Alpine served notice on the Hypercar class's traditional heavyweights at Imola on Friday, with Charles Milesi topping second practice ahead of Sunday's 6 Hours of Imola — the season opener of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship.
Milesi's 1:30.898 in the #35 A424 was almost a second quicker than the best effort in FP1, where Ferrari had set the opening benchmark through Robert Kubica's 1:31.739 in the #83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P. The Polish star had fended off strong early running from Corvette before Alpine found another gear in the afternoon.
It is exactly the sort of statement the Dieppe-based manufacturer needed after an inconsistent 2025. Power-unit reliability tripped up Alpine's LMDh challenger more than once last year, and the winter programme was focused on extracting both pace and dependability from the V6 twin-turbo package.
For Ferrari, Imola is home turf and the scene of three successive Le Mans victories. The Scuderia enters 2026 with the same driver line-up that won the 24 Hours last June, with Kubica, Phil Hanson and Yifei Ye once again sharing the #83 after their breakthrough class win. Team sources had hinted at a push for a dominant season opener in front of the tifosi; FP2 is a reminder that the Hypercar class rarely permits easy answers.
The entry list is staggering: 51 drivers across 17 Hypercars, split between LMH and LMDh regulations. Toyota, Porsche, Cadillac, BMW, Peugeot, Lamborghini and Aston Martin are all represented alongside Alpine and Ferrari, making this arguably the most competitive Hypercar grid since the class's introduction in 2021.
In LMGT3, the story of Friday belonged to WEC rookie Kobe Pauwels. The 19-year-old Belgian impressed in his series debut, setting a 1:42.081 in the #23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage to put the American outfit near the top of the timing screens. Pauwels has been tipped as one of Aston Martin's most promising young prospects, and his adaptation to GT3 machinery on a busy weekend suggests the confidence has not been misplaced.
Balance of Performance remains the topic no one wants to talk about but everyone is watching closely. After controversies at Le Mans in 2025, championship organisers have tweaked minimum weights and power outputs for Imola, with manufacturers publicly welcoming the changes while privately studying every lap time for evidence of advantage.
Weather is also a swing factor. Friday was dry but forecasters suggest scattered showers for Saturday qualifying and possibly raceday, which would throw tyre strategy and pit-window planning into chaos across the six-hour contest.
Corvette's pace in FP1 should not be overlooked. The factory-backed TF Sport-run Z06 GTD.R showed consistently strong sector times, while Toyota's GR010 HYBRIDs were quietly under the radar in low-fuel running — the Japanese marque traditionally holds performance back until qualifying.
Qualifying and Hyperpole take place on Saturday at 15:00 local. The race starts at 13:00 CEST on Sunday, April 19, with Italian and global broadcasters carrying live coverage alongside the FIA WEC app.