The Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona will be the first endurance and IMSA appointment for 2023. To arrive well prepared, many teams took part in the 2-day test held on the road course of the Daytona International Speedway.
This test saw the official launch of the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class and also the participation of hybrid propulsion cars from 4 manufacturers: Porsche, BMW, Cadillac and Acura.
The occasion was tempting for everyone: for the first time the LMDhs of the 4 manufacturers rode together on the same track. It’s good to say it right away: almost everyone has avoided focusing their program on performance.
In fact, the teams concentrated on reliability, the real key point of the first seasonal outings of endurance races. All the more so if we consider that the cars that will race at Daytona will be making their race debut after several test sessions carried out over the course of 2022.
#02 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac DPi: Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Richard Westbrook
Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images
Nine cars took part in the Daytona test, which is part of the homologation process. The final step will be the Roar test scheduled for January 2023. As mentioned, the cars have undergone reliability-related assessments and it is no coincidence that all the teams have spent some time in the pits due to a series of problems often linked to the complexity of the new single source hybrid system.
Helio Castroneves, reigning winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona, said in this regard: “With the hybrid it is a very different car: it is very interesting to drive. There is much more technology and information on the steering wheel for the driver, and there is a lot to learn from all the manettinos present”.
#10 Wayne Taylor Racing Acura ARX-06 GTP: Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque, Brendon Hartley, Louis Deletraz
Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images
“The computer runs the hybrid itself, but there’s a lot you can play with, and I was very surprised how sensitive it is to changes. The LMDh’s steering wheel is very similar to that of a Formula 1 car.”
The Porsche Penske Motorsport team experienced the most problems with the hybrid. The team has already been grappling with these problems during 2022. The MGU system made by Bosch is causing headaches. System changes and a lack of spare parts due to global supply issues have put pressure on all teams ahead of next month’s debut.
Urs Kuratie, LMDh project manager at Porsche, explained: “We’re not blaming Bosch, but this component gave us and others a lot of headaches for a certain period of the summer phase in which we did development tests. These problems have been solved, but everyone suffers from supply problems. It is a common problem all over the world.”
#24 BMW M Team RLL, BMW M Hybrid V8, GTP: Philipp Eng, Marco Wittmann, Nick Yelloly, Sheldon Van Der Linde
Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images
Penske team member Jonathan Diugood added: “The integration of the components is such that if something in the hybrid system fails or goes wrong, the car shuts down. The hybrid is needed to start the car, move and generate energy. When these failures occur it is not possible to flip a switch and restart the car. It is a critical component that has led to several crashes of the test program”.
As far as BMW is concerned, the Bavarian LMDhs only completed one day of testing, the second, because they were still under construction on the first. Cadillac, on the other hand, was the only marque present with three cars.
#21 AF Corse, Ferrari 296 GT3, GTD: Toni Vilander
Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images
New specification fuel and Michelin tires made for cold temperatures were also used for the first time in the test, although usage of these was affected by track conditions – it was hot – during the test, which however, it also included two night sessions.
Despite the problems associated with the hybrid, Porsche and Cadillac are the manufacturers that have completed the most kilometres. Acura, on the other hand, was generally considered the fastest car on the track, although there were no official times capable of justifying these considerations.
The test – mandatory – which involved the new or updated GTD class cars won was very interesting. AF Corse debuted the Ferrari 296 GT3, Pfaff Motorsports did the same with the Porsche 911 GT3 R type 992, while Iron Lynx made its official debut as a Lamborghini team bringing the new Huracan GT3 Evo2 to the track.
#63 Iron Lynx, Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2, GTD: Andrea Caldarelli
Photo by: Richard Dole / Motorsport Images
#IMSA #Daytona #Test #Lots #Porsche #Cadillac #Fast #Acura