WEC 2024: Round 2, Imola

[veeten]

Got it back in the pit, replacing that loose diffuser.

FCY for debris at turn #4...

[GT3_Fan]

Originally Posted by veeten

Got it back in the pit, replacing that loose diffuser.

FCY for debris at turn #4...

Me thinks when it comes to handling debris and crashes that WEC is far more competent than SRO and IMSA!

[veeten]

Uh oh, looks like Peugeot's transaxle gremlins are back...

[veeten]

Ferrari GT3 #54 is off, looks like a FCY to collect it.

[tomcug]

Originally Posted by Mike E

This race is going to be chaotic. Definitely not Qatar.

And as expected, it is. Porsche and Toyota not waving a white flag yet but have to wait and see how cars behave with double/triple stinted tyres.

[Simmi]

Hopefully we'll see an overtake in the final five hours...

[veeten]

Well, the Penske Porsches, Toyotas, and BMW's have broken the Ferrari train. Now, it gets interesting...

[J Jay]

Kubica picks up a drive-through penalty for not obeying FCY procedures. That'll be costly in this race.

[tomcug]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Hopefully we'll see an overtake in the final five hours...

We did, #50 got past #5, mostly thanks to much fresher tires

[veeten]

Looks like the race is done for the Dames...

[Adam43]

Just joining the party. How bad has the race been so far?

[tomcug]

Originally Posted by Adam43

How bad has the race been so far?

Matter of opinion I'd say As expected, very little overtakes and most position changes in the Hypercar class happened due to pit stops. Quite messy at the start, multiple cars involved in incidents so we had a SC and few FCYs.
Conway seems to be doing better job at managing the tire wear than Vanthoor. Or it's Toyota better than Porsche and not driver difference.

[veeten]

Oh, the usual first lap shenanigans... Ferrari had all three cars out front, then pit stop strategies by the others broke that up... Now its Ferrari, Porsche, Toyota

[Adam43]

thanks.

Looks like a fun battle.

Looks like #6 is trying to save energy? Also being very keen to get past the back markers and get breathing space to the Toyota.

[tomcug]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Looks like #6 is trying to save energy?

For sure. They did that during 1st stint and that gained them 2 positions thanks to shorter refueling. Technically they also jumped the 50 Ferrari but that was in big part due to 1 tire change for the 50 (low pressure?).

[J Jay]

#51 loses a few crucial seconds having to be readjusted in the pits. For all the talk of Ferrari domination, we could have a Porsche/Toyota leading one third in.

[v8supes]

What are your opinions on LMGT3? I was all for GT3 replacing GTE but it feels like the GT class is somewhat anonymous now. I mean the Ferrari & Porsche are fighting for the class lead & they cut away to show a slo mo replay & the pit stop of a car in 16th place?

[Adam43]

Thanks.

#51 trollers. Problem with the jacks?!

Jota doing well on stint lengths. Longest first first with the SC and making it pay here. No splash at the end.

Toyota gets the Porsche. Closed the gap to 4s, but dropping back on the colder tyres.

[veeten]

Yeah, the #6 Porsche is giving the #7Toyota fits. Just can't get around them... And if that isn't enough, the #8 seems to have similar problems with the #20 BMW.

I believe we now know whom are Toyota's nemesis are this year... It seems that, even with the revised design, Peugeot is still having the same old problems. The gearbox had a return of the gremlins...

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by v8supes

What are your opinions on LMGT3? I was all for GT3 replacing GTE but it feels like the GT class is somewhat anonymous now. I mean the Ferrari & Porsche are fighting for the class lead & they cut away to show a slo mo replay & the pit stop of a car in 16th place?

The class doesn’t get the coverage it did because there is more going on in the top class. Even though they don’t share second billing with LMP2.

The slow mos are cool, but at the wrong time are grating. Could easily have happened when a Ferrari was overtaking a Porsche in hypercar, or it could have interrupted a shot of Rossi in the pits!

We’ve had a few minutes of GT. It is the aforementioned Rossi gettin acclimatized even more to GT racing. From the inboard it wouldn’t like he was kicking up a bit of gravel? Or maybe just bottomed out on the kerb.

[veeten]

The GT's aren't that bad, having some good scraps here and there. With this number of manufacturers about, every race weekend will have action and a differing podium, which makes things interesting.

[Adam43]

Blast, my timing screen missed the last Jota pit signal. So looks like it still hasn’t stopped. Still you can see the stop on lap 74 as it was a long lap time.

[veeten]

Ugggghhhhh... Mustang in, with issues with that diffuser again.

[flatlandsman]

It is a tricky track, very narrow in places, but the clear situation is fuel and track position are pivotal, JOTA look to have done an amazing job, but Ferrari and Porsche still look likely winners, or maybe Toyota who have been bottled for a while. Other blokes in Isotta look totally out of their depth sadly. Vernay not really to blame for start, almost always likely.

Track offers something different, but it is no Monza,

[Adam43]

Saving energy probably goes out the window if we get that.