As the summer break starts, the first bombshell news has arrived. Carlos Sainz has signed with Williams for a multi-year deal. How has this happened and what are the details, read it all in this report from DRC.
Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz is to join Williams next season on a “multi-year” contract
Ever since the surprise early announcement of signing of Lewis Hamilton with Ferrari, Sainz has been the center of attraction in the Driver’s market. Initially, he had various options to look at which included RedBull Racing, Mercedes, Aston Martin, Alpine, Haas, Sauber/Audi, and Williams. But as the season progressed, there was no confirmation from Sainz. His hopes of joining another top team from Ferrari were stymied with RedBull renewing Perez’s contract and Mercedes eyeing Formula 2 talent Kimi Antonelli.
Sergio Perez signed a contract with Redbull Racing; credits-F1
Alpine’s effort to woo Sainz in vain
Alpine had been pursuing Sainz hard to rejoin the Enstone outfit with Esteban Ocon leaving the team. The new executive director, Flavio Briatore, did everything he could to entice the Spaniard back to Enstone, even hinting at the possibility of securing a Mercedes engine deal. However, Alpine has also faced performance challenges this year and has undergone significant upheaval, with almost all senior staff leaving the team. The most recent change occurred this weekend, with the announcement that Bruno Famin would step down as Team Principal to focus on non-F1-related activities.
Alpine have announced Team Principal Bruno Famin will leave his current role by the end of August#F1pic.twitter.com/joAKAqLg9H
It was strongly predicted that Carlos Sainz would join the Sauber F1 Team, which was set to become the Audi Works F1 Team. This move seemed promising, with Sainz leading the team alongside Nico Hulkenburg as his teammate. However, recent changes within the team’s internal administration, including the departure of Andreas Seidl and Oliver Hoffmann, hint at a potential lack of involvement and instability from the Audi Group in the project. Additionally, the appointment of former Ferrari Team Principal, Mattia Binnoto, as the new Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technical Officer adds another layer of change within the team.
Sainz had to choose between three teams: Williams and Alpine, which are currently in the midfield, and Sauber, which is at the very back. He chose Williams as the team most likely to make progress in the coming years, even over Audi, which had made him their main target to lead their team.
“However, I am fully confident that Williams is the right place for me to continue my F1 journey and I am extremely proud of joining such a historic and successful team, where many of my childhood heroes drove in the past and made their mark on our sport. The ultimate goal of bringing Williams back to where it belongs, at the front of the grid, is a challenge that I embrace with excitement and positivity.”-Sainz
Team principal James Vowles, who joined from Mercedes at the start of last season charged with turning the team into front-runners, said:
“Carlos joining Williams is a strong statement of intent from both parties. Carlos has demonstrated time and again that he is one of the most talented drivers on the grid, with a race-winning pedigree, and this underlines the upward trajectory we are on.”
Sainz has bided his time until all the drama unfolded and has now committed to a steadily improving Williams under the leadership of James Vowles. He hopes to restore the team to its former glory.
He will become just the third driver in F1 history to race for Ferrari, McLaren, and Williams, joining Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell.
Sargeant leaves Williams Racing
Sainz’s confirmation to join the Grove outfit also signifies that Logan Sargeant will be leaving the Williams seat for next year.
Logan Sargeant; credits-Williams Racing
The team stated that they “will provide Logan with full support as he seeks to pursue his racing career for 2025 and beyond.”
Vowles added:
“I also want to thank Logan for everything he has done for the team and know he will continue to fight hard for us in the races ahead.”
The presence of Alex and Carlos will establish one of the most experienced driver line-ups on the grid, and will serve as a guide during the transition to the new regulations in 2026. Their determination and forward momentum will persist as they strive to reclaim competitiveness. With the backing of Dorilton, they are resolutely poised to reassert themselves at the forefront of the grid.
BARCELONA, SPAIN - JUNE 23: Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on June 23, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202406230280 // Usage for editorial use only //
The 2024 Spanish Grand Prix held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was a thriller. A race of exceptional driving, strategic brilliance, and intense competition among the top three teams. Still, it was Max Verstappen who emerged victorious for Red Bull Racing.
