Fuoco explains tyre preparation behind “special” WEC Imola pole lap


The Italian defined how finishing two warmup laps within the decisive Hyperpole session in his manufacturing unit #50 Ferrari 499P Le Mans Hypercar allowed him to set two laps adequate to earn his first pole place since final 12 months’s Le Mans 24 Hours. 
He improved on his 1m29.735s lap time with a 1m29.466s that put him 0.419s away from the sector and 0.635s sooner than the very best non-Ferrari, the manufacturing unit Penske Porsche Motorsport-run Porsche 963 LMDh that Kevin Estre certified fourth.

“I believe right this moment this made a little bit of a distinction in comparison with the opposite opponents as a result of we noticed that the Porsche was pushing sooner than us and perhaps confused a bit extra tyres,” stated Fuoco. 

“This was our technique from FP3 that we tried earlier. It was working fairly properly and we did it once more within the quali, and it was okay. So I believe right this moment we perceive a bit greater than the others on easy methods to handle the tyres.”

Fuoco defined that Ferrari had “already deliberate this morning” that it might do two warmup laps “to deliver the tyres into the temperature fairly simply” and keep away from overstressing the tyres.

WEC rookie Robert Shwartzman within the buyer AF Corse-run 499P adopted an equivalent method to safe second, whereas Alessandro Pier Guidi accomplished a Ferrari lockout of the highest three within the second manufacturing unit machine.

Explaining his lap, which adopted setting the quickest time in last apply on Saturday morning, Fuoco stated: “The sensation was already good from this morning in FP3, so I simply tried to maintain the focus excessive, tried to place every part collectively. 

#50 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, Nicklas Nielsen

Picture by: Emanuele Clivati | AG Picture

“It’s all the time tough while you go on qualifying with the visitors and every part, however I believe the hole was actually good and I simply put a extremely good lap collectively. 

“It was fairly a particular lap as all the time, however I believe right this moment in entrance of our Tifosi, our residence race, I’ve an additional enhance and I simply push 100% from the start till the tip of the quali.”

He added: “The sensation was good already from contained in the automotive, it was a very good lap already the primary one, however then I discovered some small particulars on the second push and I gained one other two-tenths.” 

Shwartzman was competing in Hyperpole for the primary time after fellow Ferrari manufacturing unit driver Yifei Ye took on qualifying duties within the WEC’s Qatar season-opener.

He informed Autosport that he was happy to make the entrance row given his inexperience.

“Actually solely the final lap was a good one, nevertheless it was not adequate for pole,” stated Shwartzman. “For my first quali, I believe the entrance row is sort of good. 

“Antonio did a extremely good clear lap, however i didn’t handle to try this. That’s the distinction between P1 and P2. 

#50 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, Nicklas Nielsen

#50 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, Nicklas Nielsen

Picture by: JEP / Motorsport Images

“He has the expertise of how this automotive behaves on new tyres after doing all of the qualifying final 12 months, so he has fairly an enormous benefit in that sense. 

“So for him, it was a lot simpler, however I consider I can enhance that.”

Pier Guidi stated he had “struggled a bit” on the push lap however reckons “in race tempo, we’re nonetheless sturdy, we’re stronger I believe”. 

“I’m assured for tomorrow, P3 is an efficient beginning place,” he added.

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