As a continuation of our article on the BoP before Imola, we have chosen to present the Hypercar entries in three groups according to their homologation type (LMH and LMDh) for those participating to the world endurance championship and the private teams who participate to the Endurance Trophy Hypercar Team. So, let’s start with the LMH based hypercars following their ranking in the Manufacturers championship. NDLR: we do not present Isotta Franschini car as we consider it a a new Bykolles type of failure which will not even be able to compete with LMP2 at Le Mans.

Toyota Gazoo Racing

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Losail 1812.

Despite ending 5th and 8th overall at Lusail (after Cadillac’s disqualification), Toyota Gazoo Racing is second in the Manufacturer Championship (behind Porsche see part 2/3).

Although Imola is a new track for the team, most of its drivers have competed there before. Ryo is the most recent winner having triumphed in a European Le Mans Series (ELMS) race in 2016, while both Kobayashi and De Vries won junior formula races there early in their careers. Neither Conway nor Buemi have previously raced at Imola, while hartley did so just once, in ELMS in 2013.

Kamui Kobayashi (Team Principal and driver, car #7): “I am looking forward to racing again at Imola and getting back behind the wheel of the GR010 HYBRID. I had a great experience in NASCAR at Austin last month, but now it’s back to WEC business and I’m fully focused on Imola. I raced quite a lot in Italy as a young driver, so I know the track well, and I won races there too. It will be a challenge to win this weekend on a new track for our car, but we are pushing hard together as one team to get the best possible result. As always, the key will be to make a strong start in practice and quickly find a good set-up direction for our car, then execute a clean race, using our experience and team spirit.”

Mike Conway (Driver, car #7): “This weekend will be a new experience for me because I haven’t raced at Imola before, although obviously it’s one of the classic motorsport circuits so I’ve seen plenty of races there and I drove it on the simulator recently. Now I am looking forward to finally having the chance to race there. In Qatar, we scored good points for the World Championship and now we need to keep the pressure on, taking advantage of every opportunity we get. It will not be easy, against tough competition, but we’ll keep fighting.”

Nyck de Vries (Driver, car #7): “I’m looking forward to the start of the European season and we’re expecting a lot of Italian fans, so the atmosphere should be something special. It’s a new track on the WEC calendar, and it’s very narrow and challenging, so it’s exciting to see how we get on as a team. It’s a short event compared to Qatar, and we don’t get that much track time prior to the race, so we need to hit the ground running. Hopefully we can have a good weekend and fight at the front.”

Sébastien Buemi (Driver, car #8) “It’s interesting to discover a new track in a Hypercar. I did a Formula 1 test at Imola over 10 years ago, but my only recent experience has been to prepare for this weekend in the simulator in Cologne. It will be fun to drive the GR010 HYBRID on this track in front of all the Italian fans, but I am also expecting quite a challenge, especially dealing with traffic in the race. We had a hard time on our car in Qatar so we are all hoping for a stronger performance at Imola.”

Brendon Hartley (Driver, car #8): “The Italian passion for motor racing is legendary and we’re heading to home territory for Ferrari, so the atmosphere at Imola should be amazing. I’m expecting a special weekend, and a particularly tight battle at the front. In Qatar we saw how close the battle is in Hypercar and that will be the case again. No-one can afford to make even the smallest mistake in qualifying or the race because, with such close competition, you can lose a lot of positions. We all need to be on top form to challenge at the front.”

Ryo Hirakawa (Driver, car #8): “Imola is another new track to learn with our GR010 HYBRID, but I tested a Formula 1 car there last month and raced an LMP2 in ELMS a few years ago so I am quite familiar with the layout. I expect it will be exciting to drive with a Hypercar and it should be spectacular for the fans. I hope this track will be more suited to our car compared to Qatar, which was a difficult weekend. The team has worked hard to prepare and find ways to come back stronger. I can’t wait to get started.” Source: Toyota Gazoo Racing

Ferrari

The Ferrari – AF Corse team will line up at the start of the 6 Hours of Imola with the two 499Ps, the number 50 driven by Antonio Fuoco-Miguel Molina-Nicklas Nielsen and the 51 shared by Alessandro Pier Guidi-James Calado-Antonio Giovinazzi. Here are the comments ahead of the Italian round.

