Porsche on Top on Road to Le Mans After Strong Imola Showing

By Michele Lupini - April 23, 2024

Porsche Penske Motorsport kept a tight grip on its World Endurance advantage with second and third in Sunday’s second round Imola 6 Hour.

Porsche Penske Motorsport kept a tight grip on its World Endurance Championship advantage when the two factory 963 LMDh entries stormed home second and third in Sunday’s second round Imola 6 Hour. In the fray throughout, both the factory Porsches and the winning #7 Gazoo Racing GR010 Hybrid Hypercar benefited the leading Ferrari effort falling apart on race strategy in the rain later in the race.

Laurens Vanthoor, Andre Lotterer, and Kevin Estre’s Penske Porsche went on to deliver a grandstand finish as they chased the winning Toyota all the way to the flag, while he second Campbell Christensen Makowiecki Penske 963 number 5 made it a Porsche 2-3. The #7 Toyota trio, Mike Conway, Nyck de Vries and Kamui Kobayashi’s however held on to see both teams overcame a dominant Ferrari as that rain hit later in the race.

Four of the Five Porsches Shone at Imola

The number 50 Fuoco Molina Nielsen 499P redeemed a little honor for home heroes Ferrari by passing the second number 8 Buemi Hartley Hirakawa Toyota for fourth on the final lap. It was a great showing for BMW Sheldon van Der Linde Frijns Rast number 20 topped an impressive run with a best yet sixth overall from the second red Pier Guidi Calado Giovinazzi 51 Ferrari and its yellow 83 Kubica Shwartzman Yifei sibling.

Of the other Porsches, the 38 Jenson Button Hanson Rasmussen Hertz Team Jota entry came home 11th ahead of teammates Stevens, Ilott and Nato, while the fifth Proton car suffered a troubled run. Ferrari started on the front foot off a dominant qualifying showing, as the red and yellow cars led a dramatic 1-2-3 early on. That only after the track was cleared following a first lap multi-car Hypercar pileup.Ferrari maintained the advantage, at or close to the front as split strategies blurred the real running order once pit stops started. The Conway 6 Porsche was on the move and soon emerged at the head of the Ferrari chasing pack. It then gained two more places, overcutting Kubica’s yellow Ferrari and benefiting Nielsen’s leading red version slowed by a left-rear tire change.

Imola Strategiy Blurred Real Running Order

Then the rain came and Kobayashi’ 7 Toyota and Estre’s 6 Porsche made a crucial call to dive straight into the pits for wet tires. All three Ferraris and the 6 Porsche stayed out. That call proved decisive as they struggled on slicks in the wet. Campbell reacted first before the home cars finally stopped for the correct rubber.

Porsche helped Campbell gain ground with the right tire choice while the rest initially tiptoed around on the drying track. All of which ultimately left Kobayashi’s Toyota leading Estre’s Porsche on better tires. Campbell’s Porsche was up to third on even better rubber, but Hirakawa’s 8 Toyota under pressure from Fuoco in the 50 Ferrari.

Kobayashi somehow held Estre off for the win in their epic fight to the finish through the traffic, with Campbell ultimately a distant third. Even further back, Fuoco finally gained a little reprieve from Ferrari’s late tire gamble when he used his fresher slicks to overcome a defenseless Hirakawa for fourth on the final lap.

Right Tire Choice Brought 5 Porsche Into Imola Play

Behind the Hypercars, BMW made it a LMGT3 class day to remember. Darren Leung, Sean Gelael and Augusto Farfus beat Valentino Rossi, yes, that Valentino Rossi, Maxime Martin, and Ahmad al Harty to a fine M4 GT3 1-2 ahead of Qatar winners, Malykhin Sturm Bachler Porsche 911 GT3 back in third.

All of which leaves Porsche crew and Qatar overall winner Laurens Vanthoor, Andre Lotterer, and Kevin Estre Conway leading Toyota trio Conway, de Vries and Kobayashi and the other Porsche three, Campbell, Christensen, and Makowiecki in the driver’s title race. And Porsche in a handy manufacturer’s lead from Toyota, Ferrari, BMW, Alpine, Peugeot, Cadillac, and Lamborghini.

The Road to Le Mans now makes one more visit to Spa Francorchamps for its traditional dress rehearsal 6 Hour on Sunday 12 May. Then its’ all eyes on the most exciting 24 Hour in many a year 15-16 June. Can Porsche take its 20th Le Mans win that weekend? Diarize it now and be sure to follow it then to find out!

Images: WEC