Practice
The three practice sessions were all closely contested. Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz were the only 2 drivers to be in the top 3 of all the 3 Practice sessions.
During the first practice session, the weather was dry, unlike the mixed conditions in Canada during the last round. Oliver Bearman drove Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas as part of his planned six practice appearances with the team in 2024. Some teams used the session to test their upgrades for the weekend, including VCARB.
VCARB will bring the biggest upgrade of the year to Barcelona this weekend. The upgrade package will include a new underbody, new fairing parts, a new rear wing, and modified sidepods.
The session was briefly red-flagged to clear debris from Alonso’s car before the action resumed. Norris ended the session on top with a time of 1m 14.228s in the McLaren, 0.024s faster than Verstappen in second place, even though the latter experienced clutch issues. Sainz put his Ferrari in third place.
During the second practice session later that day, Logan Sargent had a close moment and managed to save his Williams after losing the rear. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen reported that his RB20 was experiencing understeer mid-corner, stating: “This car doesn’t bite.” Lewis Hamilton held the top spot with a lap time of 1m 13.264s. Sainz stayed in P2, with Norris taking P3 in the McLaren. Pierre Gasly was a shocking P4 for Alpine, putting him ahead of Verstappen in P5.
After a closely contested FP2, it was time for the final practice session before qualifying. The drivers tested their one-lap pace in preparation for the battle for pole position. Carlos Sainz topped the times with an impressive 1m 13.013s, closely followed by Lando Norris with 1m 13.043s and Charles Leclerc with 1m 13.050s.
During the sessions, both Charles Leclerc and Lance Stroll of Aston Martin were found to have impeded Norris and Hamilton in separate incidents. They both cut across Norris and Hamilton, resulting in contact in both cases. As a result, both Leclerc and Stroll were reprimanded for “erratic driving”.
The mixed results of the practice sessions left us puzzled about the grid order for the race as it was quite unclear who had the better car. Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session was crucial, with 30 of the 33 Grand Prix winners at the Barcelona circuit having started from the front row of the grid.
The heavily upgraded VCARB failed to impress as both cars were out in Q1, with Yuki leading Daniel in 17th and 18th place. Williams too had a tough outing with the team locking out the front row. Albon was a comfortable 4 tenths clear of his teammate. He would later start the race from the pit lane due to a change in the power unit. With rumors of Logan being replaced for next year, performances like these don’t help his case. Kevin Magnussen failed to reach Q2 as well, his first Q1 elimination since Imola.
No shocking eliminations in Q2 this time around with Both Aston Martins, Saubers, and the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg failing to reach Q3.
Alpine had the best qualifying of the season, with both cars making it to Q3. However, it was Lando Norris who put in a perfect lap to secure pole position at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. A final lap time of 1m 11.383s for Norris, narrowly beating Max Verstappen. It was the Brit’s second pole position, the first since 2021 at the Russian Grand Prix. Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell took P3 and P4 respectively, showing strong performance. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz locked the third row for Ferrari. Sergio Perez finished eighth but will drop three places due to a grid penalty from Canada, promoting Esteban Ocon and Oscar Piastri.
It was evident that the Redbulls were not the outright fastest car going into the weekend with close competition from the McLarens and Ferraris. Mercedes surprisingly was quick and was expecting to have a podium finish.
When it was lights out, Lando Norris got a poor getaway resulting in losing the start to Verstappen, it was Russell who made up the best of the situation with a slipstream from the pair ahead to take the lead of the Grand Prix with brave around the outside of turn 1. The Aston Martin of Alonso, starting in 11th position, dropped back after seemingly being tagged from behind. He was forced to take to the escape road at Turn 1, which left him in 14th place.
However, despite Russell’s mega start, his lead of the race wouldn’t last long as Verstappen overtook him on the outside of Turn 1 on the third lap. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz also overtook his teammate Charles Leclerc at the same turn, with the two Ferraris appearing to touch as Sainz used the escape road. Despite this, he successfully moved up to P5. The stewards briefly reviewed whether he had left the track and gained an advantage but decided no further investigation was necessary. But both teammates were unhappy about the incident and they complained over the radio.
