Valentino Rossi has thrilled the passionate home crowd in qualifying for this weekend’s 6 Hours of Imola – round two of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship campaign – by storming to his first pole position in the fiercely-disputed LMGT3 category.
Ahmad Al-Harthy produced a monster lap behind the wheel of #46 BMW M4 LMGT3 EVO in the first part of the session to go more than three-quarters-of-a-second quicker than any of his rivals, and Rossi then maintained that momentum in the subsequent Hyperpole shootout.
‘The Doctor’ was a factor throughout the ten-minute showdown, mastering the 4.909km Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari with a stellar effort that ultimately nobody else could match to secure his maiden FIA WEC pole – raising BMW’s hopes of replicating its Imola victory from 2024.
Rossi ultimately wound up just under a third-of-a-second clear of Clemens Schmid in the leading Akkodis ASP Team Lexus, with the Japanese sportscar continuing to show much-improved form in 2025. Zacharie Robichon completed the top three in Heart of Racing’s Aston Martin, with Qatar winner Ben Keating able to manage no better than 16th in TF Sport’s Corvette.
Watch every moment of the action, live or on demand, via the official FIAWEC TV app – your full-access pass to the FIA World Endurance Championship.
