James Calado is being told to box, to come into the pit lane. But he is not sure that is wise. He asks, "are you sure?" The team insists on pitting. Calado says, "no, we shouldn't do it." I am sitting here, thinking more like a driver than a race strategist and I am saying, "come on, boys! Go with James' decision!" Are the team looking at their radar? I don't know if the team is seeing moisture on the radar, but right now, they aren't listening entirely to their driver, either. The crew chief or team manager should have known that the rain is going to only get worse from here. Nobody in GT3 went in for the wets. Only the Hyapercars. The battle rages for the GT3 lead between the two Team WRT BMW M4 GT3's. It is Maxime Martin in the #46 vs. Augusto Farfus in the #31. They are chasing down the Pure Racing #92 Porsche of Joel Sturm.
Meanwhile, Porsche 963 #5, the first of the Penske cars, stayed out and then pitted. Kamui Kobayashi is 11 seconds down on Robert Shwartzman but is running quicker than the driver in the #83 Ferrari 499P. He is nine seconds quicker last time by and 23 seconds down on Miguel Molina, 14 seconds quicker than Molina is. We see now that Joel Sturm in Porsche #92 in GT3 is ahead to the tune of 16 seconds over the two BMW M4 GT3's. He has completed 125 laps, 381 and a quarter miles. Ferrari are committed to their strategy. Even if in the next half hour, we see a complete deluge, Ferrari are in a far better position if they stick to their plan. Meanwhile Race Control issues a drive through penalty to Simon Mann in the #55 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 for abusing track limits.
Ferrari are losing time to Toyota in sector three which is the wettest part, and it isn't too bad. Calado has continued and has not hit the pit lane. So, Ferrari are listening to the driver. Meanwhile, it is mano e mano at Team WRT BMW in the GT3 camp! Augusto Farfus crawling all over the back of Maxime Martin. This is for second in GT3. Don't worry about the yellow and black #81 Corvette. That automobile is laps and laps behind. These two need to catch Manthey Pure Racing with Joel Sturm if they want to go for the victory.
Miguel Molina is told he is losing time in sector three only. That isn't too bad. Toyota have already come in anyhow. Oh boy! Check this out! Side by side action between Peugeot and Cadillac! Peugeot #93 and Cadillac #2! Earl Bamber trying to make a move on Jean Eric Vergne. Just ahead is the Isotta Fraschini and the #12 Hertz Team Jota Porsche 963 in the hands of Jenson Button. Kobayashi to third place and both Ferrari's, the #50 and #51 dive for the pit lane. They've been committing to slick tires and might go for wets because the track is beginning to get soaked.
I am not a team manager for many good reasons, but I think the strategy of going to the Michelin wets might be the right call here. Now, the tires going on the car, we need to see if they are treaded wets or if they are slicks. Maybe my tired old eyes are deceiving me. Don't take my word for it on this one. Both Ferrari's, both red Ferrari's that is, are on wets and Antonio Fuoco is now driving the #50. Ferrari #83 also in the pit lane and he too has gone back on track. The old switcheroo has happened and #51 moves ahead of #50.
Fuoco moves behind Calado and so, the order has shuffled. Toyota leads Porsche leads Toyota, BMW, Porsche, Ferrari, Ferrari, in the top seven. The gap is 4.8 seconds between them. 139 laps, 424 miles, completed. #51 now ahead of #50. Let's have a Captain Cook at the Hypercar running order.
