mileage also complicates preparations for Sunday’s six-hour race, particularly given the changing conditions throughout the weekend.
Rovera puts VISTA AF Corse Ferrari ahead in LMGT3
VISTA AF Corse emerged fastest in LMGT3 as Rovera delivered a late improvement in the #21 Ferrari 296 LMGT3 Evo. The Italian recorded a 1:56.069, placing the car he shares with François Hériau and Simon Mann at the head of the 18-car classification.
The result provided encouragement for Ferrari’s home supporters, particularly after the manufacturer faced strong competition from McLaren and Ford during Friday’s sessions.
The #21 crew had finished 12th during FP2, leaving it 2.774 seconds behind Proton Competition’s leading Ford Mustang. However, Rovera’s performance on Saturday morning demonstrated the car’s competitiveness as the circuit conditions changed.
Iron Lynx emerged as the closest challenger, with Martin recording a 1:56.351 in the #61 Mercedes-AMG LMGT3. The Belgian finished 0.282 seconds behind Rovera, improving on the third-place result he secured during Friday afternoon’s session.
The sister #79 Iron Lynx Mercedes followed in third with a 1:56.442, completing an encouraging morning for the manufacturer.
Only 0.373 seconds separated the leading three entries, suggesting that qualifying could produce another closely contested battle between Ferrari and Mercedes.
TF Sport and Team WRT remain competitive ahead of LMGT3 title fight
TF Sport maintained a competitive position during FP3, with Jonny Edgar placing the #33 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R fourth. The British driver recorded a 1:56.552, finishing 0.483 seconds behind Rovera.
The result represented a considerable improvement compared with Friday’s FP2, when the championship-leading Corvette finished 17th. Edgar had previously secured third during the opening practice session, suggesting that the team’s performance remains sensitive to changing conditions.
Edgar shares the #33 entry with Ben Keating and Nicky Catsburg, with the crew entering Sunday’s finale leading the LMGT3 championship.
Team WRT followed fifth through Parker Thompson in the #69 BMW M4 LMGT3 Evo. The Canadian recorded a 1:56.571, finishing just 0.019 seconds behind Edgar and 0.502 seconds away from Rovera.
The #69 crew remains mathematically involved in the LMGT3 Teams’ Championship, although it faces a considerable points deficit to TF Sport.
Akkodis ASP Team completed the leading six through Clemens Schmid, who recorded a 1:56.727 in the #87 Lexus RC F LMGT3. The entry finished 0.658 seconds behind Ferrari’s benchmark.
Proton Competition and Manthey complete LMGT3 top ten
Proton Competition followed seventh with the #88 Ford Mustang LMGT3, as Giammarco Levorato recorded a 1:56.873. The Italian finished 0.804 seconds behind Rovera, maintaining the manufacturer’s presence among the leading competitors.
The result followed Proton’s impressive performance during FP2, when Sebastian Priaulx and Logan Sargeant secured a one-two finish for the team.
Garage 59 placed the #58 McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo eighth, with Finn Gehrsitz recording a 1:56.914. The car finished just 0.041 seconds behind the leading Ford Mustang.
Proton’s sister #77 entry secured ninth through Eric Powell, recording a 1:57.255. The result represented a more difficult session for the car that had topped Friday afternoon’s classification through Priaulx.
Manthey DK Engineering completed the top ten with the #91 Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3, as Ayhancan Güven recorded a 1:57.306.
The #91 crew continued its recovery after James Cottingham’s off-track incident during FP1, which had triggered the third red flag of the opening session.
The close competition throughout LMGT3 leaves several manufacturers in contention ahead of qualifying, particularly as track conditions continue improving.
Manthey championship challenger struggles as TF Sport gains confidence
The Bend Manthey endured another difficult session at Monza, with its championship-challenging #92 Porsche finishing 16th in LMGT3.
Yasser Shahin recorded a 1:57.981, leaving the entry 1.912 seconds behind Rovera’s fastest lap. Although the result represented an improvement from FP1, when the car completed just three laps, the crew remained outside the leading group.
Shahin shares the #92 Porsche with Riccardo Pera and Richard Lietz, with the trio entering Monza second in the LMGT3 Teams’ Championship.
The crew has 74 points, placing it 18 behind TF Sport’s leading #33 Corvette. Racing Team Turkey by TF follows with 70 points, while Team WRT’s #69 BMW has 66.
The championship standings following Barcelona highlight the importance of Sunday’s finale, particularly after Manthey’s victory at the previous round reduced TF Sport’s advantage.
With Edgar securing fourth in FP3, the championship-leading Corvette demonstrated considerably stronger pace than its closest title rivals.
However, the changing conditions throughout the weekend mean practice results may not accurately reflect the competitive order during qualifying or Sunday’s race.
LMGT3 incidents disrupt Iron Lynx and Racing Team Turkey
Although Iron Lynx placed both Mercedes-AMG entries among the leading three, the #61 car encountered difficulties when Martin Berry ran across the gravel at the exit of the Ascari Chicane.
The incident did not prevent the team from completing its programme, with Martin subsequently recording the second-fastest time in LMGT3.
Racing Team Turkey by TF experienced a more disruptive moment when Peter Dempsey spun the #34 Chevrolet Corvette at Ascari and temporarily became stranded on the circuit.
