Ferrari and BMW found themselves inseparable in outright pace during WEC Imola FP2 with Antonio Giovinazzi and Dries Vanthoor each setting an identical lap time of 1:31.040.
The session held at the historic Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari unfolded as a showcase of extraordinary parity and competitive spirit culminating in a rare and dramatic deadlock at the top of the timesheets.
The remarkable occurrence, only the second such tie in FIA WEC history, underscored the razor-thin margins that define modern endurance racing and set the tone for what promises to be a fiercely contested weekend at Imola.
From the outset WEC Imola FP2 was marked by a flurry of activity as teams sought to optimize their setups and gather crucial data ahead of qualifying and the race.
The AF Corse Ferrari squad buoyed by strong home support and a deep understanding of the Imola circuit wasted little time asserting their intentions.
Antonio Giovinazzi piloting the #51 Ferrari 499P Hypercar delivered his benchmark lap early in the session, stopping the clocks at 1:31.040 on his 26th tour of the circuit.
Giovinazzi’s lap was characterized by sector times of 18.848 seconds in Sector 1, 29.865 seconds in Sector 2, and 42.327 seconds in Sector 3, reaching a top speed of 311.2 km/h. This lap not only demonstrated Ferrari’s impressive balance and outright speed but also set the standard for the remainder of the field to chase.
Not long after Dries Vanthoor in the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 responded with a lap that matched Giovinazzi’s time to the thousandth of a second.
Vanthoor’s effort, set on his 35th lap of the session, was a testament to BMW’s relentless pursuit of performance and their ability to extract maximum pace from the M Hybrid V8 platform.
Despite the identical lap times Giovinazzi was officially classified at the top of the WEC Imola FP2 timesheets by virtue of having set his lap first, a technicality that could prove significant in the psychological battle between the teams as the weekend progresses.
Behind the leading duo the competition remained fierce. Mick Schumacher representing the Alpine Endurance Team in the #36 Alpine A424 secured third position with a lap of 1:31.283, just 0.243 seconds adrift of the leaders.
Schumacher’s performance was particularly impressive in the opening sector where he was among the fastest on track and his overall pace suggested that Alpine could be a dark horse for a podium challenge in both qualifying and the race.
Giovinazzi’s teammate Antonio Fuoco in the #50 Ferrari 499P rounded out the top four with a time of 1:31.394 only 0.354 seconds off the top spot. Fuoco’s consistency and speed added further depth to Ferrari’s challenge, ensuring that the Scuderia would be well-represented at the sharp end of the grid.
Robin Frijns driving the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 completed the top five, his lap of 1:31.518 underscoring BMW’s strength in depth and their ability to field multiple cars capable of challenging for honors at Imola.
The Cadillac Team JOTA entry with Sebastien Bourdais at the wheel of the #38 Cadillac V-Series.R secured sixth position, closely followed by Robert Kubica in the #83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P. Both drivers demonstrated strong pace and racecraft positioning their teams as credible threats for the remainder of the weekend.
Nyck de Vries emerged as the fastest of the Toyota contingent, placing the #7 GR010 HYBRID eighth overall with a time of 1:31.760, 0.720 seconds off the leading pace.
The Toyota squad while not at the very front showed encouraging signs of progress after a challenging opening practice session with de Vries’ performance providing a solid foundation for further improvement.
Alex Lynn in the #38 Cadillac Team JOTA and Julien Andlauer in the #5 Porsche Penske Motorsport completed the top ten, each delivering competitive laps that kept their respective manufacturers within striking distance of the leaders.
The diversity of brands represented in the top ten—Ferrari, BMW, Alpine, Cadillac, Toyota, and Porsche—highlighted the depth and quality of the 2025 FIA WEC Hypercar field, with each manufacturer bringing unique strengths to the technical and fast-flowing Imola circuit.
Further down the order the second Toyota entry, the #8 GR010 HYBRID finished 14th in the session, 1.226 seconds off the pace. This result reflected the ongoing development work within the Toyota camp as they sought to unlock additional performance and close the gap to the front-runners.
The absence of red flags throughout the 90-minute WEC Imola FP2 session allowed all teams to maximize track time and refine their setups, contributing to the high level of competition witnessed across the board.
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2025 WEC Imola Free Practice 2 Results
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Schmid leads Akkodis ASP Lexus 1-2 in LMGT3
In the LMGT3 category the session was equally competitive with Clemens Schmid leading Akkodis ASP Lexus 1-2.
Schmid’s best time of 1:42.944 in the #87 Lexus RC F GT3 put him 0.119 seconds clear of teammate Finn Gehrsitz in the sister #78 Lexus. The Lexus duo’s dominance was briefly challenged by Kelvin van der Linde who delivered a late flyer in the #46 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO to secure third place in class.
Alessio Rovera’s #21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 which had led the class earlier in the session ultimately settled for fourth while Ben Tuck rounded out the top five in the #77 Proton Competition Ford Mustang GT3.
The LMGT3 battle was characterized by frequent changes at the top of the leaderboard as teams experimented with tire compounds, fuel loads and setup adjustments in search of the optimal balance for race conditions.
The close margins between the leading contenders in both the Hypercar and LMGT3 classes underscored the competitive nature of the championship and the importance of every detail in the pursuit of success at this level.