On Lap 13, began the first wave of pitstops with Perez pitting on what would be the first of his 3-stop strategy, while Gasly had a slow stop of 6.7s ruing his race start efforts, George Russell dived to the pits on lap 15 but avoided a close coming together in the pits with Carlos Sainz by staying ahead of him by mere inches. Soon Verstappen reacted to him by pitting on lap 17 with an error-free pitstop of 1.9s, while Norris decided to stay out taking the lead and looking to extend this advantage.
During Lap 18 of the Grand Prix, Hamilton found himself in an intense battle for sixth position with Sainz. With the help of DRS, Hamilton made a move going into Turn 1 of the next lap, resulting in the two cars touching. Sainz expressed his frustration over the radio, claiming that Hamilton ran him off the track and insisting that Hamilton needed to let him pass. Despite Sainz’s complaints, no further investigation was conducted regarding their collision.
Norris finally came into the pits to change his soft tires. He re-entered the race behind Russell and was determined to quickly pass him to catch up to race leader Verstappen. On lap 34, Norris was able to close the gap on the Mercedes using the DRS on the main straight, leading to an intense side-by-side battle between turns 3 and 7. Norris demonstrated excellent racecraft and utilized his tire advantage to successfully overtake Russell.
With 20 laps to go, Hamilton was putting pressure on Sainz for sixth place. He managed to overtake Sainz into Turn 1, and Norris was then instructed to pit on the next lap. However, Norris’s 3.6-second pit stop cost him valuable time, allowing Verstappen to regain the lead, with Norris staying ahead of Russell in second place. Meanwhile, in 11th place, Hulkenberg’s chances of moving into the points were harmed when he received a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane. Gasly and Ocon in the Alpines were holding onto ninth and 10th place, raising hopes for a double-point finish for the team. Tsunoda, who was in last place, also received a five-second penalty for the same pit lane speeding offense as Hulkenberg.
Lower down the order, 11th-placed Hulkenberg’s hopes of breaking into the points-paying positions suffered a blow as he was handed a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane – the Alpines of Gasly and Ocon currently holding onto ninth and 10th as the team’s hopes for another double points finish continued to grow. Tsunoda, running in a lowly last place, was also hit with a five-second penalty of his own for the same offense as Hulkenberg.
In the final stages of the Grand Prix, Norris was the fastest driver on the track, closing in on Verstappen’s lead, which was around 6.6 seconds. Max was forced to push hard to maintain his lead as Norris narrowed the gap. However, with only a few laps left, Norris was running out of time to secure his second career win. By Lap 65, the gap had decreased to just 2.3 seconds. Despite Norris’s efforts, Verstappen was able to hold him off and win by just a 2.219-second margin, to the disappointment of Norris and the crowd, who had hoped for a last-lap battle for the win.
Norris was visibly frustrated as he crossed the finish line. He admitted over his radio that messing up the start had cost him a chance of victory today. However, Verstappen celebrated his 106th podium finish, placing him tied for fourth on the all-time list with legends Alain Prost and Fernando Alonso. Lewis Hamilton returned to the podium, making it his 18th continuous season with a podium finish.
Another interesting story was lower down the order with both Alpines finishing in points at 9th and 10th for the first time this season after they had the worst start to the season, this shows that the team is heading in the right direction, and also coinciding with the return of former Renault team principal Flavio Briatore to team as an executive advisor.
Championship Standings after the race:
Verstappen extends his championship lead on top while Norris jumps Leclerc to move into P2.
Top 10 in the Drivers’ Championship after Spanish GP (Image: F1)
In the team’s standing Red Bull Racing remains on top, while Alpine jump Haas thanks to their double points finish.
Up Next
All eyes turn to the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix at the iconic Red Bull Ring at Spielberg. After facing challenges in the previous race, Red Bull Racing will be eager to reclaim its former dominance, while Mclaren will be looking to push for wins. With the championship battle heating up, fans can expect an exhilarating weekend of racing action as the teams and drivers vie for glory on Austrian soil.
