Antonio Giovinazzi launched the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship’s opening practice in Austin with a blistering 1:53.824 lap, out‑pacing his Ferrari partner by 0.205 seconds.
Heat Pressures Test Endurance Strategy
Track temperatures hovered near 30 °C during FP 1, a heat level drivers warned could make double‑stinting problematic and may shrink usable battery capacity for the six‑hour race, possibly forcing an extra pit stop.
Ferraris, Alpines and Toyotas Battle for the Front
The No. 51 Ferrari 499P crossed the line first, followed by the No. 50 Ferrari just behind. Jules Gounon in the No. 36 Alpine A424 took third, with G‑endurance Toyota 8 and Toyota 7 completing the top five while a brief full‑course yellow saw Toyota 7 veer off.
Cadillacs, Aston Martins, and Genesis in the Midfield Shuffle
The No. 38 Cadillac Jota was seventh, ahead of the No. 009 Aston Martin and the No. 19 Genesis, the latter setting its quickest lap on hard tyres.
Peugeot, BMW, and Energy‑Constrained Contenders
The No. 94 Peugeot slipped into the top ten, pushing out the No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari, which ran a mixed medium–hard tyre set. BMW Hypercars sat more than a second off in 15th and 17th, their times coloured by different fuel loads and set‑ups.
LMGT3 Showdown: McLarens Outpace the Rest
No. 58 Garage 59 McLaren, driven by Tom Fleming, set the class best with 2:06.016, beating Maxime Martin’s No. 61 Mercedes by 0.277 seconds and keeping the No. 10 McLaren close behind. AF Corse Ferrari (No. 21) and Heart of Racing Aston Martin (No. 23) rounded the top five, the Ferrari requiring a five‑minute pit stop for repeated track‑limit infringements. Proton Ford entries claimed sixth and seventh, followed by Heart of Racing (No. 27), Lexus ASP (No. 87), and Iron Lynx Mercedes (No. 79). All ten cars stayed within 1.4 seconds of Fleming’s lap, while Manthey Porsche and WRT BMW remained outside the top ten.
Free Practice 2 will resume at 4 p.m. local time, 11 p.m. CET.
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