Preview: 6h Imola

Text & Images: Rick Kiewiet

The FIA World Endurance Championship heads back to Europe this weekend, the 20st of April, for Round 2 of the 2025 season: the 6 Hours of Imola. Set in the rolling hills of Emilia-Romagna, the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari is one of the most historic venues on the calendar—and the pressure is on for Ferrari as they prepare to race in front of their home crowd.

Last year’s edition at Imola was a race of shifting weather. Ferrari locked out the front row but saw victory slip through their fingers when a gamble on slick tyres backfired during a mid-race rain shower. Toyota pounced on the opportunity, calling both cars in at the right time and ultimately securing a hard-fought win with the No. 7 GR010 Hybrid. This year, Ferrari is out for redemption on home soil—but they’ll have to fight off a competitive and rebalanced grid.

Decisive moment in last years' race: Toyota pits for rain tires, Ferrari stays on slicks

Balance of Performance: Porsche Gains, Ferrari Hit

Following a tough outing in Qatar, where they scored just two points, Porsche arrives at Imola with a sizable BoP advantage. The 963 has been handed an 11 kg weight reduction, bringing it down to 1053 kg—its lightest configuration so far in 2025. While power under 250 km/h drops slightly to 503 kW, Porsche gains 6 kW above that threshold, giving them more punch on Imola’s straights. It’s a strategic boost that could turn their fortunes around.

Ferrari, meanwhile, faces a tougher challenge. Fresh off their dominant 1-2-3 in Lusail, the 499P has been handed an 8 kg increase, raising its weight to 1045 kg—4 kg heavier than they ran at Imola last year. The Maranello marque does benefit from a 7 kW power bump, but it remains to be seen whether that’s enough to offset the added mass.

Cadillac sees the largest increase, up 11 kg to 1041 kg, while the new Aston Martin Valkyrie gains 9 kg, now running at 1051 kg. Toyota, despite struggling in Qatar, is still hit with a 1 kg penalty, bringing their GR010 Hybrid to 1065 kg—the heaviest car in the field. At the other end of the scale, Peugeot’s 9X8 now hits the minimum weight of 1030 kg, making it the lightest Hypercar on the grid.

Redemption Run for Porsche, Pressure for Ferrari

All eyes will be on Ferrari this weekend—not only because of their home advantage but also because of the expectations they carry. Despite sweeping the podium in Qatar, last year’s heartbreak at Imola still lingers. A repeat of last year’s weather chaos would test every team’s strategic mettle.

For Porsche Penske Motorsport, Imola is a must-bounce-back race. They’ve stuck with three-driver crews for both cars, focusing on endurance consistency ahead of Le Mans. With lighter cars and slight power gains, the German manufacturer is well-positioned to rebound.

Aston Martin has made a noteworthy shift by scaling back to two-driver lineups in its Valkyries, aligning with their sprint-race plan. Meanwhile, Toyota will be banking on a return to last year’s form—especially with Kamui Kobayashi’s No. 7 car hoping to recreate the strategy masterclass that brought them victory in 2024.

LMGT3: All Eyes on TF Sport vs. United Autosports Rematch

In LMGT3, the battle between TF Sport’s Corvette and United Autosports’ McLaren looks set to reignite. Their duel in Qatar set the tone for the new category, and with both teams carrying ballast from their success, a shake-up in the order is possible.

Porsche, Ford, and Mercedes all struggled in Qatar, but come into Imola with significant weight breaks and power increases. The Ford Mustang GT3 drops 21 kg to become the lightest car in class, while the Mercedes-AMG and Porsche 911 GT3 R also receive helpful reductions. Notably, Porsche gets the biggest power boost in LMGT3 at +3%.

AF Corse Ferrari could be a wildcard here. The Italian team at their home round and will be looking to capitalize on local knowledge and support. With minimal BoP changes, they might just have the consistency to pounce if others falter.