These changes are not only influenced by the characteristics of the Imola track, which is undulating compared to the flat desert track in Qatar, but also aim to level the playing field for cars that had an advantage in the previous race. WEC has not yet implemented its planned Balance of Performance component of « power gain », which aims to equalize the straight-line speeds of different cars.
The only changes in the Hypercar entry list for the Imola race compared to Le Mans will be Carillac competing with only two drivers, Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn, while Sebastien Bourdais will be missing from the Italian stage. Peugeot has also replaced the injured Ferdinand Habsburg with Jules Gounon for the Imola race.
All these factors contribute to the expectation that anything can happen in this weekend’s WEC stage, the Road to Le Mans race in Imola. Each team will arrive with a different specification compared to the season opener in Qatar. The 6-hour race in Imola will start at 13:00 on Sunday, April 21st European time. For more information on live broadcast rates, visit fiawec.tv.
The coverage of the Road to Le Mans by Grand Prix 247 is presented by Toyota Gazoo Racing.
