Why Imola might carry “extra chaos” to the WEC

Following a season-opening race in Qatar that ran with out interruption from security vehicles, there may be widespread expectation that Imola’s tight and undulating nature might conspire to provide incidents that the open, flowing nature of the Losail Worldwide Circuit helped negate.

Imola, which has changed Monza because the host of Italy’s WEC spherical for 2024 on what is anticipated to be a one-off foundation throughout renovation works on the dwelling of the Italian Grand Prix, options tall kerbs that GT3 vehicles can assault aggressively, whereas the Hypercars are suggested to make use of extra warning.

This issue, and the significance afforded to mechanical grip reasonably than aerodynamics due to Imola’s greater proportion of sluggish corners than in Qatar, means cornering speeds are extra evenly matched between the 2 courses than typical. Overtaking will probably be tough, and the comparatively slender observe and grass/gravel beds lining its perimeter will punish any passing makes an attempt not executed appropriately.

WRT BMW driver Rene Rast instructed Motorsport.com: “Qatar is loads wider, there’s extra run-off. If one thing goes unsuitable, we have now run-off, right here you solely have gravel.

“All people must be conscious, the GT but in addition the Hypercars, we have now to respect one another. For certain it’s going to be tight and we’ll see most likely a bit extra contact than in Qatar.”

Toyota driver Nyck de Vries defined that he was “fairly amazed at how aggressive the racing was” in Qatar and recommended that threat administration can be essential on Imola’s tight confines, not least as a result of there’s a excessive likelihood of rain for the race.

“That is virtually the alternative of what you will have versus Qatar – that was very high-speed, very flat, lengthy observe, a variety of house,” the Dutchman instructed Motorsport.com.

“Despite the fact that the character of that format didn’t make overtaking essentially simple, right here there isn’t any house and there’s a lot of kerb utilization which is totally different than Qatar.

“It’s essential to be affected person and to complete, as a result of I do count on that we are going to have fairly an eventful race. Probably the climate is taking part in into that as nicely.”

Problem in passing

Projections that overtaking vehicles of comparable efficiency will probably be powerful at Imola could possibly be present in all corners of the paddock on Friday. Giuliano Salvi, Ferrari race and check workforce supervisor, provided up an astute comparability when describing the challenges of multi-class racing on the Emilia-Romagna observe, which most lately hosted multi-class sportscar racing sanctioned by the Vehicle Membership de l’Ouest as a part of the European Le Mans Sequence in 2022.

“I heard somebody calling it the Monaco of endurance, and I believe that could be a very exact definition,” he mentioned.

“It won’t be the observe with essentially the most overtakes within the calendar just because it’s fairly slender,” agreed Laurens Vanthoor, a part of Porsche’s Qatar-winning line-up. “Then once more, there’s not so many high-speed corners so that you don’t lose a lot aero.”

Gasoline consumption and tyre technique are key tenets of endurance racing that normally mitigate the importance of qualifying, because the minimal six-hour period of WEC racing usually permits groups that may eke the most effective efficiency out of their tyres over a double stint to make up for beginning out of place. However Salvi believes the combat to get into Saturday night’s Hyperpole session will tackle a particular significance in Imola, as these beginning close to the entrance will seemingly be gentler on their tools.

“It will likely be a really tense race, however not solely the race but in addition qualifying,” he added. “Qualifying will probably be crucial, to start out on the entrance will probably be actually essential.”

#46 Staff WRT BMW M4 LMGT3: Ahmad Al Harthy, Valentino Rossi, Maxime Martin

Photograph by: Emanuele Clivati | AG Photograph

This is applicable not solely to tyres, but in addition brakes.

“It’s one of many hardest tracks usually on brakes,” famous Lamborghini’s Mirko Bortolotti. “If you happen to can have a extra environment friendly brake part, holding your brakes alive for a very long time, perhaps that can be one thing that may [help] by means of the race run.”

The T-word

The place tyres have been a key buzzword in Qatar, visitors has taken up that mantle in Imola. Most anticipate that for the Hypercar race, the GT vehicles may have a key function to play in creating alternatives.