1. #7 Conway/Kobayashi/de Vries Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 Hybrid
2. #6 Estre/Lotterer/Vanthoor Porsche Penske Motorsports Porsche 963
3. #8 Buemi/Hartley/Hirakawa Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 Hybrid
4. #20 van der Linde/Frijns/Rast BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8
5. #5 Campbell/Christensen/Makowiecki Porsche Penske Motorsports Porsche 963
6. #51 Pier Guidi/Calado/Giovinazzi Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P
7. #50 Fuoco/Molina/Nielsen Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P
8. #83 Kubica/Shwartzman/Ye AF Corse Ferrari 499P
9. #99 Tincknell/Jani/Andlauer Proton Competition Porsche 963
10. #38 Button/Hanson/Rasmussen Hertz Team Jota Porsche 963
11. #2 Bamber/Lynn Cadillac Racing Cadillac V Series.R
12. #93 Jensen/Muller/Vergne Peugeot TotalEnergies Peugeot 9X8
13. #63 Bortolotti/Mortara/Kvyat Lamborghini Iron Lynx Lamborghini SC63
14. #35 Chatin/Gounon/Milesi Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424
15. #12 Stevens/Ilott/Nato Hertz Team Jota Porsche 963
16. #36 Lapierre/Schumacher/Vaxiviere Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424
17. #94 Di Resta/Duval/Vandoorne Peugeot TotalEnergies Peugeot 9X8
18. #11 Serravalle/Bennett/Vernay Isotta Fraschini Isotta Fraschini Tipo 6C
19. #15 Vanthoor/Marciello/Wittmann BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8
Fuoco moves behind Calado just then and now we see a battle between Ferrari and Alpine. It is bone dry in turn seven at Tosa. It is also bone dry on the frontstretch and the rain is still falling. That's a tight squeeze and a close shave for the #6 Porsche 963 on the #31 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3! Yikes! The distance now is 18 seconds. Kobayashi, Estre, Hartley, the top three. The gap from first to second is nearly seven and a half seconds. 140 laps now completed, 427 miles. Penske Porsche, the championship leaders, very nearly wiped out by the GT3 BMW!
Toyota have now leapfrogged themselves into a position where they could very well win the race here at Imola. We will know in the next hour and 53 minutes what is going to happen. Ferrari fluffed their strategy and I think Toyota might be in the pound seats. Ferrari have had no choice but to stay on their original plan and well, they might pay the price and the Tifosi legion here at Imola, will be rather disappointed. Look at how wet the track is now! Earl Bamber crawling all over the back of the Porsche of Jenson Button, the giant 5.5-liter V8 roaring like a mighty lion. So ironic because Peugeot's logo is a lion. The Cadillac has finally come alive. Meanwhile, the #15 BMW's fraught race continues and it is off the road and in the gravel trap/
If the track dries, Ferrari will be kicking themselves! Raffaele Marciello, the Swiss Italian at the wheel of the BMW trying to get back on course. Now, even if the track stays wet, Ferrari have shot themselves in the foot. They have given up a minute and a half to Toyota for nothing. They just gave Toyota a free kick. Marciello just spun off all by his lonesome in the damp and threw the BMW into the gravel. Fortunately, he does not hit the billboard. That is one of the Le Mans Ultimate video game billboards at the side of the track. They've given Toyota a minute. Ferrari no longer needs to worry how long the rain will last. We are under a local yellow as Raffaele Marciello looks like he will try working his way out of the gravel.
If it dries up, everyone will hit the lane for slicks at the same time. If not, nobody will pit until the next round of stops. Ferrari are shaking their heads, "guys, we blew it! We made a mistake!" "Ragazzi, l'abbiamo fatto saltare. Abbiamo commesso un errore!" Full Course Yellow now called to recover the BMW as Kamui Kobayashi leads the motor race over Kevin Estre and Brendon Hartley. The safety care is not necessary. This is only a recovery. BMW in fourth spot. Pit lane stays open, and get back onto the slicks. Ferrari, I beg you. Trust your drivers. Undo the mess you have made for yourselves and get back in the game with less than two hours left on the board. Your drivers have the knowledge. Trust them.
Ferrari, ti prego. Fidati dei tuoi autisti. Annulla il pasticcio che hai fatto per te stesso e torna in gioco con meno di due ore rimaste sul tabellone. I tuoi autisti hanno le conoscenze. Fidati di loro. Now, they could go 1-2-3 at the end of this thing and yours truly will have egg all over his face. Please, scramble it. Don't fry it. What a mess! Both teams committed both of their cars to do the same strategy. You just put all your eggs in one basket. How ironic because Porsche split their strategy and came in for wets. #6 in second. #5 in fifth place now and is ahead of all the Ferrari's.
If I'd committed to staying out on slicks, I'd have waited until I was overtaken on track by the Toyota's. Wait until you get overtaken on track before you bail. The timing was all wrong. I believe it was the wrong decision at the wrong time. End of story. Ferrari, learn from your mistakes, please. It appears that the rain is beginning to ease with an hour and 49 minutes to go./ Toyota are 1-3. Both Ferrari's have passed the pit entry. The #6 Porsche is the meat in the Toyota sandwich. The chance for Ferrari to rescue this has passed by. Maybe they've missed the boat.