Ferrari Driver Charles Leclerc broke his winless streak at the Monaco Grand Prix with his last win being the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix.
Leclerc became the first Monégasque driver since Louis Chiron in 1931 to win his home Grand Prix, and the first Monégasque driver to win the Monaco Grand Prix as a Formula One World Championship event.
Free Practice
During the three Free Practice sessions, the team that looked very promising was Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton finishing in the top 3 in all practice sessions. Evidently, the Red Bulls were lacking pace, opening up opportunities for other teams like Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes.
In the opening free practice session for the Monaco Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton set the pace for Mercedes, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri close behind, followed by Hamilton’s teammate George Russell. The session saw a brief interruption due to debris on Turn 1, caused by Zhou Guanyu’s Sauber making contact with the wall.
Later in the day, Charles Leclerc impressed for Ferrari in the second free practice session, with Hamilton and Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin trailing behind.
In the third practice session, Leclerc continued to dominate, leading the timesheets once again, followed by Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing and Hamilton. However, the session was halted when Valtteri Bottas’s Sauber collided with the wall at the swimming pool section, resulting in suspension damage for the Finn and a red flag.
Qualifying
Charles Leclerc took his 24th pole position and Ferrari’s 250th pole position on Saturday with a time of 1:10.270, ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and teammate Carlos Sainz.
Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez faced a tough setback in qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix as they were both eliminated in Q1. Alonso would start from 14th on the grid, while Perez would line up in 16th position.
In the following session, Q2, the 2018 race winner Daniel Ricciardo suffered a disappointing exit, along with both Haas drivers. However, the Haas duo faced additional drama as they were disqualified from the session due to a technical infringement related to their DRS systems. Despite this setback, they were granted permission by the race director to take the grid, starting from the 19th and 20th. Yuki Tsunoda’s impressive form persisted as he secured a spot in Q3 for yet another race, making his 6th Q3 appearance of the season. Pierre Gasly for Alpine and Alex Albon for Williams joined him in the final qualifying session, marking a notable achievement for both teams.
As Q3 unfolded, Charles Leclerc emerged as the frontrunner for the pole position, showcasing an impressive pace throughout the session. Meanwhile, championship leader Max Verstappen faced challenges with his car, describing it as slippery and struggling to find the optimal grip.
However, as the session reached its climax, a pivotal moment occurred when Verstappen brushed the wall at the exit of Turn 1, forcing him to abandon his flying lap. With Verstappen out of contention, the battle for pole intensified between Ferrari and McLaren.
In the end, it was Charles Leclerc who clinched pole position with a commanding final sector, asserting Ferrari’s dominance. Behind him, Oscar Piastri of McLaren secured a strong position on the grid, setting the stage for an exciting race between the two powerhouse teams.
Race
The start of the Monaco Grand Prix encountered an early setback as a dramatic crash on lap 1 involving Sergio Pérez, Nico Hülkenberg, and Kevin Magnussen led to a red flag situation. The collision resulted in all three drivers retiring and caused significant damage to the barriers, scattering debris across the initial corners of the track.
Adding to the chaos, as the Alpines navigated the Portier section, Esteban Ocon inadvertently squeezed Pierre Gasly’s path, causing Ocon’s car to launch upward. Ocon, acknowledging his role in the incident, retired during the red flag period. Amidst the unfolding drama, Carlos Sainz encountered a moment of turmoil as he ran wide following contact with a McLaren. However, the red flag provided a lifeline as he was able to restart from his initial grid position.
During the red flag phase, most drivers changed their tyres, fulfilling the requirement to use at least two different tyre compounds during a race. This strategic move gave them a free pit stop. Given that Monaco is a circuit that is not too hard on the tyres, this change means they likely won’t need to pit again for fresh rubber, allowing them to maintain their positions more effectively.
The second restart saw a more cautious approach from all drivers, with Charles Leclerc leading the pack closely pursued by Oscar Piastri. Further down the field, Sainz and Norris engaged in a tight battle for position.
