Toyota takes advantage of Ferrari's setbacks and wins the 6 Hours of Imola

• What a snub for Ferrari on the circuit that bears his name, during the 6 Hours of Imola! A dark day for the Prancing Horse, who had all the cards in hand to achieve a resounding result in Imola, starting in the first three positions at the start. However, it was without counting on the rain, which came to add its two cents at mid-race. The Reds took a risky gamble, staying on track despite increasingly heavy showers... and lost. Result: the three 499Ps fell in the ranking, leaving the way completely clear for Toyota and to the crew of n°7 (Kobayashi - De Vries - Conway) to impose themselves on the lands of their rivals! The 499P n°50 saves (barely) the honor with a 4th place…
• The Japanese team took its revenge after the disappointment of Qatar and the frustration of the laborious qualifications on Saturday. Starting sixth, the GR010 n°7 discreetly moved up to the top of the ranking, notably thanks to a great relay from Nyck de Vries before the rain arrived. It was in the pits that Toyota seized the decisive moment, with Kamui Kobayashi emerging at the head of the pack of Hypercars equipped with rain tires. The Japanese then took advantage of Ferrari's failed strategy to take the lead of the race, and never let go despite a drying and tricky track.
• Porsche and Kévin Estre may have some regrets. The Frenchman, driver of the No. 6 Penske Porsche, was certainly the fastest driver at the end of the race and could have hoped for a second consecutive victory... but a five-second penalty, for overtaking under Safety Car, broke the hopes of the German team and the crew. The Stuttgart manufacturer, however, achieved a good 2nd place and consolidated its lead in the world championship. The second official Porsche, the No. 5 of the Makowiecki – Campbell – Christensen trio, completes the podium.
• For the first appearance of the Peugeot 9X8 version 2024, the Lions have had a very eventful race. From the start, the No. 94 was caught in an accident at the start involving theAlpine #36 and the #15 BMW, destroying his hopes of points. A few minutes later, it was the turn of the #93 to encounter a gearbox problem, and lose several seconds. However, the new French Hypercar showed good pace for the rest of the race, and the #93 brought the first points to the French clan with a 9th place.

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— FIA World Endurance Championship (@FIAWEC) April 21, 2024

• No points however for Alpine. The Blues suffered throughout the race, with their chances compromised from the first corner and the accident involving the No. 36 of Matthieu Vaxiviere, who had to stay in the box for a few laps. The No. 35 was also put in difficulty by the weather conditions, being unable to do better than 13th place.
• Total triumph for BMW in the LMGT3 category! The propeller brand signs an impressive double at Imola, with the victory of the No. 31 of the trio Farfus – Gelael – Leung ahead of the No. 46 of the local star Valentino Rossi, thanks to a bold strategy. The two M4 GT3s remained on the track… and on slicks in the rain! A daring and successful bet, since Augusto Farfus and Maxime Martin managed to survive in such conditions and save themselves a pit stop. The podium is completed by the No. 92 Porsche of the Manthey PureRxcing team, which started in pole position, but was relegated a good distance from the two BMWs after the rain.

6H of Imola – Ranking

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