It’s been a hugely encouraging trip to Florida so far for the ‘Blue Oval’, which locked out the front row in GTD Pro for this weekend’s Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona yesterday.
Where did the pace come from? Pole-sitter Mike Rockenfeller revealed the strategy he and the Multimatic-run GTD PRO factory team utilised to squeeze the most performance out of the Mustang GT3s in the 15-minute Qualifying session.
“I think the big difference was – and I don’t know why nobody did it – but I did this kind of heat soak,” he explained.
“So I went back in the pits right after my out lap and I was waiting just the brake temps that they get into the tyre. And then it’s so cold that it gave me a lot more grip.
“You could see it to the sister car, as well, and I think that was a good decision and it worked out. That’s why we’re on pole.”
Where does this all leave Ford’s confidence levels for the race? Despite both Multimatic-run Mustang GT3s setting the bar yesterday, Rockenfeller admitted he isn’t quite so sure Ford should be considered the favourite just yet, given the conditions anticipated for the race, and how that will impact tyre wear.
“I think we struggle a bit more over a stint with our tyre deg,” the German veteran said. “That’s something I’m a bit worried about, and as you see in qualy, the tire kind of overcomes the issues you have a bit.
“The way we treated it for qualy, I think, was really good and spot on, and that gave us an advantage, but that is not valid for the race. Being in the race is a whole different story, and you will see we will have to fight a lot, and that’s good. It’s 24 hours, everybody should have a good chance here.
“If you don’t make mistakes, you stay out of the pits and you keep the wheels turning — I think that’s the key at the end to be there, and then we’ll see Sunday, with three or four hours to go, if we have a shot or not.”
Rockenfeller hasn’t totally downplayed his and Ford Multimatic’s chances of claiming its first IMSA GTD PRO victory with the Mustang GT3 from the front row on Saturday though: “It’s absolutely a great start and a great place to be. It’s where we want to be on Sunday, a lot more than today.
“We put a lot of effort into qualifying, preparing the car and getting it ready at the Roar. I think the whole team deserves it after a tough first year, especially the mechanics who work their butts off. It’s great to give something back to them and a long season ahead, and this is the first little step.
“It’s crazy competitive, I would say more competitive than last year for sure, and going to be tough but I think we saw throughout the sessions that we are clearly good on one lap.”
Image courtesy of Andrew Lofthouse
