Practice
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.
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.
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.
Championship Standings
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.