Ferrari made the perfect start to the 6 Hours of COTA weekend by locking out the top two positions in the opening free practice session at Circuit of the Americas. The two factory Ferrari 499Ps led the Hypercar field in Austin, finishing ahead of Alpine and the two Toyota TR010 Hybrids after the first 90 minutes of running.
FP1 began at 18:30 CET in stable and very sunny conditions, with an air temperature of 30°C and the track surface close to 38°C. It was a completely different picture from the 2025 edition, when unstable weather and heavy rain on Sunday played a major role in the weekend.
Ferrari dominates opening 6 Hours of COTA practice
The first 90-minute session passed without any significant interruptions. There were several local yellow flags during the running, but no lengthy stoppages for the teams on track.
Both the Hypercars and LMGT3 entries completed plenty of laps, giving teams valuable opportunities to assess the numerous bumps that characterise the Texas circuit. Those surface irregularities place considerable emphasis on finding the correct set-up, with teams having to balance performance and stability around one of the more demanding layouts on the calendar.
The two factory Ferrari 499Ps set the standard in Hypercar. They moved to the top of the timing screens during the early stages of the session and remained there until the chequered flag.
The #51 Ferrari finished fastest with a 1:53.824, while the sister #50 499P completed Ferrari’s one-two with a 1:54.029, leaving a gap of 0.205 seconds between the two cars.
The strong opening is another encouraging chapter in Ferrari’s endurance programme at a circuit where the 499P has already enjoyed major success. Ferrari previously won at COTA during a remarkable weekend that also featured a Formula 1 victory at Monza, a result that highlighted the growing strength of the manufacturer’s WEC and Ferrari 499P programme.
Alpine jumps ahead of Toyota late in FP1
Toyota also made a competitive start to the weekend, with its two factory cars initially occupying the positions immediately behind Ferrari. That order changed with around 15 minutes remaining, however, when the #36 Alpine A424 moved ahead and claimed the final place in the provisional top three.
The #36 Alpine finished third with a 1:54.223, 0.399 seconds away from the leading Ferrari.
BMW had a much more difficult opening session, with its two cars ending up 15th and 17th in the overall classification. Cadillac also failed to show particularly strong pace around Circuit of the Americas, with the two cars respectively around six tenths and 1.8 seconds away from the benchmark.
FP1 times are always of limited value when attempting to establish the genuine competitive order, but the first session nevertheless provided some initial indications of where the different manufacturers stand.
Another important variable is the late change imposed by the governing body to the amount of energy available for each race stint. Every team will therefore need to adapt its programme and energy management to the revised limit as the weekend progresses.
McLaren leads LMGT3 as Ferrari takes fourth
The LMGT3 class also completed its opening practice session, once again producing the close competition expected from a category where gaps between manufacturers and teams are regularly small.
The #10 Garage 59 McLaren finished fastest after the opening 90 minutes with a 2:06.016.
The #61 Iron Lynx Mercedes took second place with a 2:06.293, finishing 0.277 seconds behind the leading McLaren. The second Garage 59 McLaren completed the provisional top three with a 2:06.327.
Ferrari also enjoyed a competitive start in LMGT3. The #21 car finished fourth after spending part of the session in second place behind the #10 McLaren and remaining within three tenths of the leading pace.
Behind Ferrari came the two Aston Martins, interspersed with the two Ford Mustangs. Corvette and BMW endured more difficult sessions, filling the final four positions in the classification.
Ferrari takes early advantage into COTA FP2
Although the first free practice session cannot establish the definitive balance of performance for the remainder of the weekend, Ferrari leaves FP1 with an ideal opening result. Both factory 499Ps immediately demonstrated competitive pace, while Alpine and Toyota emerged as their closest challengers during the first running in Austin.
The bumpy Circuit of the Americas surface, changing set-ups and the revised energy allowance will all continue to shape the competitive picture as teams gather more data.
The second free practice session is scheduled for 23:00 CET.
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