Lilou Wadoux claims historic first IMSA GTD pole at Road America

"Quite happy": Wadoux topped GTD qualifying in her first appearance at Road America despite limited dry running with a newly prepared Ferrari

Lilou Wadoux added another landmark achievement to her racing resume on Saturday, capturing her first career IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship pole position during GTD qualifying for the Motul SportsCar Endurance Grand Prix at Road America.

Driving the #21 AF Corse USA Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO, Wadoux set a GTD-leading lap of 2m04.688s around the 4.048-mile, 14-turn natural-terrain road course.

The result came in her 13th WeatherTech Championship start and on her first appearance at the Wisconsin circuit, following a difficult build-up for the team.

After encountering technical setbacks at Watkins Glen, AF Corse brought a newly prepped Ferrari to Road America. However, unpredictable weather added another layer of difficulty heading into qualifying. A wet second session left teams with minimal dry setup time before the decisive session.

"We had issues on the car [in Watkins Glen], so we had a new car for here. The team did an amazing job to have a good car," Wadoux said after qualifying. "For sure it was not easy with FP2 in the rain. We weren't really ready for quallie, but at the end, we did a pretty good job. I'm quite happy with this pole position."

ELKHART LAKE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 1: #21: Af Corse USA, Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO, GTD in practice: Simon Mann, Lilou Wadoux Ducellier, Antonio Fuoco during the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Motul SportsCar Endurance Grand Prix at Road America on August 1, 2026 in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin

Photo by: Photo by Jake Galstad/Lumen via Getty Images

It made Wadoux the first woman to claim an IMSA pole since Katherine Legge at Laguna Seca in 2018. While Wadoux’s maiden pole is a historic moment for women in North American sports car racing, the 25-year-old French driver remains focused on her core job: winning races strictly as a competitor at the highest level.

When asked about the broader impact of her achievement for women in motorsport, Wadoux noted the importance of visibility while keeping her primary identity as a racer front and center.

"To show that we are able to do the same, it's good," Wadoux reflected. "But I'm quite happy as a driver to do the pole position. We are more and more [women in racing], so we will see in the next years if it continues in this way."

With starting track position locked in, Wadoux now turns her attention to converting single-lap speed into endurance race success.

"Yeah,” she said, “we'll see what we can do tomorrow.”