As the race progressed, Aston Martin adopted a similar strategy to Haas from previous races. Fernando Alonso played a pivotal role in backing up the pack to create a gap behind his teammate Lance Stroll. However, the plan backfired when Stroll suffered a puncture on his new soft tyre.
Monaco has been infamous lately for its lack of overtakes, and the 2024 race didn’t help the venue’s case. The race saw very few overtakes, courtesy of Valtteri Bottas, Lance Stroll, and Logan Sargent at the back of the field.
At the end of the 78 laps, Charles Leclerc clinched victory at his home Grand Prix, delighting the Tifosi and his home crowd with a spectacular performance. It was an emotional win for Leclerc, securing the top step of the podium in front of his adoring fans. Oscar Piastri also made a mark, securing a podium finish at Monaco in only his second Formula 1 season, a remarkable achievement for the young driver. Completing the Ferrari dominance, Carlos Sainz crossed the line to secure a Ferrari 1-3 podium finish, capping off a fantastic day for the Italian team.
As the Formula 1 season progresses, all eyes turn to the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix at the iconic Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. After facing challenges in the previous race, Red Bull Racing will be eager to reclaim its former dominance. With the championship battle heating up, fans can expect an exhilarating weekend of racing action as the teams and drivers vie for glory on Canadian soil.
The crown jewel of Formula One, the Monaco Grand Prix, is just around the corner, ready to weave its magic on the streets of Monte Carlo on Sunday, May 26th, 2024. This legendary race, known for its tight corners, lavish atmosphere, and yacht-filled harbor, promises another thrilling weekend.
The competition on the grid appears to be closer than ever this season, particularly following Lando Norris’s first win in Miami and his narrow miss in Imola, finishing just 0.725 seconds behind the leader, Max Verstappen.
The Track
Circuit de Monaco
The 3.337 km Circuit de Monaco is an iconic street circuit located in the principality of Monaco, known for hosting the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix. Renowned for its narrow streets, tight corners, and elevation changes, the circuit winds through the glamorous Monte Carlo district, making it one of the world’s most challenging and prestigious racing circuits.
Due to the narrow and tight nature of the circuit, along with wider new-gen cars, overtaking is very difficult here, so grid spot is crucial. Therefore, teams and drivers try to maximize their performance in qualifying.
The driver and car must work hard and in precise synchronization, as the margin for error here is almost zero. The cars also experience very aggressive steering inputs and nearly 3600 gearshifts in the race.
What to expect?
Charles Leclerc chasing Max Verstappen
In recent races, it’s become clear that both Ferrari and McLaren have narrowed the gap to the dominant Red Bull. This sets the stage for an exciting six-way battle for pole position among Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren drivers. Last year’s qualifying session featured a close competition between Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen, with Verstappen clinching the pole position with a strong final sector, showcasing his speed at this circuit.
Max Verstappen matched Ayrton Senna’s record of 7 consecutive pole positions, which Verstappen may break this weekend, making him the new record holder with 8 poles in a row.
The home hero Charles Lecrlerc will be looking forward to winning the race and ending his bad luck at this venue and Leclerc hasn’t won a race since the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix.
With the recent upgrades, McLaren seems to have a slight advantage over Ferrari. If Oscar Piastri can take the pole his chances of winning his first F1 race are pretty high. Aston Martin will aim to improve their midfield position after losing many points to Mercedes in the last race, with Alonso finishing a disappointing 19th.
Senna tribute continues
In Imola, Ex F1 driver Sebastian Vettel invited all the drivers to pay tribute to the legends of the sport Ayrton Senna and Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger who lost their lives at Imola during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
This weekend McLaren decided to use a special Senna tribute livery on their car in Brazillian colours at the track where Senna was very successful.
Weather Forecast
As it stands, there is a threat of showers affecting the track on Friday and Saturday, potentially causing some drama in qualifying. However, conditions are expected to be pleasant and sunny for the race.
Weekend schedule
All the sessions are available to watch live on F1TV and Fancode in India. The detailed schedule in IST can be found below:
Three practice sessions are scheduled before the race starts on Sunday. With two practice sessions on Friday, and one on Saturday. The sessions on Friday took place in the afternoon and evening and lasted for 90 minutes each. The final session on Saturday morning lasted for 60 minutes.
