Photo: HOCH ZWEI Photoagency
Risk management in traffic at the second stage of the FIA World Endurance Championship 2024, which will take place next weekend in Imola, will be similar to the previous stage in Qatar, according to statements made by Matt Campbell of Porsche to the press.
“To be honest, I believe it will be a very comparable situation to Qatar, despite the track style being quite different,” responded the Australian driver when asked about it. “In Qatar, there was a significant amount of risk management at times due to the presence of high-speed sections on the track, where losing valuable time behind GT cars was a possibility.”
“I anticipate it will be the same in Imola, even though the track style is completely different. This is because we will encounter several slow corners in the middle section of the track, where overtaking may not be feasible when dealing with traffic.”
Imola, formerly known as Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, is known for its narrow and tight characteristics, a track that Campbell and his teammate Kevin Estre described as having an “old-fashioned” feel.
Campbell, who drives the Porsche #5 963 alongside Fred Makowiecki and Michael Christensen, continued: “I believe traffic management will be equally challenging from a risk management perspective, which will make things very demanding.”
“And I think that’s where many mistakes will occur because, in Imola, there are limited overtaking opportunities, and some of the GT cars are still quite fast in those sections due to the use of the kerbs. Therefore, undoubtedly, it will be a challenging task.”
Safety cars and full yellow flags are “expected”
When asked about the possibility of safety cars and full yellow flags, Campbell replied: “I would say that, definitely at Imola, I would anticipate something.”
“The nature of the track, as well as the proximity of the walls, gives it more of an old-school vibe. Consequently, there won’t be as much runoff area as we saw in Qatar. Therefore, when something goes wrong, it’s more likely to result in yellow flags.”
“So, without a doubt, I hope there is a higher possibility of yellow flags during the race, which will certainly add more unpredictability to the competition,” he concluded.
