The FIA WEC lands on the banks of the Santerno, for the 6 Hours of Imola scheduled for the upcoming weekend. This is a historic event, given that the World Championship reserved for endurance races will take place in Emilia-Romagna for the first time in its new guise, reconnecting a thread that leads back to 1974, when the first world endurance race, the 1000, was held. km of Imola valid for the Sports Prototype Championship.
Goodyear and Rigon: what to expect from the 6 Hours of Imola
The track named after Enzo and Dino Ferrari will offer completely different conditions compared to those encountered in the unusual event in Qatar and this was explained by Mike McGregorresponsible for the Endurance program of Goodyear. “The teams will have to be ready to change driving style from Qatar to the tighter and more twisty layout of Imola. The set-up of the vehicle will be essential to handle bumps and curbs. Furthermore, by managing the brakes you can gain precious seconds” McGregor’s words during the presentation of the Imola event. “Tire wear will be less noticeable than in Qatar, due to the expected lower temperatures and track characteristics. It’s also a smooth track, so we expect teams to complete multiple stints per tyre.”.
Davide Rigon, as winner of the Imola 6 Hours, also thought about describing the peculiarities of the 6 Hours of Imola Goodyear Wingfoot Award in Qatar: “It will be tougher for all of us than the first round, also because the track is narrower and there is no margin for error” explained Rigon, fifth in class in the 1812 km of Lusail at the wheel of the Ferrari 296 GT3 #54 Vista AF Corse shared with Francesco Castellacci and Thomas Flohr. “Driving at Imola is always fantastic, I love this track. The driving style will play an important role here because it is an ‘old style’ track, where every mistake will cost a lot. Compared to a short time ago, the curbs are quite high, there it’s new asphalt and, in general, there is now more gravel on the outside. Even in this case, there is no margin for error and the runway limits must be strictly respectedotherwise you waste a lot of time. Racing in front of the Italian fans will certainly give an extra boost. They have always been fantastic and support us wherever we race.”
“I’m happy to have started the season with the Wingfoot Award. This award is important because it is a testimony that the work we have done together with the team is good. The 296 in Qatar was fantastic to drive during my double stint. Speed, consistency and good lap times are not possible if you don’t have a car that is smooth but also effective in tire management – Rigon again, who finally praised Goodyear’s new LMGT3 tire specifications – during the long runs in Qatar I pushed hardand the tire provided a positive feeling throughout the stint.” McGregor added: “The ability to achieve consistent performance and optimize tire life during a stint is key to the success of any endurance racing campaign. For this reason, congratulations to Davide Rigon and AF Corse for taking home the first Wingfoot trophy Award of the LMGT3 era”.
Qualifying will take place on Saturday starting at 2.45pm, while the 6 Hours of Imola will start on Sunday at 1pm.