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During the practice sessions, the Ferraris performed exceptionally well in the Hypercar class. They dominated all of the sessions and looked very strong to take the pole position. In the LMGT3 class, the pace of the cars was very close to each other, making it an interesting competition to watch.
Qualifying
As expected, all Ferrari Hypercars were contenders for the top spots at their home race. They achieved a dominant 1-2-3 finish in front of their home crowd, with No.50 Ferrari taking the pole position with a time of 1.29.466. The AF Corse No.83 and No.51 Ferrari followed closely behind. However, the Peugeots had a disappointing qualifying session, with both cars qualifying in 14th and 15th positions, respectively, and lagging about 1.5 seconds off the pace. This weekend marked their new Hypercar debut.
The Top 10 from Hypercar Qualifying
In the LMGT3 class, the Porsche of MantheyPureRxcing secured pole position with an impressive time of 1:42.365. They were almost seven-tenths of a second ahead of the second-place Aston Martin of Heart of Racing, with the BMWs of Team WRT taking the third and fourth spots. Valentino Rossi set to start the race from third position in the GT cars class.
Top 10 from GT3 in Qualifying
Race
Race
The 2024 WEC 6 Hours of Imola delivered a dramatic and action-packed race, solidifying its place as a highlight of the endurance championship. Here’s a look back at the key moments:
Toyota Gazoo Racing Reigns Supreme: The No.7 GR010 Hybrid, driven by the trio of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and Nyck de Vries, emerged victorious after a strategic masterclass. Their flawless driving and intelligent pit stops under changing weather conditions proved decisive marking their first win of the season.
Early Race Chaos: A multi-car collision at the start sent shockwaves through the field. The No.11 Issota made contact with the Alpine ahead which hit the BMW, and was among those affected, several GT3 cars were also involved in the incident which hampered BMW’s race as they suffered from damage having to pit for repairs.
Dramatic Weather Shifts and Ferrari’s Strategic Mistake: The Ferrari were leading a 1-2 but as the race progressed they battled each other allowing the Porsche behind to close in. The race saw a turning point with a shift to wet tires. Toyota’s gamble on switching early paid off handsomely when Ferrari decided to stay out and wait longer hoping that rain wouldn’t last long but were proven wrong, allowing Toyota to build a significant lead as rivals struggled on slicks. This mistake put the Ferraris out of contention for the podium and cost them in the championship in front of their home crowd.
Porsche Pushes Hard: Though ultimately falling short, Porsche provided fierce competition. The No.7 Toyota car, driven by Kamui Kobayashi was under pressure the in final stints. With Kevin Estre having to navigate through the traffic, he failed to overtake the Toyota on old tires.
LMGT3 Battles: While the Hypercars stole the show, the LMGT3 category provided its share of thrilling battles. The Lexus RC F GT3 and the No.77 D Station Racing Aston Martin fiercely fought for class supremacy. The BMWs took an impressive 1-2 finish with a huge lead scoring their first Podium of the season capitalizing on the weather change and outsmarting their rival’s strategy.
Hypercar race resultLMGT3 race result
Championship Standings
Hypercar World Endurance Drivers’ ChampionshipHypercar World Endurance Manufacturers’ Championship
The 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship heads to the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps for the 2024 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps from May 9-11, this weekend will be crucial because this track is set to reveal the true performance of the cars ahead of the 24 hours of LeMans.
The FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) is set for a thrilling weekend at the iconic Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, Italy. This marks a historic moment as the series makes its debut at this legendary circuit for the 6 Hours of Imola, taking place April 19th-21st, 2024.
A New Stage for Endurance Racing
While Imola boasts a rich motorsport history, it hasn’t hosted a WEC round before. However, endurance racing fans will be familiar with the track, as it held the 1000 km of Imola in 1974 and more recently, rounds of the European Le Mans Series.
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This fresh venue promises a unique challenge for the 37-car field, featuring 19 Hypercars from top manufacturers like Toyota, Peugeot (debuting their radical new 9X8 car), Alpine, and Ferrari. An 18-car-strong LMGT3 class will add to the on-track excitement.
