Drivers Say Traffic Management Key to Imola Success

Drivers in both Hypercar and LMGT3 expect traffic management to play a key role in the 6 Hours of Imola, given the high numbers of cars on track and the limited overtaking opportunities around the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari.

37 cars are set to take to the Italian circuit for the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship on Sunday afternoon, on a circuit that differs significantly from the Lusail International Circuit that hosted the season opener in March.

While the fast, undulating and unforgiving nature of the Imola circuit attracts praise from many drivers, they also believe it could likely prove challenging during the race.

“Actually, Imola probably is one of the best tracks to drive, to enjoy the driving pleasure, but probably is also one of the worst to race,” Ferrari Hypercar driver Alessandro Pier Guidi said.

“It’s quite narrow. The places for overtaking, there are very few. Almost zero. Also, lapping the other cars, it’s very complicated.

“It will be a very challenging race. We expect a lot of neutralizations as well due to the new changes that they make on the track.

“Basically, there is like gravel everywhere and with this kind of number of cars, it could be quite difficult for everyone.

“But at the end, it’s the same for everyone and we’ll see what’s going on”

Lamborghini Iron Lynx driver Mirko Bortolotti echoed Pier Guidi’s comments, describing the overtaking situation as ‘difficult, but not impossible.’

“I think the traffic will play the biggest role on the passing itself because you can get caught in the wrong spot or maybe take a wrong decision on passing a GT car, you end up with pickup or something in the dirt and then that can open up opportunities for overtakes.

“I think on pure pace, if you are fighting a car that’s running similar like you, it would be difficult to get a run and overtake, but as I said, anything is possible, but generally this track is difficult for overtaking.”

The Italian also pointed out that brake wear could play a significant factor, with several big braking zones at corners like Tamburello, Acque Minerali and Variante Alta.

“It’s one of the hardest tracks generally on brakes,” Bortolotti said.

“So if you can have a more efficient brake phase, keeping your brakes alive for a long time, maybe that can also be something that can help you through the race on gaining places.”

Team WRT driver Augusto Farfus, meanwhile, said he expects ‘two different phases of the race’ from the perspective of the LMGT3 drivers, taking into consideration tire warmup for the Hypercar class amidst relatively low ambient temperatures at Imola.

“I know the two sides of the story,” he said.

“I was in IMSA, I drove the LMDh car so I know how difficult it is, the out lap, the build laps and so on.

“Here having cold temperatures for the weekend makes their life extremely difficult, so I think that will play a big role in our traffic management on where we’ll be able to pass them on the out laps.

“And then quickly it will turn and they will come again on us. So the braking points for the GT3s and Hypercars are fairly similar, of course the approaching speed is much higher. It can be very difficult for them.

“They will use us as an opportunity to gain places potentially on their competition and we can use them as well to gain places on our competition.

“So there will be, I think, two separate races, our own race against our own competitors, their race against their own competitors and the race when they will come across us.

“Especially on those phases where there will be a train of Hypercars coming by and that is the time when they will want to be opportunistic against their own competition, but it’s the time when we can be also opportunistic.”

Farfus urged his fellow competitors to be “alert” in traffic to avoid unnecessary incidents during the six-hour race.

“The chance for contact, the chance for incidents, it gets higher and this is a track where generally a clean overtake becomes very difficult against two cars of the same speed,” he said.

“We need to be alert, I think everyone in the field is aware of that, they are aware of that, we are aware of that, so this will give a good show for the fans.

“I think the last minutes of the race potentially, if there will be two cars fighting for position, it will be a great time for the spectators to see good moves, smart moves and hopefully clean moves.

“It’s not going to be an easy race around here, especially considering the track layout.”