WEC News: Kubica put No. 83 Ferrari on pole at COTA
Robert Kubica clinched pole position for the No. 83 Ferrari (pictured) at the Lone Star Le Mans, the sixth round of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship, mastering treacherous conditions at Circuit of The Americas to lead the grid for Sunday’s six-hour race.
–by Mark Cipolloni–
After scorching heat dominated Friday’s free practice, Saturday’s two-part qualifying session brought light rain, making the track slick and unpredictable. In Q1, the two Cadillacs—riding high from their one-two finish in Brazil—and the #7 Toyota gambled on switching from slick to wet tires mid-session. Initially, it paid off, with Cadillac’s Alex Lynn setting blazing times. But as the rain eased, their advantage faded, leaving them at the bottom of the order.
This shifted momentum to Ferrari, and in the 10-minute Hyperpole shootout, Kubica—Le Mans 24 Hours winner alongside Yifei Ye and Phil Hanson—shone brightest. Antonio Giovinazzi, driving the championship-leading Ferrari 499P, appeared poised to challenge but was undone by a late mistake, settling for second. The result handed Kubica his first Hypercar pole in the FIA WEC.
“That was one of the toughest sessions I’ve ever faced,” said the former Grand Prix driver.
“The grip changed corner by corner, making it hard to find the limit, but I felt confident from the start. This pole earns us an extra championship point, which is huge, but tomorrow’s race is a whole new challenge.”
Mustangs Lockout LMGT3 Front Row
Proton Competition’s Ford Mustangs delivered a stunning front-row lockout in the LMGT3 category at Circuit of The Americas, thrilling the home crowd in Texas during a dramatic qualifying session for the Lone Star Le Mans, the sixth round of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship.
The 10-minute Hyperpole shootout turned into a fierce battle between Proton’s two American machines, driven by Ben Tuck (#77) and Giammarco Levorato (#88). The Briton and Italian traded fastest times as the clock wound down in slippery conditions caused by light rain. Tuck struck first, ousting his teammate to claim provisional pole, but Levorato responded brilliantly. Despite losing time in the 5.513km track’s middle sector, the 22-year-old sportscar prodigy dug deep, snatching pole by a razor-thin 0.018 seconds.
Remarkably, the #88 Mustang nearly missed Hyperpole after Stefano Gattuso fell just short in Q1, landing 11th. A lifeline came when the #87 Lexus was disqualified from third for Petru Umbrărescu taking the checkered flag twice, promoting Levorato’s car into the shootout.
“Stefano hit traffic on his fastest lap, so we thought we were done,” Levorato explained. “I was already changing to head back to the hotel when I had to jump back in the car as the session started! It was my first time at COTA, and the wet conditions with unfamiliar kerbs made it tricky—no reference points, just slippery. But the car was incredible, and a Ford one-two on their home turf is fantastic. This pole feels even sweeter than my IMSA Mustang pole last year—it’s the world championship at Ford’s home track.”
Sean Gelael took third for United Autosports in the #95 McLaren, while multiple MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi lifted BMW to fourth after recent struggles. TF Sport’s #33 Corvette, driven by Jonny Edgar and local star Ben Keating, initially secured fifth but will drop three grid spots due to a penalty for Keating’s contact in Q1.