Ferrari locks out Le Mans warmup as Pier Guidi leads Molina

Ferrari sets the tone before Le Mans start

Ferrari AF Corse delivered a pointed reminder of its pace in the final moments before the 24 Hours of Le Mans, taking a 1-2 in the 15-minute warmup session held four hours before the start of the race.

The result carried extra intrigue because it contrasted sharply with Ferrari’s qualifying picture. The #51 is set to be the highest-starting Ferrari after Antonio Giovinazzi took it through Hyperpole, while the other factory Ferrari effort failed to progress into Hyperpole 2, with Nicklas Nielsen qualifying 12th. For full pre-race context, including the start schedule and grid picture, see our guide to the 2026 Le Mans 24 Hours race start time and key grid details.

Hypercar order tight behind Ferrari

Even so, warmup times must be treated carefully. This session is not designed as a definitive performance shootout. Teams primarily use it to verify systems, assess tyre choices and give drivers a final chance to settle into rhythm before the long race begins. Ferrari’s 1-2 was eye-catching, but the real competitive picture will only emerge once traffic, stint length, reliability and tyre behaviour start to define the race.

LMP2 and LMGT3 benchmarks

In LMP2, Alex Quinn set the pace for the #4 Crowdstrike by APR Oreca with a 3:37.111. Mathias Beche was only 0.009s slower in the #14 TDS Racing Oreca, while Job Van Uitert, who will start second in class, ended the session almost a second away from Quinn’s time.

LMGT3 was led by Jonny Edgar in the #33 TF Sport Corvette, who posted a 3:54.825. Ben Green made it a Corvette 1-2 for TF Sport in the #2 car, 0.129s back, with Maxime Martin third in the #61 Iron Lynx Mercedes.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is scheduled to get underway at 4pm local time.