RALLY

WEC Imola: Toyota beats Porsche to win rain-impacted thriller

April 21, 2024
GForze


Beginning sixth, Conway overtook Fred Makowiecki’s PPM Porsche on the restart following an early security automobile, then gained two locations on the first spherical of stops by overcutting Robert Kubica’s buyer AF Corse-run Ferrari 499P LMH and benefitting from a gradual cease for early chief Nicklas Nielsen’s manufacturing unit #50 Ferrari – who required a contemporary left-rear tyre. 

Working third, Conway tracked Vanthoor to the following spherical of stops earlier than handing over to de Vries, who swiftly leapfrogged Lotterer.

Nielsen had vaulted again to second behind team-mate Antonio Giovinazzi’s #51 Ferrari by the point the pair lastly stepped out of their respective cockpits approaching half-distance, with de Vries by this time shut behind.

James Calado (in for Giovinazzi) needed to defend arduous towards Miguel Molina (in for Nielsen) when he climbed aboard with new right-hand tyres however held off the Spaniard’s decided assaults and had pulled away by the point De Vries then took second. 
The Dutchman responded quickest to the top of a full course yellow, required when Carl Wattana Bennett crashed the Isotta Fraschini at Variante Alta. 
Situations have been turning into difficult, and when Callum Ilott beached his Jota Porsche within the gravel on the first Rivazza, having gone barely off-line passing the Iron Lynx Lamborghini, it introduced out a digital security automobile that might flip right into a full security automobile.

#38 Hertz Group Jota Porsche 963: Jenson Button, Philip Hanson, Oliver Rasmussen

Picture by: Paolo Belletti

This got here moments after Calado had pitted underneath inexperienced – and as soon as others had made their stops underneath the warning, he rejoined fourth with Kobayashi now main Molina and Estre.

Molina instantly pounced on Kobayashi when the race went inexperienced amid worsening rain, with the Hypercars struggling to heat their tyres to the extent that each vehicles have been overtaken by Joel Sturm’s GT3 class-leading Porsche. 

Crucially, Kobayashi instantly dived into the pits for wets, as did Estre, whereas all three Ferraris stayed out. It proved the incorrect name, with Kobayashi and Estre a number of seconds sooner per lap and the observe particularly treacherous within the remaining sector.

This prompted the trio of Ferraris to comply with Matt Campbell (within the second PPM Porsche) in bailing on the slicks and switching to wets, Calado passing the newly-inserted Antonio Fuoco (in for Molina) for sixth – though they might later swap locations once more. 
The time the Ferraris had misplaced couldn’t be recovered to pose a problem for the rostrum, though it gambled by holding Alessandro Pier Guidi (in for Calado) on wets shortly earlier than the rest of the Hypercar runners pivoted again to slicks. 
Campbell vaulted forward of the second Toyota pushed by Brendon Hartley with a later change of rubber after the New Zealander went into the gravel on the exit of the Villeneuve chicane.

Kobayashi additionally straightlined the Tamburello chicane following his personal change of tyres, however saved his lead intact over Estre. 

Start action, #50 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, Nicklas Nielsen, #83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Robert Kubica, Robert Shwartzman, Yifei Ye

Begin motion, #50 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, Nicklas Nielsen, #83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Robert Kubica, Robert Shwartzman, Yifei Ye

Picture by: JEP / Motorsport Images

The Frenchman dipped into the Rivazza gravel whereas pursuing Kobayashi, and once more exiting the Villeneuve chicane, however managed to get inside a second coming into the closing levels. 

Nevertheless, a five-second penalty for overtaking underneath the protection automobile meant he wanted to each overtake the Toyota and pull out a niche, which proved an insurmountable job.

Campbell, Makowiecki and Michael Christensen secured third forward of Nielsen, Molina and Fuoco, the latter passing Hartley on the ultimate lap when the Toyota he shared with Sebastien Buemi and Rio Hirakawa locked up into the Tamburello chicane.
A late drive-through penalty for a pit infringement finally had little bearing on the outcome for the main WRT-run BMW M Hybrid V8 LMDh of Rene Rast, Robin Frijns and Sheldon van der Linde, who recorded the Bavarian marque’s greatest end of its return to the WEC to this point in sixth. 

After ditching his aged wets, Pier Guidi repassed the third Ferrari of Yifei Ye, which had earlier served a penalty for a full course yellow infringement throughout Kubica’s stint, to complete seventh.

The much-revised Peugeot 9X8 LMH recorded factors in ninth on its first look, courtesy of the #93 automobile pushed by Nico Muller, Mikkel Jensen and Jean-Eric Vergne, whereas Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn accomplished the highest 10 within the Chip Ganassi Racing-run Cadillac V-Sequence.R LMDh.
Alpine’s hopes of a robust outcome have been thwarted on the first nook, when Matthieu Vaxiviere clashed with Paul di Resta’s Peugeot and the BMW of Marco Wittmann, whose spinning automobile compelled the second Alpine of Charles Milesi to take avoiding motion within the gravel.
#35 Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424: Paul-Loup Chatin, Jules Gounon, Charles Milesi

#35 Alpine Endurance Group Alpine A424: Paul-Loup Chatin, Jules Gounon, Charles Milesi

Picture by: Paolo Belletti

Vaxiviere was given a one-minute stop-go penalty for the incident, which adopted his broken automobile understeering into the boundaries on the exit of the Tamburello Chicane and gathering an promoting hoarding.

Wittmann’s automobile later rejoined after repairs however spun off within the palms of Raffaele Marciello on the treacherous second Rivazza.
Milesi’s automobile additionally discovered the gravel a second time afterward when Paul-Loup Chatin was caught out on the Acque Minerali, the identical spot the place Julien Andluer rotated the Proton Porsche that later retired to convey out one other FCY.

The WRT group loved a day to recollect within the LMGT3 class by recording a 1-2 end with its BMW M4 GT3s.

Key to its victory was the timing of its first driver modifications, as Leung exceeded his minimal bronze time of 1hr45m by simply 5 seconds, whereas al Harthy accomplished solely 80 seconds greater than was mandatory.

Polesitter Alexander Malykhin managed the early phases of the race in his Pure Rxcing Porsche, however crucially needed to get again into the automobile later after ending his double stint simply in need of the minimal.

#92 Manthey Purerxcing Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3: Aliaksandr Malykhin, Joel Sturm, Klaus Bachler

#92 Manthey Purerxcing Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3: Aliaksandr Malykhin, Joel Sturm, Klaus Bachler

Picture by: Paolo Belletti

The additional pit go to to cycle again to its silver driver, Sturm, meant he was in flip driving for half an hour longer than WRT’s silvers Gelael and Rossi.

When Sturm got here in at hand over to Klaus Bachler, the BMWs then duelled for the lead between them, Martin unable to carry off the attentions of Farfus.

Moments after straightlining Tamburello, Martin obtained sideways exiting Acque Minerali and the Brazilian pounced to take the lead into the Variante Alta chicane.

A drive-through penalty for not respecting VSC process ended any hopes of victory for the #46 BMW, however didn’t value it third place to the Manthey-run Porsche of Malykhin, Sturm and Bachler.

Rovera tried to wrest fourth place on the highway away from Riberas within the closing levels, however the Spaniard firmly shut the door coming into the Tamburello chicane and ensuing contact prompted each to take to the gravel, the Aston rising nonetheless forward.

Imola 6 Hours Outcome

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