Three weeks to Round 2 of the 2015 ELMS

After an action packed first round in Silverstone the ELMS competitors will now head to Italy for round 2 at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola on 16/17 May. Silverstone saw victory for Gary Hirsch, Jon Lancaster, Bjorn Wirdhiem and Greaves Motorsport in the LMP2 category, Chris Hoy and Charlie Robertson and Team LNT in LMP3, Phil Keen, Adam Carroll Michael Wainwright and Gulf Racing UK in LMGTE and Franck Perera, Dino Lunardi, Eric Dermont and TDS Racing in GTC.

Timetable

In exactly three weeks the European Le Mans Series competitors (entry list to be unveiled soon) will arrive in Imola with the teams already set up and preparing the cars for action on Saturday May 16th at 10h30 with the first 90 minutes free practice session. The second free practice will start at 15h00 for a one and a half hour session, the last opportunity to fine tune the car’s set up before qualifying on Sunday morning.

4 Hours of Imola Race day

At 10h00 on Sunday May 17th the real challenge begins as the work carried out on Saturday is put to the test. The first 20 minutes of qualification is dedicated to LMGTE and GTC team and at 10h30 it will then be the turn for LMP2 and LMP3 competitors to fight for the top spot on the starting grid.

This will be immediately followed by the qualifying press conference, where the drivers who claimed pole position in each category will face the media at 11h00 in the press conference room.

All spectators with a paddock pass will have access to the Pitwalk in the Pitlane from 11h15 to 13h00 which will give visitors the opportunity to meet the drivers, see the cars and grab some photographs, maybe even a selfie with their favourite driver.

The green flag will be waived at 13h57 to launch the formation lap of the 4 Hours of Imola, Round 2 of the 2015 ELMS.

At 18h00, everyone will know the names of the race winners, and the press conference will start after the podiums at 18h15 in the conference room. All the drivers of the top three overall cars are invited to take part in the press conference, while the driver line up from each winning teams in the other categories will also be in front of the media to answer questions and talk about their race.

Time Table for 4 Hours of Imola HERE

The circuit

Known for its very technical layout, which is difficult to conquer, its twists and turns require a superior level of driving. The Autodromo Enzo & Dino Ferrari was modernised in 2007 by famous German circuit architect, Hermann Tilke, and it’s one of the few European tracks where cars circulate anticlockwise.

The F1 San Marino Grand Prix took place there from 1981 to 2006 but there have been many fantastic endurance races, notably those between 250km to 1000km in distance, from three to six hours. One Le Mans Series race, the 6 Hours of Imola, was held as part of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC) in 2011. In 2013, endurance racing returned to the Italian track and the new format proved to be a great success for the venue. In 2014 the race looked to be in the hands of NewBlood by Morand Racing only for them to slow several laps before the finish and for victory to go to JOTA Sport.

In 2015, Italian fans of endurance racing will also have access to numerous off track activities in and around the paddock. Paddock access is 15€ for the 2-day week-end (free for children under 14 years), access to grand stands is totally free.

European Le Mans Series Results 2014 :

LMP2: JOTA Sport – No. 38 Zytek SN Z11 – Albuquerque/Tincknell/Dolan
LMGTE: SMP Racing – No. 72 Ferrari 458 Italia – Zlobin/Bertolini/Shaitar
GTC: Formula Racing – No. 60 Ferrari 458 Italia – Laursen/ Mac

European Le Mans Series results 2013:

LMP2: Thiriet by TDS Racing – No.1 ORECA 03-Nissan – Thiriet/Beche
LMGTE: Ram Racing – No.52 Ferrari F458 Italia – Mowlem/Griffin
LMPC: Team Endurance Challenge – No.49 FLM ORECA 09 – Chatin/Hirsch
GTC: SMP Racing – No.69 Ferrari F458 Italia GT3 – Babini/Shaitar/Ladygin