Ferrari secured a podium finish at the 2026 WEC 6 Hours of Monza after a dramatic post-race penalty dropped Aston Martin out of third place. The #51 Ferrari 499P was promoted to the final podium position following a 20-second penalty imposed on the #007 Aston Martin Valkyrie for a tyre pressure infringement. Meanwhile, Cadillac dominated the race, with the #38 crew of Earl Bamber, Sébastien Bourdais and Jack Aitken claiming victory ahead of Alpine.
The American manufacturer celebrated its first victory of the season after leading from the opening lap to the chequered flag at the Italian circuit. Numerous Safety Car and Full Course Yellow periods disrupted the race, repeatedly freezing the running order and limiting the strategic options available to the teams. Despite those interruptions, Cadillac executed every restart effectively and resisted the relentless pace of Alpine, which was making its final appearance in the World Endurance Championship.
Ferrari #51 inherits Monza WEC podium after Aston Martin penalty
The biggest twist of the 6 Hours of Monza came after the chequered flag, when Aston Martin lost the podium finish it had secured in the closing stages of the race.
With just 15 minutes remaining, Tom Gamble completed a decisive overtake in the #007 Aston Martin Valkyrie, passing the #51 Ferrari 499P to move into third place. The Italian car had been struggling with fuel consumption, leaving it unable to defend its position against the British manufacturer’s late attack.
For Aston Martin, crossing the finish line in third appeared to represent a remarkable achievement. However, the celebrations quickly turned to disappointment when Race Control imposed a 20-second penalty for an infringement involving tyre pressures.
The sanction dropped the #007 Aston Martin to fifth in the final classification, promoting the #51 Ferrari to third place and giving the Maranello manufacturer a podium finish at its home event.
It was a welcome result for Ferrari after a challenging race in which tyre temperatures and fuel consumption had complicated the performance of the 499P. The difficulties were consistent with the concerns that had emerged before the event, particularly regarding the challenge of keeping the Michelin tyres within their optimal operating window.
Ferrari #50 and #83 endure difficult 6 Hours of Monza
While the #51 Ferrari eventually secured a place on the podium, the afternoon proved considerably more difficult for the manufacturer’s other Hypercar entries.
Both the #50 and #83 Ferrari 499P entries saw their races compromised from the opening stint by a 20-second penalty for breaching the minimum tyre pressure requirements. Despite that setback, Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen fought back to finish eighth in the #50 Ferrari 499P, taking advantage of the numerous neutralisations to recover positions.
The result represented a disappointing outcome for a crew that had entered the race with considerable expectations after Antonio Fuoco’s impressive performance in qualifying, where he had secured pole position for Ferrari at Monza.
For the Italian manufacturer, the race highlighted the difficulty of converting promising speed into a strong result over six hours, especially when penalties, tyre management and fuel consumption became decisive factors.
Cadillac #38 dominates Monza as Alpine finishes second
At the front of the field, Cadillac produced an exceptionally controlled performance to claim its first victory of the season.
Earl Bamber, Sébastien Bourdais and Jack Aitken led throughout the six-hour contest, never surrendering the lead despite repeated Safety Car and Full Course Yellow interruptions. Those neutralisations prevented teams from fully exploiting alternative strategies and repeatedly brought the field back together. However, the #38 crew remained composed, managing each restart and defending its advantage against a highly competitive Alpine.
The French manufacturer ultimately finished second after maintaining an impressive pace throughout the race. It was a particularly significant performance because Monza marked Alpine’s final appearance in the endurance championship.
Cadillac’s combination of outright speed, consistency and flawless execution proved decisive on a day when the frequent interruptions created considerable opportunities for mistakes.
Toyota celebrates WEC world titles despite difficult Monza race
Toyota endured a particularly challenging final race, with both GR010 Hybrid entries struggling to compete for points despite being directly involved in the world championship battle.
According to Mike Conway, the disappointing performance was heavily influenced by the Balance of Performance regulations, which significantly restricted the Japanese manufacturer’s competitiveness. The limitations had already become apparent during free practice and qualifying, when Toyota struggled to match the pace of its rivals.
Nevertheless, the #8 Toyota finished ahead of its sister #7 entry, a result sufficient to secure the Drivers’ World Championship and complete a season in which the Japanese manufacturer claimed every available world title.
It represented a remarkable recovery following a difficult 2025 campaign and extensive development work on an almost entirely new car. Celebrating a championship after a race spent outside the points and podium positions was far from the ideal conclusion, but Toyota had achieved its main objective and could reflect on an outstanding season.
Peugeot, BMW and Genesis experience contrasting fortunes
Peugeot delivered a generally encouraging performance, with the #94 car finishing fifth and securing a points-paying result.
However, the sister #93 entry experienced a much more difficult afternoon. With just three minutes remaining, it was involved in a serious collision with the #12 Cadillac, which was sent violently off the circuit.
The Peugeot crossed the finish line in ninth place, although a post-race penalty was expected following the incident. BMW experienced a race of two contrasting halves. The German manufacturer recovered strongly during the middle stages, but several mistakes and difficulties managing its tyres ultimately undermined its chances of a stronger finish.
Genesis, meanwhile, suffered a particularly unfortunate debut. The #19 car had been running securely in second place before a sudden technical problem forced it into retirement, ending what had been an extremely promising performance.
LMGT3: Porsche wins at Monza but Corvette secures both championships
In the LMGT3 category, the #92 Porsche entered by The Bend Manthey claimed victory at the 6 Hours of Monza after a determined effort to overturn Corvette’s championship advantage.
Riccardo Pera produced an outstanding recovery drive, climbing through the field to help his crew secure a memorable race victory. However, the result was not enough to complete the championship comeback. The #33 Corvette entered by TF Sport finished third, a result that secured both world titles for the American manufacturer’s crew.
Ford also demonstrated strong competitiveness, with both Mustang entries featuring prominently during significant portions of the race. However, individual mistakes and penalties imposed on both cars prevented the team from converting its pace into the results it had hoped to achieve.
Ferrari’s remaining LMGT3 entries endured a disappointing Sunday. The #54 car retired with technical problems, while the #21 could manage only ninth place.
Although the #51 Ferrari 499P ultimately gave the Italian manufacturer a place on the Hypercar podium, Monza brought a difficult conclusion to its endurance campaign. The result followed a season of missed opportunities and technical challenges, with Ferrari already preparing for the development work and changes awaiting its endurance programme.
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