RACE REPORT | FIA WEC Qatar 2025

Ferrari dominated the opening race of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), securing a 1-2-3 finish at the Qatar 1812km. Antonio Fuoco, Nicklas Nielsen, and Miguel Molina took victory in the #50 Ferrari 499P, followed by Robert Kubica’s #83 AF Corse Ferrari and Alessandro Pier Guidi in the #51 Ferrari. This was Ferrari’s first-ever modern WEC 1-2-3 finish, marking a strong start to their title defence.

The race started with James Calado in the #51 Ferrari on pole, leading in the early stages. He fought off a challenge from teammate Nicklas Nielsen in the #50 Ferrari, while Kevin Magnussen’s BMW dropped from second to third. Calado led for the first few hours, only giving up the lead during pit stops. A full-course yellow to clear debris caused a shuffle in positions, with some teams benefiting from better pit timing.

The biggest challenge to Ferrari came from the JOTA-run Cadillacs, which took the lead after a well-timed pit stop during a Virtual Safety Car (VSC). However, their race fell apart when Jenson Button and Alex Lynn collided under the safety car, forcing both cars to pit. This handed Ferrari back control, with Yifei Ye in the #83 Ferrari taking the lead ahead of Antonio Fuoco in the #50.

As the race entered the final hours, Miguel Molina took over the #50 Ferrari and chased down Phil Hanson’s #83 Ferrari, eventually passing him after a restart. Kubica, who took over the #83 in the final stint, tried to close the gap to Fuoco, reducing it to just three seconds. Meanwhile, Alessandro Pier Guidi in the #51 Ferrari was right behind Kubica, but despite strong pressure, he couldn’t find a way past.

In the end, Fuoco held on to win, leading Ferrari’s historic 1-2-3 finish. BMW’s Dries Vanthoor finished fourth, ahead of the Toyota GR010 Hybrids of Sebastien Buemi and Kamui Kobayashi. Robin Frijns in the #20 BMW finished seventh, followed by Alex Lynn in the #12 Cadillac, who recovered from his earlier collision. The #93 Peugeot of Mikkel Jensen finished ninth, with Michael Christensen’s #5 Porsche completing the top ten. 

Among GT3 cars, the race was won by TF Sport's Corvette driven by Daniel Juncadella, Jonny Edgar and Ben Keating.

Race results (TOP 10):