WEC Imola: Toyota denies Ferrari home win in season opener

Toyota secured a dominant victory at the World Endurance Championship’s Imola season opener, outmaneuvering Ferrari on both the track and in the pit lane. The trio of Sébastien Buemi, Ryo Hirakawa, and Brendon Hartley piloted the upgraded #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid to the top spot, marking a significant win for the Japanese manufacturer in its 100th WEC start.

The pole-sitting #51 Ferrari 499P, driven by Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, and Antonio Giovinazzi, ultimately settled for second place. Completing the podium was the sister #7 Toyota, with Kamui Kobayashi, Nyck de Vries, and Mike Conway at the helm. The race largely evolved into a two-horse battle between Toyota and Ferrari, with other manufacturers like Alpine, BMW, and Peugeot struggling to keep pace with the leading contenders for much of the event.

Race Dynamics and Strategic Masterclass

The race commenced with Calado in the #51 Ferrari making a clean getaway from pole position. His teammate Molina, benefiting from softer tires, quickly moved into second, passing Hartley in the Toyota. Ferrari maintained a strong 1-2 advantage for approximately an hour. However, a swift pit stop from the Toyota crew enabled Hartley to reclaim second place from Molina.

Toyota then executed a strategic gamble towards the end of the second hour. The #8 car was brought in for a driver change without a tire change. This maneuver allowed Hirakawa, taking over from Hartley, to assume the race lead, ahead of the #51 Ferrari, now piloted by Pier Guidi.

The strategic advantage for Toyota was amplified when Hypercar debutant Nick Cassidy beached the #93 Peugeot 9X8 on cold tires during his out lap. This incident triggered a Virtual Safety Car (VSC), providing the #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid with a crucial “free” pit stop. Both the leading Toyota and the pursuing Ferrari entered the pits under caution. However, Hirakawa emerged from the pits with his lead intact and, importantly, on fresh tires.

Ferrari responded to Toyota’s tactical play by pitting Pier Guidi early in the subsequent pit stop cycle. Despite this, they were unable to undercut Hirakawa, who subsequently extended his lead to over four seconds.

Meanwhile, the #7 Toyota had steadily climbed back through the field, reaching third place by strategically extending its tire life. The car had dropped as low as seventh during its initial stint. Another pit stop without a tire change allowed the #7 Toyota to rejoin the track ahead of Pier Guidi, effectively acting as a rear gunner for Hirakawa and helping him solidify his commanding lead.

The #51 Ferrari eventually managed to retake second place when the #7 Toyota opted for four new tires during its final pit stop. By this point, however, Buemi, now at the helm of the leading #8 Toyota, had already established a comfortable 10-second lead.

Despite a persistent threat of rain in the final two hours, the skies remained clear, allowing the race to conclude without further drama. Buemi crossed the finish line with a decisive winning margin of 13 seconds. This victory marked Toyota’s second consecutive win in the WEC, following the #7 car’s triumph in the Bahrain finale. It was also the first win for the #8 crew since the 2024 season. The #51 Ferrari drivers were unable to close the gap in the final stint, leaving them to accept second place. Kobayashi skillfully brought the #7 Toyota home in third.

Other Notable Performances

Alpine showcased a strong showing in the Imola season opener. The #35 Alpine A424 LMDh, driven by Charles Milesi, Ferdinand Habsburg, and Antonio Felix da Costa, delivered a clean race to secure fourth place.

René Rast, at the wheel of the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8, held off a late charge from the #50 Ferrari of Antonio Fuoco to secure fifth place, despite receiving a drive-through penalty midway through the race for a VSC infringement. The #50 Ferrari, crewed by Fuoco, Miguel Molina, and Nicklas Nielsen, had been in contention for a podium finish in the first half of the race. However, a drive-through penalty for a yellow flag infringement relegated them to sixth at the finish.

The #15 BMW M Hybrid V8, driven by Raffaele Marciello and Kevin Magnussen, finished seventh, capping a solid performance for the last remaining German manufacturer in the WEC.

The #12 Cadillac V-Series.R briefly held the race lead in the third hour by choosing not to pit under the Virtual Safety Car. However, they were forced to cede the position almost immediately after the restart to serve a drive-through penalty for a yellow-flag offense. While the #12 Cadillac finished outside the points, the sister #38 entry, driven by Earl Bamber and Sébastien Bourdais, claimed eighth place, ahead of the best-placed Aston Martin Valkyrie LMH. The top 10 was rounded out by the AF Corse-run #83 Ferrari, with Robert Kubica, Phil Hanson, and Yifei Ye driving. Peugeot missed out on points, despite the #94 9X8 showing strong early pace.

Genesis made its highly anticipated WEC debut at Imola. The #17 Genesis GMR-001, piloted by Pipo Derani, Andre Lotterer, and Mathys Jaubert, finished 15th. The sister #19 LMDh was hampered by an early sensor issue, which led to a half-hour delay in the garage.

LMGT3 Class Drama

In the LMGT3 class, WRT claimed top honors with the #69 BMW M4 GT3, driven by Dan Harper, Anthony McIntosh, and Parker Thompson, winning the season opener. Garage 59, a newcomer to the WEC, looked set to convert pole position into a win. Antares Au, Tom Fleming, and Marvin Kirchhofer recovered from a slow first pit stop to regain the lead in the fourth hour. However, the #10 McLaren 720S GT3 suffered an alternator problem with just 35 minutes remaining, forcing it to stop twice on track while comfortably leading, handing the victory to the BMW.

The #69 BMW had initially moved from fourth on the grid to second early in the race, before taking the lead in the second hour with a skillful pass by McIntosh. Despite dropping down the order due to subsequent pit stop cycles, a crucial overtake in the fifth hour on the #33 TF Sport Corvette Z06 GT3.R ultimately secured the win.

The #33 Corvette, driven by Blake McDonald, Jonny Edgar, and Nicky Catsburg, finished second, with the podium completed by the #92 Manthey Porsche 911 GT3, piloted by Richard Lietz, Riccardo Pera, and Yasir Shahin. The #92 Porsche had received a drive-through penalty early in the race for an unsafe release but mounted a strong recovery. The sister #91 Porsche also made late gains to finish fourth, ahead of the #32 BMW.

The #87 ASP Lexus RC F GT3 triggered the first safety car of the race due to a technical issue. The team’s other car had also encountered mechanical problems and entered the garage earlier.

Here’s a summary of the top finishers:

1st: Toyota Racing, #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid (S. Buemi, B. Hartley, R. Hirakawa)
2nd: FERRARI AF CORSE, #51 Ferrari 499P (A. Pier Guidi, J. Calado, A. Giovinazzi)
3rd: Toyota Racing, #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid (M. Conway, K. Kobayashi, N. de Vries)
4th: Alpine Endurance Team, #35 Alpine A424 (A. Felix da Costa, C. Milesi, F. Habsburg)
5th: BMW M Team WRT, #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 (R. Frijns, R. Rast)