The Track:
Last time out in Qatar, Porsche took its first WEC victory with the 963, dominating the race and battling with Peugeot for much of the 10 hours, until the 93 Peugeot 9X8 ran out of fuel on the final lap of the race, surrendering second.
Imola, though, is a very different track to Qatar’s Losail International Circuit. Where Losail had many high-speed corners, Imola has lower-speed corners and is significantly narrower than the much newer Qatar circuit.
Imola also has significant elevation change in the track layout, whereas Losail is flat with little gradient. Imola is bumpy, too, with big kerbs lining the track and relatively small run-offs—by modern standards, with the track surface lined by grass and gravel.
Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari
Balance of Performance(BOP):
The World Endurance Championship (WEC) has announced changes to the Balance of Performance (BoP) regulations for the upcoming 6 Hours of Imola. These changes aim to tighten up the competition after Porsche and Peugeot dominated the previous round.
Big Winners: Ferrari and Toyota are the biggest beneficiaries. Ferrari’s Le Mans Hypercars (LMHs) will be 34 kilograms lighter and gain 9 kW power, while Toyota’s LMHs shed 29 kilograms and get a 6 kW power boost.
Peugeot Unchanged: The new Peugeot 9X8 2024 will race 31 kg heavier than the 1061 kg versus the 2023 car as it loses 10 kW. That is in line with its change from an unusual ground effect setup to a more regular winged configurationThe Peugeot will also now deploy its electric front axle hybrid system at the same 190 km/h as its LMH. Rivals and run the standard staggered wheel sizes, rather than four smaller tires.
Everyone Gets a Boost: Other manufacturers also see improvements. Alpine, Isotta Fraschini, and BMW all see weight reductions, while Porsche loses some weight but gains a slight power increase.
Cadillac Gets Mixed Bag: The sole Cadillac gets the smallest weight reduction but receives the biggest power increase of 18 kW.
This BoP update is sure to shake things up at Imola. With lighter and more powerful cars for Ferrari and Toyota, the battle for podium positions is likely to be much tighter than the previous race.
What to expect?
Porsche Penske Motorsport had a dream run at the opening round in Qatar. Their #6 car cruised to victory, while their #5 car secured pole position and finished a strong third. The privateer Porsche team, Hertz Team JOTA, stole the show with a stunning second-place finish, just over a second ahead of the factory #5 Porsche. All eyes will be on them so see if they can carry that advantage to Imola. Porsche, quickest all week in Qatar, may struggle more at Imola, as the 963 prefers a smoother track surface. So their performance might be interesting to watch
Ferrari AF Corse struggled in the Qatar 1812km race, unlike Porsche. The Le Mans-winning factory cars finished 6th and 12th, while the privateer #83 Ferrari 499P came in 4th due to multiple setbacks. The team will be eager to perform well at their upcoming home race held at a track named after their founder, just 90km south of their base in Maranello.
Car #51 driver Antonio Giovinazzisaid “After the 1812 km in Qatar, an unlucky race for us, we come to Imola aiming for a positive result to celebrate with our fans. Climbing the podium in front of what I expect will be a large crowd would represent a significant achievement.”
In the LMGT3 category, BMW did not face any issues. The #46 BMW M4 LMGT3 car finished fourth, following the Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 of Mathay PureRxing and the two Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3 cars of Heart Of Racing Team and D’Station Racing. Even though there are Hypercar teams with home advantage, BMW and their star driver, Valentino Rossi, born less than two hours drive away from Imola, might receive the loudest cheers. After an impressive run in Qatar, BMW is aiming for the podium.
Championship Standings
Hypercar World Endurance Manufacturers’ ChampionshipLMGT3 Championship
Kush Maini achieved back-to-back podium finishes at the Sprint races at Albert Park after a podium at the Saudi Arabia GP the previous Race weekend. Meanwhile, the young French driver Isack Hadjar demonstrated exceptional pace throughout the weekend by winning both the Sprint and Feature races on the track. Unfortunately, a penalty in the Sprint race resulted in him dropping to sixth place, allowing Maini to secure the podium spot.
