Following a season-opening race in Qatar that ran with out interruption from security vehicles, there may be widespread expectation that Imola’s tight and undulating nature could conspire to supply incidents that the open, flowing nature of the Losail Worldwide Circuit helped negate.
Imola, which has changed Monza because the host of Italy’s WEC spherical for 2024 on what is anticipated to be a one-off foundation throughout renovation works on the house of the Italian Grand Prix, options tall kerbs that GT3 vehicles can assault aggressively, whereas the Hypercars are suggested to make use of extra warning.
This issue, and the significance afforded to mechanical grip quite than aerodynamics because of Imola’s greater proportion of sluggish corners than in Qatar, means cornering speeds are extra evenly matched between the 2 courses than regular. Overtaking will likely be troublesome, and the comparatively slender monitor and grass/gravel beds lining its perimeter will punish any passing makes an attempt not executed appropriately.
WRT BMW driver Rene Rast informed Autosport: “Qatar is loads wider, there’s extra run-off. If one thing goes improper, we’ve run-off, right here you solely have gravel.
“Everyone must be conscious, the GT but in addition the Hypercars, we’ve to respect one another. For positive it’s going to be tight and we are going to see in all probability a bit extra contact than in Qatar.”
Toyota driver Nyck de Vries defined that he was “fairly amazed at how aggressive the racing was” in Qatar and recommended that danger administration will likely be essential on Imola’s tight confines, not least as a result of there’s a excessive likelihood of rain for the race.
“That is virtually the other of what you have got versus Qatar – that was very high-speed, very flat, lengthy monitor, a number of house,” the Dutchman informed Autosport.
#8 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 – Hybrid: Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, Ryo Hirakawa
Photograph by: Paul Foster
“Though the character of that format didn’t make overtaking essentially straightforward, right here there isn’t a house and there’s a lot of kerb utilization which is totally different than Qatar.
“It’s vital to be affected person and to complete, as a result of I do anticipate that we are going to have fairly an eventful race. Probably the climate is enjoying into that as effectively.”
Issue in passing
Projections that overtaking vehicles of comparable efficiency will likely be powerful at Imola may very well be present in all corners of the paddock on Friday. Giuliano Salvi, Ferrari race and take a look at group supervisor, supplied up an astute comparability when describing the challenges of multi-class racing on the Emilia Romagna monitor, which most just lately hosted multi-class sportscar racing sanctioned by the Vehicle Membership de l’Ouest as a part of the European Le Mans Collection in 2022.
“I heard somebody calling it the Monaco of endurance, and I believe that may be a very exact definition,” he mentioned.
“It is not going to be the monitor with essentially the most overtakes within the calendar just because it’s fairly slender,” agreed Laurens Vanthoor, a part of Porsche’s Qatar-winning line-up. “Then once more, there’s not so many high-speed corners so that you don’t lose a lot aero.”
Gasoline consumption and tyre technique are key tenets of endurance racing that often mitigate the importance of qualifying, because the minimal six-hour period of WEC racing usually permits groups that may eke the very best efficiency out of their tyres over a double stint to make up for beginning out of place. However Salvi believes the combat to get into Saturday night’s Hyperpole session will tackle a particular significance in Imola, as these beginning close to the entrance will possible be gentler on their gear.
“It is going to be a really tense race, however not solely the race but in addition qualifying,” he added. “Qualifying will likely be crucial, to start out on the entrance will likely be actually essential.”
#46 Group WRT BMW M4 LMGT3: Ahmad Al Harthy, Valentino Rossi, Maxime Martin
Photograph by: Emanuele Clivati | AG Photograph
This is applicable not solely to tyres, but in addition brakes.
“It’s one of many hardest tracks typically on brakes,” famous Lamborghini’s Mirko Bortolotti. “In the event you can have a extra environment friendly brake part, conserving your brakes alive for a very long time, perhaps that can be one thing that may [help] by the race run.”
The T-word
The place tyres had been a key buzzword in Qatar, site visitors has taken up that mantle in Imola. Most anticipate that for the Hypercar race, the GT vehicles could have a key position to play in creating alternatives.