The Irish driver eventually restarted the car and returned to the pits, allowing the team to continue its preparations. However, the #34 Corvette ultimately finished 18th and last in LMGT3, recording a 1:58.418.
Team WRT’s #32 BMW also struggled, finishing 17th with a 1:58.246. The car carries a special tribute livery honouring Alex Zanardi, with Augusto Farfus, Darren Leung and Sean Gelael sharing the entry.
Its difficult result contrasted with the sister #69 BMW’s fifth-place finish, demonstrating the different fortunes experienced by the manufacturer’s two LMGT3 crews.
Monza weekend continues with qualifying and Hyperpole
Cassidy and Peugeot therefore conclude Free Practice with the fastest Hypercar lap, while VISTA AF Corse leads LMGT3 through Rovera. Alpine, Ferrari and BMW also demonstrated competitive pace, with several manufacturers finishing within a relatively narrow margin of the leading times.
The changing conditions again played an important role, particularly as the circuit gradually improved during the closing stages. Several incidents complicated individual programmes, while Ferrari’s #51 Hypercar lost valuable running because of its brake-by-wire problem.
For Toyota and The Bend Manthey, the final practice classifications offered limited encouragement despite their championship positions. Both will aim to recover during qualifying before Sunday’s title-deciding race.
LMGT3 qualifying begins at 14:20 CET on Saturday, 7 November, followed by Hyperpole at 14:40. Hypercar qualifying starts at 15:00, with Hyperpole scheduled for 15:20.
The 2026 FIA WEC season concludes with the 6 Hours of Monza on Sunday, 8 November, beginning at 11:00 local time.
2026 WEC 6 Hours of Monza FP3 Hypercar results
- #93 Peugeot TotalEnergies — Peugeot 9X8 — 1:42.706
- #36 Alpine Endurance Team — Alpine A424 — 1:42.746 (+0.040)
- #83 AF Corse — Ferrari 499P — 1:42.839 (+0.133)
- #20 BMW M Team WRT — BMW M Hybrid V8 — 1:43.052 (+0.346)
- #50 Ferrari AF Corse — Ferrari 499P — 1:43.076 (+0.370)
- #19 Genesis Magma Racing — Genesis GMR-001 — 1:43.333 (+0.627)
- #35 Alpine Endurance Team — Alpine A424 — 1:43.352 (+0.646)
- #15 BMW M Team WRT — BMW M Hybrid V8 — 1:43.560 (+0.854)
- #17 Genesis Magma Racing — Genesis GMR-001 — 1:43.570 (+0.864)
- #7 Toyota Racing — Toyota TR010 Hybrid — 1:43.850 (+1.144)
- #007 Aston Martin THOR Team — Aston Martin Valkyrie — 1:43.900 (+1.194)
- #38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA — Cadillac V-Series.R — 1:43.994 (+1.288)
- #94 Peugeot TotalEnergies — Peugeot 9X8 — 1:44.150 (+1.444)
- #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA — Cadillac V-Series.R — 1:44.491 (+1.785)
- #009 Aston Martin THOR Team — Aston Martin Valkyrie — 1:44.795 (+2.089)
- #8 Toyota Racing — Toyota TR010 Hybrid — 1:44.982 (+2.276)
- #51 Ferrari AF Corse — Ferrari 499P — 1:48.941 (+6.235)
2026 WEC 6 Hours of Monza FP3 LMGT3 results
- #21 VISTA AF Corse — Ferrari 296 LMGT3 Evo — 1:56.069
- #61 Iron Lynx — Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 — 1:56.351 (+0.282)
- #79 Iron Lynx — Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 — 1:56.442 (+0.373)
- #33 TF Sport — Chevrolet Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R — 1:56.552 (+0.483)
- #69 Team WRT — BMW M4 LMGT3 Evo — 1:56.571 (+0.502)
- #87 Akkodis ASP Team — Lexus RC F LMGT3 — 1:56.727 (+0.658)
- #88 Proton Competition — Ford Mustang LMGT3 — 1:56.873 (+0.804)
- #58 Garage 59 — McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo — 1:56.914 (+0.845)
- #77 Proton Competition — Ford Mustang LMGT3 — 1:57.255 (+1.186)
- #91 Manthey DK Engineering — Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 — 1:57.306 (+1.237)
- #78 Akkodis ASP Team — Lexus RC F LMGT3 — 1:57.594 (+1.525)
- #27 Heart of Racing Team — Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3 — 1:57.596 (+1.527)
- #10 Garage 59 — McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo — 1:57.632 (+1.563)
- #54 VISTA AF Corse — Ferrari 296 LMGT3 Evo — 1:57.662 (+1.593)
- #23 Heart of Racing Team — Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3 — 1:57.846 (+1.777)
- #92 The Bend Manthey — Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 — 1:57.981 (+1.912)
- #32 Team WRT — BMW M4 LMGT3 Evo — 1:58.246 (+2.177)
- #34 Racing Team Turkey by TF — Chevrolet Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R — 1:58.418 (+2.349)
Cassidy therefore finished FP3 with the fastest overall lap after completing 29 laps in the #93 Peugeot, while Rovera led the LMGT3 classification after 26 laps in the #21 Ferrari.
The session marked the conclusion of Free Practice for the 2026 WEC season, with qualifying and Hyperpole set to determine the starting positions for Sunday’s championship-deciding race.