As we have seen in « The new BoP for WEC Imola round is known », The Ferrari 499P gets the highest weight reduction comparing to Lusail (Qatar) and a fair increase in power which should contribute to a relative better performance for the Pransing Horse car.

ANTONIO FUOCO: « Imola is a very important track for Ferrari and an Italian driver like myself. I am sure that there will be a special atmosphere for this round of the World Endurance Championship: I hope to see the grandstands packed with loads of fans, to whom we aim to deliver plenty of excitement this weekend.
On a technical level, I don’t expect an easy race. With so many cars at the start, the performance disparity between the Hypercar and LMGT3 categories will necessitate extensive overtaking, so also the best possible track management. The track’s layout is distinctive, with very particular corners like “Tosa” and “Acque Minerali”, interspersed with high-speed turns with narrow run-off areas. We must drive flawlessly, harnessing our car’s potential while avoiding errors. »

MIGUEL MOLINA: « The ‘home’ race for Ferrari awaits us at Imola and we expect a weekend with a special flavour for the whole team and for us drivers. The goal is to offer the fans a lot of excitement and be able to celebrate a successful result with them. In the weeks between the Qatar debut, which certainly wasn’t easy for us, and the eve of this race, we worked hard to be ready for the 6 Hours of Imola. »

NICKLAS NIELSEN: « Last year, we finished second in the Italian race at Monza, and the display put on by the fans beneath the podium was remarkable. We also hope to see lots of supporters cheering us on at Imola. The race will be long and on an attractive but technically challenging track. After our difficult debut in Qatar, we arrive in Italy confident in our preparations, although we’re aware that the 6 Hours will be demanding. » Source: Ferrari

Peugeot

Team Peugeot TotalEnergies may well be venturing into the unknown in Emilia-Romagna, but the squad is keen to bounce back from a disappointing weekend in Qatar, where poor management of an unfortunate turn of events led to the no. 93 coming to a standstill on track. The PEUGEOT 9X8 nevertheless proved that it is a competitive car in coming so close to securing second place.

“Unlike the PEUGEOT 9X8 2023, where we had time to improve the set-up and get the most out of the car, we still have a lot to learn about the PEUGEOT 9X8 2024. We know the car is inherently quicker, even though it’s still difficult to get an accurate picture because we don't know with what weight and power it will be competing. We’re sure that we have made up ground on our rivals, we just don't know how much as yet. But we’ll be able to tell after the first few races. ”

The PEUGEOT 9X8 2024 is set to make its competitive début with its new “lion head” livery at the Italian round of the WEC. To mark the occasion, PEUGEOT designers have developed an identical livery for the PEUGEOT 508 PSE. From the outset of its WEC programme, PEUGEOT created a strong aesthetic link between the Hypercar and the brand’s production models. Some stylistic elements, such as the light signature, the badge placed on the front grille and the dominant paintwork colour (Selenium Grey in 2022 and Okenite White in 2024), reflect this clear link between the Hypercar and the PEUGEOT production models.

Mikkel Jensen, no. 93 PEUGEOT 9X8: “I drove at Imola in Formula 3 early on in my career and then in the ELMS in 2021. It’s a great track, a bit ‘old school’, with lots of straights and fairly big rumble strips. With the big field in the WEC, it’s going to be real challenge in the Hypercar class. We’re going to be racing in what is essentially a new car in Imola. Its development has been very exciting in the last few months, but we don't really know where we are because there are still many things to learn about the PEUGEOT 9X8 2024 in a race situation. ”

Paul di Resta, no. 94 PEUGEOT 9X8: “I had my first experience of this track quite recently. Imola is a narrow circuit, quite bumpy with big rumble strips. It’s very different to Qatar. With all the Hypercars and the GT3s, it’s going to be very busy on track. Tyres will also be a big factor, especially if the weather turns. In terms of preparation, it’s never easy to come into the second round of a championship with a new car. We’ll learn about and make progress with this PEUGEOT 9X8 2024 gradually, keeping our sights set on Le Mans, which is our main objective. ” Source: Peugeot