Full Course Yellow being removed in 30 seconds. I think Ferrari goofed up splitting their strategy. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Full Course Yellow removed. The wet weather tires for the Hypercars will take less time to build temperature. Most of the GT3 cars on slicks will struggle. Gren. Into Rivazza it is amost dry. Alex Lynn on the inside, with two wheels on the curb in Cadillac #2 is making his bid to pass the #38 Jota Porsche 963 for tenth place. Both cars, twitching viciously. He is chasing Jenson Button. The Hypercars immediately have the grip. The BMW M4 GT3's are struggling big style.
Lynn can see that Button went off. Excuse me. Earl Bamber is now driving Cadillac #2 as Joel Sturm has just pitted the Manthey Pure Racing Porsche 911 GT3R. Daniil Kvyat at Lamborghini is reporting the rain is moving around. Now, WRT are leading LMGT3 with both of their cars. Maxime Martin in BMW #46 is at the top of the shop. It is raining heavily in sector three with an hour and 45 minutes to go. Rain is bringing the spice to the 6 Hours of Imola as Earl Bamber is crawling all over the tail of Jenson Button. A Fomrula 1 World Champion and a Le Mans winner.
Both Corvette's stopped for wet tires while Maxime Martin and Augusto Farfus are on slicks. Daniel Juncadella in the TF Sport Corvette #82 is considerably slower running on wet tires at 2:14 and change. Toyota #7 has now run 144 laps, 439 miles. I still will critique Ferrari's decision for going to wet weather tires too soon. You guys made a pig's breakfast out of that one. I'm sorry. Whoops! Lexus #78 is off the road powering through a soggy gravel trap. He is still on slick Goodyear Eagle tires. The GT3 cars have far more mechanical grip as Earl Bamber passes Jenson Button through Rivazza. Bamber looks to have the pace in the wet.
So, this puts the Cadillac Racing team into the drivers' points. So, just two private Hypercars are in the top ten. AF Corse's #83 Ferrari 499P of Yifei Ye and the #99 Proton Competition FAT Turbo Porsche 963 of Julien Andlauer. Kevin Estre is being harried by Brendon Hartley for second. Porsche vs. Toyota. But the crucial battle we are going to be taking a look at is actually for fourth because Matt Campbell in the #5 Porsche 963 is faster than the #20 Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8 in the hands of Sheldon van der Linde. Maxime Martin and Augusto Farfus are hemmorhaging lap times compared to Klaus Bachler in the #92 Pure Racing Porsche.
The rain is still falling through the Villeneuve chicane. The three Ferrari's are liner stern. James Calado, Antonio Fuoco, and Yifei Ye. It is not getting wetter. If I were the President of Ferrari, I would not be happy with the team management for making utterly foolish decisions. Enzo Ferrari must be rolling in his grave! My goodness! He wouldn't put up with it in the least. Where is the need for a wet tire? Where are the walls of water? Only in sector three. For crying out loud! From Tosa to Acqua Minerale, to Piratella, the racing line is dry as a bone! Are you kidding me?! Come on, guys. Come on, guys! Variante Alta is not wet. Ragazzi, a cosa state pensando? Guys, what are you thinking?
Sector three is causing all the trouble through Rivazza. The #15 BMW of Raffaele Marciello has been in and out of the pit lane as Sheldon van der Linde is still chasing the Toyota of Brendon Hartley who is slow. van der Linde is holding his own over Campbell and catching Hartley hand over fist. How will all of this stuff play out? This race has been thrown in the air. Ferrari, as we said, repeatedly, ad nauseum, they screwed up. They had the opportunity to find out what the #83 car would do and they didn't do anything! By criminy! Why put all your eggs in one basket?
Toyota #6 must cop a penalty for passing the Lexus RC F GT3 under a local yellow and now, there is a Porsche in the lane, and it is one of the factory cars. It is #5, Matt Campbell, from fifth. van der Linde is flying and is stuck like glue to Brendon Hartley currently. Brendon under major pressure. Major pressure. Now, Julien Andlauer has taken his turn on the whirligig and is off in the gravel in the #99 Proton Competition Porsche 963. At Rivazza, he just turns in and loses traction with no cars around him. Andlauer and Proton Competition are now taking a free and unscheduled flight on Plummet Airways I'm afraid.
Jean Eric Vergne has passed in Peugeot #93 and Daniil Kvyat will pass aboard the #63 Lamborghini SC63. Full Course Yellow in 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 according to Lisa the robot. How quick will the #99 Porsche be recovered? Just over an hour and a half left in the race it is still Toyota vs. Porsche with Kevin Estre under investigation for passing under Full Course Yellow with Toyota #7 and BMW #20 next up. The two BMW's have had two totally separate races today. In Ferrari land, they are all together in sixth, seventh, and eighth, #51, #50, #83. The Ferrari's are 3/4 of a lap down and they have had two get out of jail free cards and haven't taken them.