Bortolotti noticed: “You may get caught in a unsuitable spot or perhaps take a unsuitable resolution on passing a GT automobile, you find yourself on the unsuitable line and that may open up alternatives for overtakes.”

“Probably the most overtakes will probably be accomplished after visitors or in visitors,” mentioned Vanthoor. “GT visitors administration will play a really large function, additionally staying out of hassle in these circumstances.”

BMW driver Sheldon van der Linde anticipates that the congestion “goes to be very tough to navigate by means of”.

“If you happen to can keep out of hassle, keep out of the gravel, in the long run that’s the goal right here,” he instructed Motorsport.com.

#88 Proton Competitors Ford Mustang LMGT3: Giorgio Roda, Mikkel Pedersen, Dennis Olsen

Photograph by: Emanuele Clivati | AG Photograph

“If you may make it to the final two hours with none injury in your automobile, you deserve a trophy for that alone!”

“Typically it’s a must to take dangers,” mentioned Rast, “which typically is an excessive amount of and also you contact a GT automobile after which it spins off the observe or sticks within the gravel and there’s a full-course yellow. I count on extra digital security vehicles, we count on a bit extra chaos. It’s going to be difficult.”

Two-way road

This verdict is shared by GT3 drivers. TF Sport Corvette’s second observe pacesetter Charlie Eastwood identified that the stop-start nature of the circuit means shedding a place right into a nook and being held up by a Hypercar that’s unable to sort out the kerbs with the identical vigour will probably be significantly pricey. As such, compliance from the GT3 drivers can’t be assumed into the braking zones.

“If you happen to get on high of [traffic management] it’s price a lot extra lap time,” he instructed Motorsport.com. “It was as difficult as I anticipated [in practice]. A few occasions into the Flip 14-15 tight chicane [Variante Alta], I’d go to defend and so they’re making an attempt to ship it across the exterior on the brakes.

“The writing is on the wall that it’s going to be a super-tough race. And never just for the GTs, it’s most likely even tougher and extra time-consuming for the Hypercar, nevertheless it makes it truly very fascinating.”

“The braking factors for the GT3s and the Hypercars are pretty related,” mirrored Eastwood’s BMW rival Augusto Farfus.

“After all, the strategy velocity is way greater and it may be very tough for them. They may use us as a possibility to realize locations probably on their competitors and we are able to use them as nicely to realize locations on our competitors.

#51 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi

Photograph by: Paul Foster

“Particularly in these phases the place there will probably be a practice of Hypercars coming by, that’s the time the place they are going to need to be opportunistic in opposition to their very own competitors, this can be a time after we will be additionally opportunistic. Subsequently, the prospect for contact, the prospect for incidents will get greater.

“It’s not going to be a simple race right here, particularly for the observe format.”

Appropriate for WEC?

Opinions on the observe’s suitability for the WEC are combined. Talking previous to observe on Thursday, Peugeot driver Paul di Resta instructed Motorsport.com: “I don’t suppose it fits the present vehicles, the stability of delta between the 2 totally different courses will not be that large. I believe it’s too small.

“We must be on greater tracks like Spa, like Le Mans, like Qatar was. There’s most likely different tracks on the market that may have been higher.

“Possibly it is going to show me unsuitable on Sunday. However I simply suppose it’s unnecessarily tight for such a giant grid.”

However there may be loads of optimism too. Eastwood welcomed the brand new kerbs that he says “add much more character” to the observe, whereas Imola race debutant Alex Lynn was effusive in his reward too.

The Cadillac driver mentioned: “It is mint, I prefer it. It is good to be at a observe the place you’ll be able to really feel the presence of the followers, the tifosi. It is an amazing, old-school circuit. It will likely be powerful in visitors, however that simply provides a little bit of spice.”

#2 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Sequence.R: Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn

Photograph by: Paul Foster

“It’s good to have a little bit of a mixture, I believe we can’t go to the brand new period of parking heaps each weekend both,” reasoned Vanthoor. “That is one thing utterly totally different and really old-school, a unique strategy.

“In the long run it’s the identical situation for all of us. The one who will get out of that state of affairs finest may have the benefit.”