IMSA’s debutante ball
Many were predicting a reliability horror show at the Daytona 24 hours as the new GT Prototypes ran with a hybrid system that had, at best, been heavily criticised in the run up to the race. However, come the 24-hour race, the opening round of the IMSA WeatherTech sportscar series, the new hybrid-equipped cars ran well, and the fight for the win came down to usual racing dramas: mistakes in the pit by teams; mechanical issues that could be expected of any new cars; and varying driver tactics in managing traffic. From a supplier perspective – Bosch, which supplied the MGU, WAE that provided the battery and Xtrac that made the gearbox for the hybrid system that was used by all the GTPs – each of the components performed better than expected.…