Toyota Beats Ferrari on Home Turf to Win the 6 Hours of Imola

The reigning champions bounce back in dramatic fashion this afternoon after a mixed conditions race threw all race strategies a curve ball. The rain held off until the two hour to go mark in the race. The rain prompted a need for swift action regarding tire strategy. You can view the closing stages of the race here:

For the second year in a row Toyota beat Ferrari on home soil. The result was a disappointing one for Ferrari after putting all 3 cars in the top 3 during qualifying. Additionally, Ferrari held the top position for over half of the race. However when the rain came the Ferrari AF Corse team was derailed on how to proceed. Ultimately the closing hours of the race is where the Ferraris fell off. Fuoco made a late lunge in the closing minutes to gain a position on the No. 08 Toyota but the effort wasn’t enough for a podium position.

Words from Ferrari on the 6 Hours of Imola Finish

Antonello Coletta, Global Head of Endurance and Corse Clienti

“The result at the end of the 6 Hours of Imola was not as expected, considering the great potential displayed by our 499Ps in the preceding days. When the rain came, the race was affected by the mistake of not varying the strategies among our three cars that had led up to that point. The disappointment is compounded by the regret of not delivering the deserved joy to the many fans who came to Imola and once again showed their immense affection for Ferrari and their passion for our involvement in the top endurance class. Among the positive highlights, I want to emphasise AF Corse’s success among the independent teams, with a first victory for the 499P number 83 in its second appearance in the championship.”

Ferdinando Cannizzo, Head of Endurance Race Cars

“We conclude the 6 Hours of Imola with regret about the result, as we had the potential to secure overall podium positions, having led the race for nearly four hours. We know that the Ferrari 499P’s performance on slick tires is excellent in damp track conditions, and even in the wet at the start, it was pretty good, so we tried to extend the lead over our competitors. However, in the end, misjudging the weather forecast, we made a late call that compromised the overall result. In the finale the number 50 499P delivered an outstanding stint in wet track conditions with slick tires, while the number 83 Ferrari secured an impressive class win, undoubtedly a positive aspect of the race. There is still much work ahead, and as always, we will approach it with humility, working to regain competitiveness at Spa.”

LMGT3

The LMGT3 victory went to the No. 31 Team WRT BMW M4 of Augusto Farfus, Darren Leung and Sean Gelael. The win came after a high risk high reward decision by the team to stay on slicks despite full wet conditions played a large part in their win due to saved time on the pitlane. The team secured a 1-2 with the sister No. 46 car finishing in second place. LMGT3 Qatar 1812km winners Manthey PureRxcing placed third in a hard fight back to the podium.

Vincent Vosse, Team Principal BMW M Team WRT

“What a great weekend for our LMGT3 crews! Qualifying and the race went very well, and we did the little things right. Augusto and Maxime stayed on slicks on a wet track and were able to show incredible pace. That gave us a good lead and ultimately the one-two victory. In the Hypercars, we were in the window where we belong this time after the big disappointment in Qatar. We are taking one step at a time and have already done some things very well here. On to the next race at Spa-Francorchamps”.

Valentino Rossi, #46 BMW M4 GT3:

“I am very happy about the one-two victory for Team WRT, for BMW M Motorsport, and my first podium in the FIA WEC. We already had a strong car on Saturday in qualifying, and Ahmad achieved a very good third starting position. In the race, we then decided to stay out on slicks. Augusto was a bit faster than Maxime at the beginning and took the lead. Nevertheless, I am very happy with the result”.

Full 6 Hours of Imola Results are Below