Being on wets is maybe a wise decision. They have committed to it. We will remove Full Course Yellow in 30 seconds. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Full Course Yellow removed. I will give you an update on the status of the GT3 field as soon as possible, in a wee while. Jean Eric Vergne aboard the #93 Peugeot has now passed Jenson Button in the #38 Jota Porsche 963. How quickly will Sheldon van der Linde leap away from the #8 Toyota of Brendon Hartley? Peugeot CEO Linda Jackson is here this weekend at Imola. BMW #15 has been recovered from the gravel trap at Acqua Minerale.
Brendon Hartley and Sheldon van der Linde both go by the #95 McLaren 720S GT3. An hour and a half of the race left. Brendon Hartley has been with Toyota since before Hypercars existed, going back to the old LMP1 days. Half the lap here at Imola is wet and the other half is bone dry. Will it be energy in the tank or grip in the tires that gives out first? If we get to the stage where no one is convinced they need to change off of wets, is the next round of genuine fuel stops where they will do it? Even on a fresh wet you are committed again.
Maxime Martin and Augusto Farfus are scrapping for second in GT3, this is for the lead, truly. So, Farfus passes Martin leading for BMW. Earl Bamber has gone through as it appears someone has gone off and it is the #15 BMW of Raffaele Marciello. That car has been their problem child all day. The #35 Alpine has also skated off the road someplace. Have not seen a picture of that yet. #46 slithers off the road through Tamburello, running wide. Farfus closing on Martin and, zoom, he drove right by him. Full Course Yellow, again. Alpine #35 needs rescuing. Paul Loup Chatin at the controls. He got on the paint, and that is really wet, and he spun out.
Water on tarmac is better. Water on paint is a bear, for motorcycles or cars. Ferrari's nose to tail. It is James Calado followed by his teammate Antonio Fuoco, who's name literally translates to "Tony Fire". Hmmm. Maybe we should start using his nickname. Ferrari #83 is still in eighth place. #83 is now a lap down. Maxime Martin is being told the best choice is to stay on track as we go back to green. For the sake of BMW, they are 1-2 in GT3 and on wet tires, Klaus Bachler has not caught up one iota. Maxime Martin on slick tires while the Corvette's at TF Sport are on the wets. #81 fifth and #82 eighth in class.
The two BMWs from WRT are the most relevant battle in GT3 currently. Klaus Bachler may potentially close on Maxime Martin. We'll see. Sheldon van der Linde continuing to reel in Brendon Hartley. Martin is struggling on his wet tires. The two cars on slicks lose more by slowing down than those on wets. Fuoco passes Calado at Ferrari and a dry line is beginning to form. It has stopped raining for the moment on the front straightaway. All Hypercars on wet tires while in GT3 is it a combination of slick and wet tires. Fuoco gaining the advantage on Calado because poor old Calado is getting stymied by the GT3's and many of them he is trying to pass, just slam the door in his face.
Ferrari #50 scored points in Qatar and #51 did not. One more stop for each Ferrari with an hour and 20 minutes to go. Ferrari will need to box in the next 15 minutes. If the checkers flew now, Lamborghini would earn a sole manufacturers' point. Fuoco's tires must be beginning to chunk because through Rivazza he is definitely looking for water to cool them off. Farfus trying not to make room but makes more room than he wanted to. Klaus Bachler is in the mid 1:50 range but is 28 seconds back. Can the GT3 cars use the dry line? It is no good if the Hypercars are there. The GT3 cars have to stay on the racing line and the Hypercars need to go around. 35 cars of the 37 starters are still running.
The only two cars out of the race are from GT3. The #85 Iron Lynx Lamborghini and the #88 Ford Mustang GT3 from Proton Competition that was trying to make itself into a real-life Transformers action figure. The back end and the front end were falling off and only the doors were OK. Calado is losing ground to Fuoco in the battle of the Ferrari's as into the pit lane come the #81 TF Sport Corvette and the #54 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3. Charlie Eastwood in the Corvette and Alessio Rovera in the Ferrari. This is a positional battle in the lane, and it is slick tires a go go. The GT3 cars will survive on slicks before the Hypercars can. No gain for Corvette.
