COTA Saturday Notebook
Sportscar365 • • sports
Key Points:
- Ferrari continued its flawless Hypercar qualifying record at Circuit of The Americas, with Antonio Giovinazzi securing pole position after a rare dead heat lap time identical to Jack Aitken's Cadillac, but credited to Giovinazzi for setting it first.
- Four Hypercar manufacturers—Ferrari, Cadillac, Alpine, and Aston Martin—were separated by less than 0.050 seconds in qualifying, marking a potential record for closest margins in Hyperpole.
- Aston Martin achieved its third consecutive LMGT3 class pole, extending its record to 73 WEC class poles, despite Eduardo Barrichello losing his fastest lap due to a track limits violation.
- Toyota Racing expressed mixed feelings after qualifying seventh and ninth, noting that while a top-four start was unlikely, their positions were better than recent outings, with strategies for race tire compounds still under consideration.
- The event featured notable appearances including the return of the Russian flag on a WEC car for the first time since 2019, visits from key motorsport figures, and NBA Hall of Famer Chris Bosh serving as the official race starter for the 6 Hours of COTA scheduled for Sunday.
