A few minutes before the start of the first free practice session of 6 hours Imola, engineers and drivers will be learning the features of the Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit.

A number of drivers are about to drive the Imola circuit for the first time, at the ILMC debut here. Allan McNish, drove here with Toyota at the Grand Prix of San Marino 2002. "This is a fantastic track, said the driver of the Audi #2. It has changed significantly since my last visit. The elevation changes are still there, but there is now a long straight (across the pits). Traffic will be a real problem because the track is narrow and curves follow each other closely. We need to find a good balance between top speed and downforce. "

A headache for drivers who must quickly tame the circuit while sharing their driving with two teammates. A puzzle, too, for engineers who have only two sessions of ninety minutes to find the correct settings. "It's always interesting to discover a new track, says Bruno Famin, Technical Manager of Peugeot Sport. Imola is a track where you reach high speeds, with a mixture of fast corners and slow parts. From a technical point of view, it is once again totally different from Le Mans, Sebring and Spa-Francorchamps. We arrive with a basic set of settings with the information we have collected and any simulation work. We hope that the three free practice sessions will allow us to validate that. There will also be more than ever on traffic ... cars Fifty five kilometers of track, it's something to be a little worried about. "

Even before the festivities, drivers and technicians are in agreement on one point: the race promises to be eventful!

Today's schedule is HERE.

Julien Hergault

Photo: Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit (Imola, Italy), 6 HOURS IMOLA, Friday, July 1, 2011. Before the start of free practice, all cars must go through scrutineering.