Ferrari delivered a spectacular home victory at the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship 6 Hours of Imola, with the #51 AF Corse 499P Hypercar piloted by James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi, and Alessandro Pier Guidi taking the chequered flag after a dramatic, rain-affected endurance battle. In the fiercely contested LMGT3 class, the #92 Manthey PureRxcing Porsche 911 GT3 R emerged triumphant, overcoming strong mid-race opposition and late-race drama.

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Ferrari Commands Early, Then Survives Chaos

The #51 Ferrari started the race from pole and wasted no time in asserting control over the Hypercar field. James Calado led the charge in the opening stint, expertly managing a gap to the sister #83 AF Corse 499P of Philip Hanson, while Nicklas Nielsen lit up the track with a spectacular rise from the back in the #50 Ferrari, climbing from 18th to 6th within the first two hours.

A safety car intervention at the 1h35m mark, triggered by a clash between the #27 Aston Martin and the #31 WRT BMW, bunched up the field and shook up strategy. Nielsen’s charge was momentarily halted as a Full Course Yellow coincided with his pit stop, handing over to Miguel Molina.

The lead shuffled further in the middle stages when Antonio Giovinazzi took the reins of the #51 Ferrari. A strategic masterstroke by Porsche Penske Motorsport, running an off-set stint with Matt Campbell in the #6 963, temporarily displaced Ferrari at the top. But Giovinazzi retook the lead with a brave move at Rivazza after Campbell locked up.

Weather, Strategy, and Multi-Marque Battles Set Up a Tense Finish

Rain clouds over Imola in the final two hours introduced additional jeopardy as tyre compounds diverged. Alessandro Pier Guidi, now in the #51 Ferrari on softer Michelins, held firm under immense pressure from Kévin Estre in the #6 Porsche. Meanwhile, Toyota, BMW, and the #83 Ferrari remained within striking distance, turning the race into a four-manufacturer showdown.

The #7 Toyota recovered strongly after early misfortune, including contact with the #20 BMW and a pit-lane closure, while the #15 BMW also remained in podium contention with Dries Vanthoor at the wheel in the closing stages.

Despite the uncertainty, Pier Guidi kept his cool and delivered Ferrari a stunning win in front of their home crowd, repeating the team’s 2024 Imola success.

LMGT3: Porsche Prevails Amid Rossi Drama

The LMGT3 category was just as action-packed, initially led by the #87 Akkodis ASP Lexus with Clemens Schmid at the wheel. But eyes were on Valentino Rossi, who looked poised for his first WEC win in the #46 Team WRT BMW after building a 32-second lead through a flawless mid-race double stint.

However, with two hours to go, drama struck. As Rossi closed in on the #21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari for the lead, contact at Rivazza sent Simon Mann’s Ferrari spinning into the gravel. Rossi continued but the incident cast a shadow over the Italian’s heroic drive, with the stewards launching an investigation.

This opened the door for the #92 Porsche, which had quietly climbed the order throughout the race. A clean final stint saw them vault into the lead as other front-runners stumbled or served penalties. The #77 Proton Mustang, which had impressed with Ben Tuck, and the Racing Spirit of Léman Aston Martin rounded out the class podium.

Final Glory for the Tifosi

As the rain fell and night crept in, the tifosi erupted in celebration as Ferrari crossed the line first, capping off a commanding performance full of resilience, strategy, and flair. With Porsche taking LMGT3 honours and several manufacturers in the Hypercar mix, the 2025 WEC season promises a truly epic campaign.