Bortolotti noticed: “You may get caught in a improper spot or perhaps take a improper resolution on passing a GT automobile, you find yourself on the improper line and that may open up alternatives for overtakes.”
“Probably the most overtakes will likely be accomplished after site visitors or in site visitors,” mentioned Vanthoor. “GT site visitors administration will play a really massive position, additionally staying out of bother in these circumstances.”
BMW driver Sheldon van der Linde anticipates that the congestion “goes to be very troublesome to navigate by”.
“In the event you can keep out of bother, keep out of the gravel, ultimately that’s the goal right here,” he informed Autosport.
#88 Proton Competitors Ford Mustang LMGT3: Giorgio Roda, Mikkel Pedersen, Dennis Olsen
Photograph by: Emanuele Clivati | AG Photograph
“If you may make it to the final two hours with none harm in your automobile, you deserve a trophy for that alone!”
“Typically it’s a must to take dangers,” mentioned Rast, “which generally is an excessive amount of and also you contact a GT automobile after which it spins off the monitor or sticks within the gravel and there’s a full-course yellow. I anticipate extra digital security vehicles, we anticipate a bit extra chaos. It’s going to be tough.”
Two-way avenue
This verdict is shared by GT3 drivers. TF Sport Corvette’s second observe pacesetter Charlie Eastwood identified that the stop-start nature of the circuit means shedding a place right into a nook and being held up by a Hypercar that’s unable to sort out the kerbs with the identical vigour will likely be notably expensive. As such, compliance from the GT3 drivers can’t be assumed into the braking zones.
“In the event you get on prime of [traffic management] it’s price a lot extra lap time,” he informed Autosport. “It was as tough as I anticipated [in practice]. A few occasions into the Flip 14-15 tight chicane [Variante Alta], I’d go to defend they usually’re attempting to ship it across the exterior on the brakes.
“The writing is on the wall that it’s going to be a super-tough race. And never just for the GTs, it’s in all probability even tougher and extra time-consuming for the Hypercar, but it surely makes it truly very fascinating.”
“The braking factors for the GT3s and the Hypercars are pretty comparable,” mirrored Eastwood’s BMW rival Augusto Farfus.
“After all, the method pace is far greater and it may be very troublesome for them. They are going to use us as a chance to achieve locations doubtlessly on their competitors and we will use them as effectively to achieve locations on our competitors.
#51 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi
Photograph by: Paul Foster
“Particularly in these phases the place there will likely be a prepare of Hypercars coming by, that’s the time the place they’ll wish to be opportunistic in opposition to their very own competitors, it is a time once we will be additionally opportunistic. Subsequently, the prospect for contact, the prospect for incidents will get greater.
“It’s not going to be a simple race right here, particularly for the monitor format.”
Appropriate for WEC?
Opinions on the monitor’s suitability for the WEC are combined. Talking previous to observe on Thursday, Peugeot driver Paul di Resta informed Autosport: “I don’t assume it fits the present vehicles, the stability of delta between the 2 totally different courses isn’t that massive. I believe it’s too small.
“We must be on greater tracks like Spa, like Le Mans, like Qatar was. There’s in all probability different tracks on the market that might have been higher.
“Possibly it should show me improper on Sunday. However I simply assume it’s unnecessarily tight for such an enormous grid.”
However there may be loads of optimism too. Eastwood welcomed the brand new kerbs that he says “add much more character” to the monitor, whereas Imola race debutant Alex Lynn was effusive in his reward too.
The Cadillac driver mentioned: “It is mint, I prefer it. It is good to be at a monitor the place you may really feel the presence of the followers, the tifosi. It is a fantastic, old-school circuit. It is going to be powerful in site visitors, however that simply provides a little bit of spice.”
#2 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Collection.R: Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn
Photograph by: Paul Foster
“It’s good to have a little bit of a mixture, I believe we can’t go to the brand new period of parking tons each weekend both,” reasoned Vanthoor. “That is one thing fully totally different and really old-school, a distinct method.
“Ultimately it’s the identical subject for all of us. The one who will get out of that scenario finest could have the benefit.”