After , the world seems very totally different at the beginning of the 2026 IMSA SportsCar Championship season than it did final weekend on the “Roar” pre-season check. There are new favorites in each the GTP and GTD Professional courses.
As with the Roar, we analyzed all instances within the GTP class that had been beneath 1:40 minutes and calculated the typical. It needs to be famous that there have been no adjustments to the Stability of Efficiency (BoP) for the reason that pre-test.
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Check out the next particular person outcomes for the three free apply periods:
The results of the third free apply session specifically needs to be handled with warning, as there have been three interruptions with crimson flags.
Let’s now take a look at all three periods mixed. If we take all laps beneath 1:40 minutes and calculate the typical, we get the next order:
1. MSR-Acura #60 – 1:37.530 (43 laps beneath 1:40)
2. AXR-Cadillac #31 – 1:37.812 (70)
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3. Penske-Porsche #6 – 1:37.838 (69)
4. Penske-Porsche #7 – 1:37.848 (76)
5. WTR-Cadillac #10 – 1:38.012 (68)
6. WTR-Cadillac #40 – 1:38.031 (60)
7. MSR-Acura #93 – 1:38.065 (53)
8. WRT-BMW #24 – 1:38.163 (49)
9. JDC-Miller-Porsche #85 – 1:38.214 (84)
10. WRT-BMW #25 – 1:38.261 (33)
11. Thor-Aston-Martin #23 – 1:38.613 (52)
The Meyer Shank Acura #60 (Blomqvist/Braun/Dixon/Allmendinger) is instantly the quickest automotive within the area by a comparatively clear margin. Does that instantly make Acura the favourite?
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Van der Zande: We’re not the favorites
Renger van der Zande from the sister #93 Acura firmly denies the narrative that they’re the favorites: “Truthfully, probably not. I feel now we have an excellent automotive for qualifying. However I do not suppose now we have the quickest automotive within the race, and that worries me. I feel Cadillac and Porsche are in the very best place. Hopefully I am fallacious.”
The competitors laughed at such statements. “They’re the world champions at taking part in down their probabilities,” mentioned one particular person from the Porsche camp. And Cadillac additionally has the Honda luxurious model on its radar. Alternatively, Acura’s argument is supported by the truth that each ARX-06s have accomplished comparatively few laps beneath 1:40 minutes.
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Talking of Cadillac: the Motion Specific Cadillac #31 (Aitken/Bamber/Vesti/Zilisch) completed simply forward of the 2 manufacturing facility Porsches on common. The 2 Cadillac V-Collection.R vehicles from Wayne Taylor Racing comply with behind, whereas the Meyer-Shank Acura #93 (van der Zande/Yelloly/Palou/Ohta) fielded by HRC is more likely to have accomplished a unique program than the #60.
BMW: Rescue within the last apply session?
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There are worries at BMW. WRT’s debut as a GTP crew was marked by alarm for a very long time. The automotive did not make it into the window, the key aero replace did not appear to work correctly, and the drivers had been sad with the dealing with.
However within the final apply session, a trick was pulled off that at the very least provides the WRT camp some hope. Nonetheless, it’s uncertain that this can be sufficient to shut a niche of nicely over half a second.
WRT remains to be having fun with help from the WEC crew on the operational facet on the IMSA opener. That is solely logical given the winter break on the earth championship. WRT crew boss Vincent Vosse asks for a bit persistence in an interview with Motorsport-Whole.com:
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“In case you evaluate us to the US groups, we’re full rookies. We’re ranging from scratch. In fact, we convey expertise [from the WEC] with us and have some new recruits within the crew who had been already energetic in IMSA final yr. However all of that has to return collectively and work. That is our first race, so please give us a while.”
However how a lot persistence will BMW have? Within the fourth yr of the LMDh program, success is a should. “The query shouldn’t be how a lot time we want,” Vosse interjects. “The query is: ‘What do we want?’ And that is a mess of issues that additionally should be introduced collectively.” Vosse is aware of what he is speaking about; in spite of everything, WRT is the benchmark in GT3 racing.
And Aston Martin? The state of affairs has not improved for the reason that pre-test. “Daytona is a really particular observe. We will not take a lot from Le Mans both, as a result of that is a particular observe in its personal proper.”
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Enhancements in comparison with the “Roar” – GTP
Let’s take one other take a look at the enhancements in comparison with final week’s pre-test.
1. MSR-Acura #60 – 1.004 seconds sooner than on the “Roar”
2. AXR-Cadillac #31 – 0.850
3. MSR-Acura #93 – 0.558
4. WRT-BMW #25 – 0.461
5. WTR-Cadillac #40 – 0.446
6. WTR-Cadillac #10 – 0.441
7. Penske-Porsche #6 – 0.353
8. WRT-BMW #24 – 0.329
9. Thor-Aston Martin #23 – 0.317
10. JDC-Miller-Porsche #85 – 0.253
11. Penske-Porsche #7 – 0.247
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On common, the GTP vehicles improved by round 4 tenths of a second. Aston Martin solely managed a soar of 0.317 seconds on common throughout all lap instances beneath 1:40 minutes.
The development was additionally minimal for Porsche. All three 963s are beneath the median enchancment. The largest soar was made by the #6 Penske-Porsche (L. Vanthoor/Estre/Campbell) with 0.353 seconds.
At Cadillac, Motion Specific Racing improved considerably greater than the 2 V-Collection.R entries from Wayne Taylor Racing. Nonetheless, Acura made the largest leap. There could possibly be many causes for this from enhancements within the setup to sandbagging within the pre-season check, or a number of different elements.
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New tires as an unknown issue
The race can be notably thrilling resulting from two elements that additionally work together with one another: the brand new Michelin tires and the climate.
The brand new technology of slicks with their spectacular look are mentioned to impress above all with their improved warm-up habits, but in addition convey enhancements by way of sturdiness. , mentioned when requested by Motorsport.com that the variations weren’t that nice, at the very least in qualifying.
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The climate forecast is spectacular with temperatures approaching 80 levels Fahrenheit predicted for Sunday. Even for Florida, that is exceptionally excessive for January, and the race could possibly be one of many warmest in historical past.
Which means that the smooth tires will solely be used briefly in the course of the evening, if in any respect. Michelin has allowed a window from 5 p.m. to 10 a.m. for the usage of smooth tires, which is bigger than in earlier years. However the temperatures considerably slender this window.
And that is the place Acura’s concern comes into play. Van der Zande: “We are inclined to put a bit extra pressure on the tires than Porsche and Cadillac when accelerating out of hairpin turns. That makes it tougher for us in longer stints.” And excessive temperatures do not assist both. However a yellow part within the final hour would possibly…”
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