Derani: Season ‘Inconsistencies’ Led to GTP Title Showdown

Photo: Rick Dole/IMSA

Pipo Derani believes the season-long ‘inconsistencies’ from IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTP teams has led to the ultra-close title race that will culminate at this weekend’s Motul Petit Le Mans.

The Brazilian and Action Express Racing co-driver Alexander Sims head into Saturday’s title decider at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with a scant three-point lead over Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport’s Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque, with the Porsche Penske Motorsport pairing of Nick Tandy and Mathieu Jaminet just two points further behind.

BMW M Team RLL’s Connor De Phillippi and Nick Yelloly also remain in contention, just 38 points behind the Cadillac duo, meaning that all four GTP class manufacturers have a car in the fight for the title in the first season of the LMDh formula.

“It has been a crazy season for everyone,” Derani said. “Quite honestly, it’s inconsistency that has led to every one of us being within five points of each other.

“I think IMSA and the fans couldn’t have asked for more in this new era of GTP racing. I think everyone feels like they’ve left quite a lot on the table at times.

“We won a race that maybe we shouldn’t have won, but we gave up two or three other possible race wins with mistakes and errors.

“The other cars could potentially say the same thing, which is amazing because we know the level of the championship, we know the level of the teams and manufacturers.

“So, to think that we come to the last race within five points of each other is incredible.

“To have the four manufacturers fighting for the championship in the first year of GTP is fantastic.”

For Derani and Taylor, it’s a bit of deja-vu, as the two drivers have been in final-race battles for the DPi championships in recent years, but never a four-way fight for the title.

“It couldn’t be more dramatic in terms of the championship,” said Taylor.

“It’s refreshing to be entering with so many cars going for it instead of just watching one [other] car and focusing on them and what we have to do to beat that car.

“The approach is just go at this race and try to win the race. Whoever wins is most likely going to win the championship.

“All four cars that are mathematically in the hunt are extremely strong. The 6 car seems to show pace at night when it gets cooler [like] at Sebring and they have a lot of testing at Road Atlanta.

“The 31 is always really strong in endurance races and the BMW has shown consistency all year and some pace here and there as well.

“I think it’s going to come down to a nice, old-fashioned just go-for-the-race win.”

The No. 6 Porsche 963 of Jaminet and Tandy, who are joined by Laurens Vanthoor this weekend, enter the race with momentum on their side, having won last time out at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“We’re having a pretty good roll in the last events,” Jaminet said. “The 7 car has shown some great pace the last two rounds. We came back on car No. 6 and the team seems to finally operate extremely well right now.

“Strategy has been less critical in the last two events but we seem to be making the right calls and have definitely improved the pace of our car throughout all of the testing we’ve done in the last couple of weeks.”

While Action Express and WTR Andretti enter Petit Le Mans as single-car teams, Jaminet noted Porsche Penske’s potential advantage as a two-car WeatherTech Championship operation.

“We’re also happy and lucky to be a four-car team,” the Frenchman said when factoring in its parallel FIA World Endurance Championship program.

“If you look at the big picture, I think the team also running in WEC has really helped us to continue to develop the car in terms of setups and software in the background that people don’t really see.

“There’s always a lot of things happening on the car and with all of the people back in Weissach, which always try to find improvements and bring updates.

“It’s been going well in the last couple of months for the team and for sure we arrive in a good position going into Petit.

“With BMW, we’re the only team having two cars. That could maybe help us, to have the sister car in there and fighting also up front.”

Derani, meanwhile, said the approach is simple heading into the ten-hour enduro.

“It’s going to be interesting for everyone, but obviously it’s going to be a dogfight at the end,” he said. “Being so close it only means that you have to be ahead. There’s no playing games. There’s no math.

“It’s very simple. You have to be ahead. It’s going to be an eye-catcher and will attract many fans because not only do we have a fight for the championship, but we have four cars fighting for the championship.

“That alone is going to be epic.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John