Ferrari admits to two strategic errors after losing Imola WEC race


The Italian producer revealed within the aftermath of spherical two of the 2024 WEC that it had misinterpreted the climate forecast it obtained and that there was additionally a  breakdown within the chain of command inside the crew on the essential level of the six hours when rain arrived. 

The explanation why Ferrari pitted for moist tyres 4 laps after nearly all of the remainder of the Hypercar subject two thirds of the best way by the race was that it believed the rain was “simply momentary”, mentioned race and testing supervisor Giuliano Salvi. 

Salvi defined that Ferrari had been anticipating the rain earlier and that it had began to mistrust the forecast. 

“Generally you have a look at the radar and also you suppose it ought to rain and it doesn’t, and also you cease counting on the sign,” he mentioned.  

“We thought it was the type of state of affairs the place you don’t have to depend on the radar an excessive amount of.

“We misjudged the state of affairs, that is clear.

“We’re not attempting to cover something as a result of it was a transparent mistake.”

Salvi additionally revealed that it had been planning to separate the methods on the 2 manufacturing unit Ferrari 499P Le Mans Hypercars, with one going onto wets earlier and one staying on dry-weather slick tyres.  

“We have to perceive this solution to cut up didn’t undergo,” he mentioned. 

“In the intervening time there has not been the time to see and perceive [what happened].

“We have to revise our chain of communication as a result of we missed sure eventualities — we have to revise our procedures.”

Ferrari dominated at Imola for greater than half the period of the six-hour race after claiming a 1-2-3 in qualifying with the 2 manufacturing unit vehicles cut up by the client satellite tv for pc crew additionally run by AF Corse

The race turned on the finish of the fourth hour when the rain got here and AF Corse opted to depart James Calado and Miguel Molina within the manufacturing unit vehicles and Yifei Ye within the unbiased entry out on monitor on slicks. 

It solely reacted when it grew to become clear that the vehicles on the wet-weather Michelin tyre have been a lot faster: Kamui Kobayashi was upwards of 10s a lap quicker than the three Ferraris within the race-winning Toyota GR010 HYBRID LMH. 

The most effective of the Ferraris at this level of the race, the #51 automobile with Calado on the wheel, was practically 90s behind the race-leading Toyota after its delayed pitstop. 

Salvi tried to emphasize the positives of the Imola weekend for Ferrari, which recovered to take a greatest results of fourth with its #50 manufacturing unit entry shared by Nicklas Nielsen, Molina and Antonio Fuoco

He mentioned that the crew had made actual progress since its uncompetitive displaying on the Qatar season opener in March. 

“For certain we developed the automobile in a correct approach – the automobile was behaving very properly,” defined Salvi. 

He additionally insisted that there can be no blame apportioned inside Ferrari for the errors on the weekend: “We’re not pointing the finger in any approach. 

“We’re the identical group that gained the Le Mans 24 Hours final 12 months as rookies – we win collectively and we lose collectively.”

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