Practice
Isack Hadjar was desperate to get his season kicked in after a disastrous start to the season with 3 DNFs in a row. Championship leader Zain Maloney was set to extend his points advantage whereas Kush Maini looked confident after big points in Jeddah finishing P2.
During Practice at Melbourne, MP Motorsport’s Dennis Hauger recorded the fastest lap time of 1:29.654. Isack Hadjar from Campos Racing followed closely in P2, just 0.001 seconds behind the leader. Prema Racing’s Andrea Kimi Antonelli took the third position, leading the charge for his team. While Maini manging a solid P6.
Qualifying
With two Red Flags, a long qualifying session ended with Dennis Hauger taking pole position in Melbourne for the Feature race after topping the session with a time of 1:28.694 closely followed by Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Richard Verschoor, and Kush Maini rounding up the top four. 10th fastest time for Roman Staněk meant he started the sprint race in the pole position
Sprint Race
During the race, Hadjar took the lead after a slow start, but he accidentally hit his teammate Josep María Martí while trying to pass pole-sitter Stanek. This caused Martí to collide with Gabriel Bortoleto, and both drivers were out of the race. As a result, the Safety Car was called on the opening lap.
On lap 10, Andrea Kimi Antonelli spun out, causing Richard Verschoor also to spin and Paul Aron to sustain front wing damage. Both Antonelli and Verschoor were out of the race, and the Safety Car was called once again.
On lap 15, Hadjar managed to pass Stanek once again and established a comfortable lead. He then set the fastest lap with seven laps to go and secured a three-second lead over the Trident driver, who was defending well from Maini.
On the penultimate lap, Hauger managed to overtake Maini, around the outside of the at Turn 9 to take third place. Maini followed in fourth ahead of Colapinto. But Hadjar was given a post-race penalty for his Lap 1 incident which made Roman Staněk the winner with Kush Maini promoted to the podium.
Feature Race
Dennis Hauger had a great start and managed to take the lead, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli following closely behind. Later in the first lap, Antonelli attempted to pass Hauger on the inside at Turn 11, which allowed him to take P1 for a short time. However, Hauger responded on the next lap and retook the lead at Turn 9 using the DRS.
There was a short virtual Safety Car on Lap 7 to remove Joshua Duerksen’s car from the track. Once racing resumed, Maini, who had chosen to start the race on medium tires, quickly gained ground with his better tire condition. He managed to take the lead from Hauger on Lap 9, thanks to the use of DRS. Maini was on an alternate strategy compared to the other drivers, and it seemed to work very well for him, as he was able to put in some fast lap times. He appeared to be on the best strategy to win the race.
But on Lap 11 polesitter Dennis Hauger crashed out and brought the out safety car which was a disaster for Maini as his lead over the pack disappeared however the Invicta racing team decided not to bring him into the pits retaining track position as the team principal commented safety car killed their strategy. Maini finally pitted for soft tires with 2 laps to go and finished a disappointing 12th place against what could have been a race win.
“Finally a race winner of a Formula 2 Feature Race. It feels great to do it here in Melbourne especially, it’s such an amazing track. Really happy and see you in Imola!”
-Isack Hadjar
“Obviously I am always thinking, the better result I get, the more points I get. We are all fighting for a Championship. It is early, there are a lot of rounds to go. It is not in my mind exactly but you know the better result, the more points so you are aiming to improve every race and get the most out of it. We did that today and hopefully, we can do that tomorrow.”
– Dennis Hauger after Sprint race.
“For sure, yesterday should have been a podium. From my side, I made a big mistake which lost me lots of places. Happy to be back on, bit of a chaotic race. For sure the pace has been good all year so far. I think we have proved that in each round. It is cool to have a clean Feature Race”
-Zane Maloney
Up Next
Formula 2 heads to Imola, Italy next for Round 4 from 18-19 May. Keep an eye on our channels for a detailed schedule in IST. You can catch all the F2 action live in India on F1TV Pro or Fancode’s Annual Subscription.
