Meanwhile, the TDS Racing car secured 4th place in the LMP2 Pro/Am category after a particularly tough race but ultimately valuable points for the championship.

The first free practice session took place on Friday under scorching sun, with track temperatures reaching nearly 54°C. It was followed by the Bronze Driver Collective Test for car #29, under particularly grueling conditions.

At the end of the day, Olivier Panis's pride was palpable when he saw his mechanics win the Pit Stop Challenge by TotalEnergies.

On Saturday morning, both crews took part in the second free practice session before focusing on the qualifying rounds scheduled for the afternoon. However, these were delayed by a violent thunderstorm that struck the Italian circuit.

On a soaked track, Rodrigo Sales, entered in the Pro-Am category in car #29 (TDS Racing), posted the 4th fastest time despite a session shortened by a red flag.

In LMP2, Charles Milesi, at the wheel of the VDS Panis Racing #48 car, also on wet tires despite slightly improving conditions, also saw his session interrupted by a red flag that disrupted the team's strategy. Going out for two laps at the end of the session, he ultimately secured only 7th place on the starting grid for Sunday's race.

Race Report – Car #48 (LMP2)

Starting from 7th on the grid, young Briton Oliver Gray made an excellent start, gaining one position in the first corner. Highly aggressive, the Silver driver kept the pressure on his rivals and was already in 4th place after just a few laps.

After 30 minutes of racing, a major accident triggered a red flag. The race resumed 20 minutes later behind the safety car. At that point, the Oreca #48 made its first pit stop and rejoined in 2nd place behind the #18 Idec car. It only took Oliver two laps to take the lead. Once in front, he maintained a consistent and fast pace, gradually building a gap before handing over to Esteban Masson with a 28-second lead.

Esteban's stint began under a light drizzle over the Italian circuit. The team strategically opted to stay on slick tires. On a tricky track, marked by numerous Full Course Yellow phases, Esteban consistently posted the best times in the field. Shortly before the end of his stint, the weather improved. Under a Virtual Safety Car regime, 70 minutes before the end of the race, he handed over to Charles Milesi.

Due to successive Full Course Yellows and Safety Cars, Milesi only had a 3-second lead over Tom Dillmann (#43 – Inter Europol Competition). Lap after lap, he managed to rebuild the gap despite two further Full Course Yellow interventions. With 10 minutes remaining, car #48 made its final pit stop. Charles Milesi crossed the finish line as the winner, more than 8 seconds ahead, and signed the fastest lap of the race.

A perfectly controlled race from start to finish and a well-deserved victory for Marc VDS's "Felines".

Olivier Panis: 'This victory perfectly reflects the performance level of our three drivers, who each fought an extremely high-level battle in a particularly demanding race. The fickle weather, neutralizations, numerous Full Course Yellow periods, and the complex traffic management on this circuit made things even tougher.

Oliver once again proved to be the best Silver driver one could hope for. Esteban managed to stay in the lead with impressive lap times, while our spearhead, Charles Milesi, shone – as always – through his speed and unwavering determination right to the checkered flag.

Our engineers and mechanics were outstanding throughout the event. Their talent, discipline, and commitment greatly contributed to this success, and I want to sincerely thank them.

We dedicate this victory to Marc VDS. The emblem of the Félin gives us the strength and fighting spirit that keep us at the front.

Now it's on to Spa, with a single goal: defend our championship lead!'

Race Report – Car #29 (LMP2 Pro / Am)

At the start, Bronze driver Rodrigo Sales held on to 4th place in the Pro/Am category, before losing two positions on laps 3 and 9 respectively. Nonetheless, he posted solid lap times during his stint, until a minor off-track excursion slightly damaged the front of the car. Following the red flag early in the race, he took advantage of the Safety Car period to return to the pits and replace the front hood. After 35 laps on the very demanding Imola circuit, he handed the car over to Clément Novalak in 7th position.

The Frenchman began a solid comeback during his stint, gaining three places. However, the track became slippery with the arrival of rain, and an off-track moment forced him to pit prematurely for another front hood replacement. Thanks to the efficiency of the mechanics, he rejoined quickly, once again in 7th place, and began another chase to catch the front-runners.

The Full Course Yellow phases followed one another, and it was ultimately Mathias Beche who was tasked with finishing the race. Despite several accidents slowing down the action, he took every risk to climb back. With 30 minutes to go, he was running 3rd, but a small mistake cost him one position.

Car #29 eventually crossed the finish line in 4th place in the Pro/Am category, at the end of a turbulent but strong race.

Xavier Combet:'We're leaving Imola with valuable points for the championship. We're now in 3rd place in the Pro/Am category, just six points behind the leader. Although we had hoped for a better result on this track, the changing conditions and additional pit stops needed to repair damaged parts – unlike our direct rivals – made our strategy more complex.

Despite this, our three drivers and the entire staff remained fully focused and committed to finishing this demanding race in a position we consider very respectable.

We're already looking ahead to the next rounds, which will take place on circuits where we've traditionally performed very well.

Congratulations to the crew and staff of car #48 for their well-deserved victory!

See you in Spa on August 24th for the 4th round of the championship.'