The six-hour contest at Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola began with immense anticipation, following the closest Qualifying session in FIA World Endurance Championship history.
In front of a record crowd of 92,175 fans, the race start carried added prestige as it was officially given by Kimi Antonelli. Ferrari immediately thrilled the passionate tifosi, locking out the top two positions in the early stages. James Calado led the way in the #51 Ferrari 499P, closely followed by teammate Miguel Molina in the #50 Hypercar.
Toyota strikes back as duel between giants intensifies at 2026 WEC 6 Hours of Imola
Despite losing ground at the start, Toyota Gazoo Racing responded decisively. Brendon Hartley in the #8 Toyota regained second position during the opening pit-stop phase.
Soon after, Toyota executed a bold strategic move. During the next stop, just before the two-hour mark, the team opted not to change tyres. Consequently, Ryō Hirakawa surged into the lead, overtaking the #51 Ferrari through superior track position.
Ferrari refused to yield easily. Alessandro Pier Guidi launched a determined charge to reclaim the lead, setting up a gripping duel between Ferrari and Toyota—two of endurance racing’s most successful marques.
However, the race took another twist when the #50 Ferrari dropped down the order after receiving a drive-through penalty for a yellow flag infringement. At the same time, Toyota strengthened its position. The #7 car, driven by Kamui Kobayashi, benefited from a repeat of the earlier tyre strategy to leapfrog Antonio Giovinazzi into second place just after the four-hour mark.
As Kobayashi expertly defended against Giovinazzi’s relentless pressure, the sister #8 Toyota—now piloted by Sébastien Buemi—gradually extended its advantage.
Ferrari attempted a late response by mirroring Toyota’s tyre strategy during the final pit stops, briefly reclaiming track position over the #7 Toyota. Nevertheless, the leading Toyota had already built an unassailable gap.
Ultimately, the #8 Toyota crossed the finish line more than 13 seconds clear, sealing a commanding and well-earned victory.
Hartley reflects on perfect execution
“This feels so good,” enthused Hartley, whose last win came in the final race of 2024 in Bahrain. “The big, crucial thing happened yesterday with Ryō putting it on the front row in qualifying, which came out of nowhere – we weren’t expecting that and it gave us a tailwind going into the race.
“I lost a place to the #50 into Turn One, but we kept our heads down, managed the tyres well and the team played the strategy to perfection. Then at the end, there was the big team effort with Kamui [Kobayashi] staying out and jumping the #51, and it’s nice to have a race play out with no faults or mistakes from anyone in the team. A lot of work has gone into this new car, so to take its first victory feels really special. What a start to the season!”
Podium and midfield battles
Ferrari’s defending champions—Antonio Giovinazzi, James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi—secured second place after a hard-fought race. Meanwhile, Kobayashi, Mike Conway and Nyck de Vries completed the podium in third for Toyota.
Just behind them, Alpine claimed fourth place with its #35 A424 Hypercar, driven by António Félix da Costa, Charles Milesi and Ferdinand Habsburg.
Further back, a fierce four-way fight for fifth saw the #20 BMW narrowly prevail over the recovering #50 Ferrari, the #15 BMW and the #38 Cadillac, with less than 1.5 seconds separating them at the line.
The #12 Cadillac had earlier shown podium potential, but Will Stevens received a penalty for a yellow flag infringement, dropping the car out of contention.
Eyes turn to Spa-Francorchamps after strong opener at Imola
With an unforgettable season opener complete, attention now shifts to the next round. The championship continues at the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, set to take place in Belgium from 7–9 May.
After such a strategic and action-packed race at Imola, the stage is set for another thrilling chapter in the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship.
