{
  "id": 5937002,
  "title": "Ferrari “thinking race by race\" about WEC title fight after scoring ‘equal’ pole in Austin",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/ferrari-thinking-race-by-race-about-wec-title-fight-after-scoring",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-06T08:07:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Motorsport.com",
    "slug": "motorsport-com",
    "url": "https://www.motorsport.com/wec/news/wec-ferrari-on-level-terms-in-hyperpole-comeback-and-overtaking-will-be-race-by-race/10852871/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "At Austin’s Circuit of the Americas, Ferrari’s Antonio Giovinazzi secured the overall and Hypercar class pole position for the World Endurance Championship (WEC) round. He set his time before his rival, Jack Aitken’s Cadillac-Jota, so the top spot on the grid remained his. Giovinazzi explained he had to fight to get the car working properly due to the constant and varying wind, but ultimately managed to set a perfect lap. The pole position is worth one point in the championship standings and provides a good starting position for the race.\n\nAitken finished second on the grid, acknowledging he was close to pole but expressed disappointment at not securing it. He praised his team’s work on fine-tuning the car after Free Practice 3, which helped him secure the second spot. Meanwhile, Nicklas Nielsen, driving for Ferrari’s #50, ended the session fifth on the grid, 0.428 seconds behind the front-runners. Despite not matching his qualifying pace, he remained optimistic about the race, noting the potential of the 499P on the circuit.\n\nFerrari currently sits third in the championship, 17 points behind the leader, having earned a point in the Hyperpole. They are aiming to secure a good result in this crucial round to defend their world title. Their teammate, Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado, also have their sights set on improving their standings. Both acknowledge that the points available in the final rounds of the season will be crucial in their title fight, but they remain focused on doing their best in the upcoming races.\n\nThis is the team’s 10th pole position in the Hypercar class, with two of them this season – one at Imola and the latest in Austin. However, at Austin, last year’s winner, Robert Kubica, struggled with a lack of grip, while this time, Ferrari’s drivers managed to outperform their rivals. Team engineer Ferdinando Cannizzo explained that they opted for medium tyres due to the extreme temperatures and track conditions, which proved to be the best choice for better performance. Overall, there is a sense of confidence among the Ferrari team ahead of this crucial round in the championship, where finishing ahead of rivals BMW and Toyota is vital to retaining the title.",
  "summary": "At Austin’s Lone Star Le Mans World Endurance Championship round, Ferrari’s Antonio Giovinazzi secured the overall and Hypercar class pole position at the wheel of the #51 499P with a time of 1m52.445s in a thrilling session that saw him finish level with Jack Aitken’s #38 Cadillac-Jota. Giovinazzi, however, had managed to set his time before his rival, so the top spot on the grid will be ...…",
  "key_points": [
    "Antonio Giovinazzi secured pole position for WEC round at Austin.",
    "Jack Aitken finished second on the grid, disappointed not to win.",
    "Ferrari aims to defend world title with strong performance in Austin."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Hamilton hits out at ‘pretty bad’ Ferrari Q3 execution after missing out on Monza pole",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/hamilton-hits-out-at-pretty-bad-ferrari-q3-execution-after-missing",
        "published": "2026-09-06T05:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}