6 Heures d’Imola – H+3: French forces wake up
Ferrari kept the lead. After a mixed start to the race, Alpine woke up and seemed to be heading for a good result. The Peugeots are following the same trajectory.
The third hour of the race did not start in the best way for Toyota. The #8 was penalized for not respecting procedures under full course yellow. The #7 was under investigation after its contact with BMW #20.
Mike Conway from Toyota #7 had strong words for the BMW competitors. “They drive like idiots,” he asserted on the WEC TV microphone.
Full Course Yellow 🟡
Contact between #20 BMW M and #7 Toyota 😨
Watch LIVE on https://t.co/IPZa0nvsLu 🎥#WEC #6HImola pic.twitter.com/QqitGiXtZj
— FIA World Endurance Championship (@FIAWEC) April 20, 2025
Read also: 6 Hours of Imola – H+1: Ferrari already relegates the competition
Leading the race, the Ferrari #51 continued to widen the gap on the AF Corse car #83. The Ferrari #50 managed to overtake both Toyotas. The various incidents faced by the Japanese manufacturer greatly aided Scuderia in their maneuver.
After falling back in the rankings, the Peugeots began a strong comeback. The two Lionesses gave a driving lesson to the Cadillac #12. The Alpine #35 driven by Charles Milesi was also very threatening, but traffic management was more difficult and was hindered several times.
The hypercars from Sochaux, though far from Ferrari, were holding their own against Porsche and Toyota, a sign of good performance from the 9X8. At the front of the race, Yifei Ye in the Ferrari #83 was struggling with his tires. The Chinese driver couldn’t push like his teammates and saw the BMW #15 coming up in his mirrors.
Read also: 6 Hours of Imola – H+2: The easy ride continues for Ferrari
Finally, the #83 found its rhythm again. The BMW#15 lost ground and saw the other official Ferrari dangerously closing in.
In GT3, we witnessed a fierce battle for the podium positions. The BMW #31 managed to leave the Ferrari #21 behind. The Italian car, with determination, was able to overtake the German one. The work of the WRT team is worth highlighting since the #21 was faster than the #46, leading the category.
In the first part of the race, the Alpine #36 was very solid. It kept the Toyota #7 within its exhausts, despite heavy pressure. By maintaining this level of performance, big points could be achieved by the end of the last three hours.
Under pressure from the Peugeot #93 and the Alpine #35, the Porsche #99 went wide at the Villeneuve chicane. A minor detour into the gravel without any damage for the Proton car.
The rain is still awaited. According to the 4 p.m. weather forecast, it should arrive in Imola around 5:30 p.m.
