The Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA has definitely made its presence known for the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship. They’ve started their preparations in style by taking the lead during the Prologue held in Qatar, an event that signals the beginning of this year’s intense competition between top-tier racing teams.
During the Prologue’s first day, it was Robert Kubica, winner of the 2024 6 Hours of COTA, who initially set the pace for the AF Corse Ferrari team in the morning session. However, things quickly shifted in the afternoon. Alex Lynn showcased remarkable speed in the longer session by pushing the #12 Cadillac V-Series.R Hypercar straight to the top. Not far behind, teammate Sébastien Bourdais secured the second spot, trailing by just a slim 0.2 seconds. Interestingly, Lynn’s performance was only four-tenths shy of the fastest lap from last year’s Qatar 1812km qualifying.
Ferrari kept pace throughout, with their factory #50 499P Hypercar—last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans victor—being driven to third by Antonio Fuoco. Meanwhile, Porsche’s newly promoted factory driver, Julien Andlauer, placed fourth in the #5 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 Hypercar, leaving the top four contenders separated by less than 0.3 seconds—a testament to the fierce competition.
Toyota and Peugeot also made it into the top ten, proving their mettle, while Aston Martin’s latest creation, the Valkyrie Hypercars, made its debut on the FIA WEC stage. Toyota Gazoo Racing notched the most completed laps among Hypercar entrants over both sessions.
Switching gears to the LMGT3 class, the Akkodis ASP Team’s Lexus RC F GT3 stood out as a formidable competitor. Ben Barnicoat laid down the morning’s fastest lap, which his teammate and two-time world champion, José María López, mirrored in the afternoon. TF Sport’s Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R pushed hard alongside Vista AF Corse’s duo of Ferrari 296s, both of which clinched wins in the last two races of 2024.
As the teams collectively clocked in 5,351 laps at the Lusail International Circuit, the Prologue’s final seven-hour stretch will wrap up tomorrow (February 22). All eyes are set on the upcoming inaugural race at this track, scheduled for February 28, as teams refine their strategies and perfect their rides.