Rovera will be tiptoeing through the tulips in Tamburello to keep from spinning. 1:08 for Rovera and 1:25 for Eastwood. Could they have changed four tires in that time? No way! Really? Earl Bamber told to look after the tires. Maybe they short fueled the #54 Ferrari 296 GT3. Keep track position and give leeway for track position later as the Pure Racing Porsche, the #92 is in. They came in from third, Klaus Bachler at the wheel of it. From BMW, we hear that the two BMW Team WRT BMW M4 GT3's are on slicks. #55 goes off the road and is at risk of the #92 leading Porsche putting him a lap down. Charlie Eastwood will also be paseed as Kamui Kobayashi leads the motor race.
#81 off the road and back on as the #91 Manthey EMA Porsche 911 GT3R is in the lane for service and a driver change. The fuel beginning to burn off and there's potential for one of the cars to be repositioned on a pit stop, the WRT BMW. Whoops! The Heart of Racing Aston Martin is off, in the hands of Alex Riberas. It is beginning to rain again. This exactly where the Corvette went off the road. The road falls away from you as you are steaming down the hill. The Hypercars are even twitchier on slicks. But the old wet tires are going to be absolutely thrashed!
BMW #31 in the lane with a blistered Goodyear Eagle on the right front with the brakes smoking. Augusto Farfus on fresh tires with a full tank of fuel. An hour and 11 minutes to go. In GT3, BMW #46 in the lead has run 147 laps, 448 miles. The #77 sole remaining Ford Mustang pits, in the points, Ben Barker at the wheel of it. Whoa! Fuoco goes off into the gravel trap skating over it. That seems to be new racing line and a joker lap. Toyota Gazoo Racing #7 leads the motor race with 162 laps completed, 494 miles. The lead gap to the #6 Porsche stands at 19 seconds, Kevin Estre in the Porsche.
Sheldon van der Linde chasing Brendon Hartley for the final podium place. van der Linde and Matt Campbell are both pitting. BMW M4 GT3 #46 in the lane. We have seen so many twists and turns in this race so far with another hour nearly in the bag. We are approaching the final hour of the motor race with tricky, tricky track conditions out there and your eyes everywhere. Sheldon van der Linde hanging with Brendon Hartley who is soaking up the pressure. BMW Team WRT are going for a podium. The sister #15 has slicks on it and they are experimenting with the sister BMW as a test mule. The ebb and flow of the Hypercar class is amazing with the different conditions as #15 is going to the garage. Matt Campbell is reeling in this battle passing one of the Peugeot's that is laps down.
Hartley runs wide but van der Linde cannot get the overlap. Matt Campbell is the shark that smells blood in the water. Porsche had a 1-2-3 in Qatar. Porsche Penske Motorsport though are both in the top five here at Imola. Toyota #8 and #7 both scored points in Qatar. Ferrari has no skin in the game in the title fight. Porsche Penske will not go to their 100th win in endurance racing here. But, keep in mind, when we saw the IMSA race at Laguna Seca last month, in May, that's where they scored their 100th win in sports car racing. The Isotta Fraschini has gone off the road, wide into Tamburello. Matt Campbell is two seconds behind as Earl Bamber has caught Yifei Ye for eighth. The Cadillac flying vs. the #83 Ferrari.
Pit stop time, last stop for the #51 Ferrari. James Calado bails out. Alessandro Pier Guidi will take it home. Calado and Pier Guidi are three-time GTE champions and Le Mans 24 Hours winners from last year. Did Ferrari take fuel when they went onto wets? Maybe. What tires went on the #51? It was the wet weather compound, the blue and white sidewalls. The fuel will be the big question as Matt Campbell is chasing down Sheldon van der Linde. The traffic seems to be spreading them out. This will be tight. Toyota are due a pit stop any minute now.
Toyota #8 is in. #50 has extra energy in the tank before they pit. Ferrari have the luxury of the circuit continuing to dry. Toyota have an opportunity to split their strategy as Earl Bamber catches Yifei Ye. Ferrari #83 vs. Cadillac #2. Ferrari confirmed that there was no tire change on #51. It is on old, worn-out wets. Toyota have gone onto slicks with Kobayashi in the lane. Toyota are choosing the right tires, being the slicks. Fuel is the only thing that can save Ferrari's bacon now. Slick tires at the ready for Toyota on their pit stop.
This is going to be a humdinger to the finish! The final hour, the climax, of the 6 Hours of Imola, is... next!
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